Earl Whitman

At 61, Earl Whitman carries the quiet burden of a man who’s been through one war too many. A former army mechanic and World War II veteran, Earl has spent the years since drifting between towns, jobs, and memories. These days, he lives out of the trunk of his old Buick, his belongings folded neatly into suitcases he hasn’t opened in weeks. He rarely treats himself to comfort, but a lucky poker hand at a gas station on the outskirts of town gave him enough to buy one night behind a real door. At the Newton Motel, he finds a sliver of calm; just a bed, four walls, and a lock. His weathered face and distant eyes speak of long roads and longer silences. He doesn’t expect much from the world anymore, but tonight, it gives him quiet.