Ep 316: History Repeats with Liam Carballal and guest Rich Acritelli P1 on hmTv

History Repeats Ep. 316 (Part 1)

In this powerful episode of History Repeats, host Liam Carballal sits down with educator, historian, and veteran Rich Acritelli to peel back the layers of Forrest Gump and examine the real history behind one of America’s most beloved films.

From the deep-rooted rise and fall of hate movements in the United States to the realities of Vietnam, cultural innocence, and the civil rights struggle, Liam and Rich connect Hollywood storytelling with true historical context and lived experience. They explore Forrest’s journey as a lens into American character, courage, cruelty, and compassion — and how a single film still teaches us about prejudice, patriotism, and the everyday acts of humanity that shape history.

Rich shares personal stories from his military service, classroom perspective, and research, reminding us how memory and truth move through generations. This episode is equal parts reflection, cultural critique, and heartfelt tribute to those who served and those who stood up for justice.

History does not just repeat — it echoes. Join us for Part 1 of a candid, insightful, and humbling two-part conversation that reminds us why understanding our past is essential to shaping a better future.

Transcript

Podcast Transcript: Ep. 316 – History Repeats with Liam Carballal and guest Rich Acritelli (Part 1)

Liam:
Hello and welcome back to History Repeats. I'm your host, Liam Carballal, and this is hmTv. Joining me, as always, is historian and veteran educator, Rich Acritelli. Rich, good to see you. Hope you had a nice Halloween.

Rich:
Good to be here, Liam. Halloween was quiet this year. Not many kids came by, but it was good.

Liam:
Same here. We bought enough candy to fuel an army. Now it’s just sitting there calling my name every night. It’s not like it used to be. Back in the day, we’d be outside all afternoon with pillowcases full of candy.

Rich:
Right. Those were the glory days. Oh, to be young again.

Liam:
Alright, let’s jump in. We’re continuing our “History vs. Hollywood” series. Today, we’re talking about an all-American classic: Forrest Gump. Tom Hanks, 1994. Same year as Jurassic Park and Pulp Fiction. Not a bad movie year at all.

Rich:
Not bad at all.

Liam:
Let’s start with the name. In the film, Forrest says he’s named after Nathan Bedford Forrest, Confederate general and early leader of the Ku Klux Klan… who later supposedly denounced the Klan and spoke at events supporting racial reconciliation. Strange arc. Tell us about him.

Rich:
Nathan Bedford Forrest is a complicated figure in American history. He was a Confederate cavalry commander, wealthy slave trader, and one of the first leaders of the Ku Klux Klan. He later claimed to disavow the organization… but like Forrest’s mother says in the film, “Sometimes people do things that just don’t make any sense.”

You see the movie reference the early Klan: riding around in sheets, trying to intimidate people after the Civil War. That organized hate starts in the 1860s and never fully disappears. It rises, falls, and resurfaces in different forms.

Liam:
Even here on Long Island.

Rich:
Exactly. People think hate groups are only in the deep South, but the Klan had a presence here. A few years ago, trophies from a Klan barbecue — potato sack races, tug-of-war — were found in an old firehouse on Long Island. What do you do with that? Throw it away? Hide it? Or preserve it as history so we remember? You have to acknowledge the past.

Liam:
That’s wild. And disturbing.

Rich:
It is. And when Forrest Gump came out, I was a senior in high school. None of us had ever seen a movie like it. It blended humor, innocence, and serious history. Then I saw it again later with 500 soldiers in a fieldhouse at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. We were hooting, laughing, crying. It hit everyone in that room. That movie is a cultural touchstone.

Liam:
It has that Shawshank, Jaws, Patton, 12 Angry Men level of staying power.

Rich:
Exactly. One minute it’s funny, the next it’s honest and raw. The film touches hate, war, disability, love, loss. And like Sally Field says in the movie, sometimes people do things that just don’t make sense. The film shows how prejudice and ignorance can run deep.

Liam:
They also show Forrest’s childhood with leg braces and how people judged him. You had braces too growing up, right?

Rich:
I did. Hard to believe, I barely talked as a kid. Sitting there with my Tonka truck and Yankees hat. I guess I’m making up for lost time. And that scene where Forrest’s mother fights for him to go to school — it’s exaggerated for humor, but there’s truth about parents advocating for their kids and the biases around intelligence and ability.

Liam:
And Forrest ends up a war hero. Medal of Honor. He’s not stupid — just different.

Rich:
Right. He sees the world simply, but with moral clarity. He doesn’t see race the way others do. Bubba becomes his brother because he treats people as people. That simplicity cuts through hatred. That’s why the film resonates.

Liam:
Then we see pop culture moments. Elvis, civil rights, Dr. Peppers with JFK.

Rich:
The Elvis scene is great. Elvis picks up Forrest’s unique movement. And yes, TV standards back then were rigid. You couldn’t even say the word “pregnant.” Elvis shaking his hips? That was scandalous. Yet he served in the Army like so many did back then. We don't see as many celebrities do that today.

Liam:
Then Vietnam. Bubba, Lieutenant Dan. The film nails the climate, the monsoons, the fear, the brotherhood.

Rich:
Vietnam was brutal. Mud, bugs, heat. No front lines. You fought for the guy next to you. That bond is real. When Forrest saves his unit, that’s loyalty, not politics. I’ve shown that clip to students at Veterans Day programs. Veterans tear up because it captures the chaos and the sacrifice.

Liam:
And the cultural diversity in the military too — people from every corner of America.

Rich:
Absolutely. The military is a geographic melting pot. I served with guys from everywhere. Minnesota Gump — all he talked about were lakes. Great guy. That’s real. And boot camp scenes? Also real. You break down the civilian, build the soldier.

Liam:
We’re running long, so we’ll continue this in Part Two. Rich, can you stick around?

Rich:
Absolutely.

Liam:
Great. Thank you, Rich. This has been History Repeats on hmTv. I’m Liam Carballal. Stay tuned — Part Two coming up. Until next time.