Walter Hufnagle's Driver's License (expired 1973)

A wallet-sized, state-issued driver's license recovered from a blanket-covered body. Laminated cardstock bears the printed name Walter Hufnagle and an expiration clearly marked 1973; edges show light wear and dust. A police officer reads the card aloud at the scene, using it to name the deceased and to connect the body to other material found in the donated coat.

3 appearances

Purpose

To serve as government-issued personal identification, certifying the holder's name and permitting official identification of the deceased.

Significance

Functions as the pivotal factual clue that names the man as Walter Hufnagle, anchors the immediate investigation, and propels Toby's moral urgency to secure the veteran a proper burial after the officer links the ID to other items in the donated coat.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

3 moments

S1E10 · In Excelsis Deo

The Coat, the Card, and a Dead Marine

An expired driver's license is read aloud by the officer to identify the man as Walter Hufnagle (expiration 1973), providing the primary factual anchor for the deceased's name and verifying veteran anonymity rather than family presence.

Before: In the deceased's possession, tucked in a pocket beneath the blanket.

After: Removed or observed by the officer and used to announce the man's identity; remains part of the evidence at the scene pending coroner/transport.

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S1E10 · In Excelsis Deo

Toby Finds His Donated Coat on a Dead Marine

The expired driver's license is produced as primary documentary identification: the officer reads 'Hufnagle, Walter' aloud, supplying the dead man's name and anchoring the scene in concrete personal history.

Before: In the deceased man's possession (pocket) attached to his person under the blanket.

After: Removed or observed by the officer as part of the scene's identification evidence and remains with the body pending coroner/ambulance retrieval.

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S1E10 · In Excelsis Deo

Insisting on Dignity: Toby Confronts Indifference at the Memorial

The expired driver's license provides the deceased's name (Walter Hufnagle) and a dated, official anchor for identification; the officer reads it aloud to establish identity and historical abandonment (expired 1973), emphasizing the man's separation from current civic status.

Before: In the pocket of the coat or on the deceased, dusty and expired but readable.

After: Held or cited by the officer as evidence for identification; remains with the body for coroner processing.

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