It was 1973 and my draft lottery number was 94 and college deferments were a thing of the past. I was certain to be called by the Selective Service for a tour of duty in Vietnam that summer. A sophomore and an art student at Ball State, I felt compelled to make a statement illustrating my greatest fear as a 20 year old. Death.
The construction was a family affair. I constructed the coffin by hand and created the mechanics that allowed a fan and light to turn on when the door was opened. My mother created the interior padding; my father, through connections with the Bell Telephone Company, was able to commandeer a non-working payphone. I took the electronics from a working phone to make it work. They are visible from the open coin box on the phone.
That winter Richard Nixon called an end to the draft.
Over the years this work has come to symbolize our greatest fears about war, both for the veterans and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. For veterans, communication with loved ones was the most important morale builder. For families of sons or daughters killed in action - it is the return of their remains home for a proper burial.
