The West Wing
S1E10
· In Excelsis Deo

Silent Witness at the Memorial

Toby, driven to secure dignity for a homeless Korean War veteran found dead in his coat, approaches the memorial information stand and awkwardly explains his purpose. The stand worker — revealed as veteran John Noonan — confirms the dead man was "one of them," gives Toby a practical lead (where veterans congregate), and shares a brief, quietly human handshake. Noonan’s watchful presence validates Toby’s moral mission, supplies the next investigative step, and provides an outside, veteran-to-veteran recognition that deepens the story’s emotional stakes.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

1

John Noonan watches Toby walk away, reflecting on the interaction and the weight of Toby's mission.

camaraderie to contemplation

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

2
John Noonan
Information Stand Attendant
 primary

Measured and quietly sympathetic; acts with veteranly reserve but offers clear, useful help and a small gesture of human recognition.

John Noonan, the stand worker, prompts Toby to sign the book, listens to Toby's halting explanation, acknowledges the dead man as 'one of them,' gives a practical lead (Capital and 'P'), and exchanges a brief handshake and Christmas greeting before watching Toby leave.

Goals in this moment
  • • Provide accurate, practical information to someone trying to help.
  • • Maintain the memorial's informal role as a connector among veterans and civic actors.
  • • Validate the deceased’s veteran status and tacitly authorize proper attention.
Active beliefs
  • • Veterans form an informal community that looks after its own.
  • • Practical direction is more useful than rhetoric in these situations.
  • • Civic remembrance often sits uncomfortably beside real, unmet obligations to living veterans.
Character traits
laconic practical observant guardedly compassionate
Follow John Noonan's journey
Toby Ziegler
White House Communications Director
 primary

Determined and awkward on the surface; privately uneasy and propelled by remorse and a fierce sense of obligation to do right by the dead.

Toby approaches the information stand, awkwardly frames himself as a concerned civilian (not police), gestures toward the bench where the man died, requests contacts, gives his name, and offers a handshake — all to convert private guilt into responsible action.

Goals in this moment
  • • Find someone who can claim or arrange a dignified response for the deceased veteran.
  • • Confirm whether the memorial community knew the man and learn where veterans congregate.
  • • Translate his private discovery into concrete next steps rather than letting it remain a personal burden.
Active beliefs
  • • The dead — especially veterans — deserve dignity and recognition.
  • • Institutions and formal authorities may not be sufficient; individual initiative matters.
  • • If he acts correctly now he can mitigate a moral failing he perceives in himself or society.
Character traits
conscientious awkward morally urgent detail-oriented
Follow Toby Ziegler's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

1
Korean War Memorial Information Stand (staffed by John Noonan)

The Korean War Memorial information stand functions as the conversational anchor: it prompts the initial interaction (the stand worker asks Toby to sign the book), frames the exchange through its civic role, contains the sign-in book as a ritual object, and supplies the stand worker's authority to offer the practical lead where veterans gather.

Before: Staffed and in place at the memorial with …
After: Remains staffed and in place; the stand has …
Before: Staffed and in place at the memorial with informational materials and a sign-in book ready for visitors.
After: Remains staffed and in place; the stand has served as a conduit for the lead and the handshake but is physically unchanged.

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
Korean War Memorial (Korean War Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.)

The Korean War Memorial provides the setting and moral frame for the exchange: the park bench where the homeless veteran died is visually referenced, and the information stand sits within the memorial's public, commemorative space, turning a bureaucratic site into a place for private responsibility and veteran-to-veteran recognition.

Atmosphere Quiet, restrained, and slightly awkward — a public commemorative calm tinged with the intimacy of …
Function Meeting place and locus of moral reckoning where Toby seeks information and validation; a bridge …
Symbolism Embodies the tension between institutional commemoration and the city's neglected veterans; symbolizes the gap between …
Access Open to the public; accessible to passersby, veterans, and staff at the information stand.
Park bench identified as the place near where the homeless veteran died. An information stand occupying a serviceable, public position within the memorial. Daytime setting with a quiet, public-park ambience appropriate for brief exchanges.

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

No narrative connections mapped yet

This event is currently isolated in the narrative graph

Key Dialogue

"TOBY: No. No. Just... I'm not a visitor. I was, uh... I'm not the police. I was... A homeless man died this morning near the monument."
"STAND WORKER: They usually hang out around Capital and 'P,' I'd try there."
"TOBY: Toby Zeigler. STAND WORKER: John Noonan."