After finishing high school in 1936, Samuel Coward hitch-hiked from his home town of Newborn, North Carolina to Sarasota, Florida to attend the Ringling School of Art. As World War II approached, Sam decided to enlist in the Florida National Guard and soon found himself being deployed to a "destination unknown" overseas. A while back, Sam had a conversation with former Florida Stories Producer Eric Jordan about his time in the military and how afterwards, he pursued his passion for art and interior design.