The Sam Stone that ABS knew was fit to live a life in rural Vermont; he was country strong; he could shoot the eye out of a squirrel from 50 yards away; and he could (and did) shoot deer out of season to get his family food and the local cops not only knew he was breaking the law they approved of what he did for his family.
And then Vietnam.
Sam was drafted and because he was a natural leader, they made him a Ranger and sent him off into an unnecessary and evil war overseas but before he flew out over the oceans and foreign lands he went AWOL and hid out in the barn owned by the Father of the strawberry blonde.
He stayed there for a week or so and ABS and the future Bride spoke about getting some money together so he could head for Canada but Sam had patriotism and courage and strength bred into his bones in Southern Vermont and so he went to war.
War broke him mentally and spiritually and although he came back from the war he never returned.
ABS loves Sam Stone and hates the Empire that casts good Sam Stones away.
Prolly every good man reading this crummy blog knows at least one Sam Stone. Take some time today to remember him and pray for him and to hell with the Empire and its faux concern for the Stones they are now casting away in Afghanistan.