Thank Sophia for Sam

The concept of heroism has long since become debased, but there are still true heroes in the world who exhibit remarkable bravery and strength of character, who regularly put their lives on the line to save another human life, and who do so without recognition or exceptional reward. Medevac crews in Afghanistan are occasionally featured on a TV news report or in a newspaper article, but by and large are ignored by the mainstream media and by the public. But pay attention to those occasional reports and it becomes clear how special these people are. They fly through bullets and missiles, fog and dust, mountains and deserts to get to a casualty and then run through bullets and step across IEDs to get to the patient, and toil in 130 degree heat or a 10 below deep freeze to stabilize the patient and transport him back to the field hospital alive, which they do 95% of the time on average. It is an extraordinary group of men and women who have heretofore gone all but overlooked in fiction.

A modern-day MASH, “Thank Sophia for Sam” is the story of a medevac crew based in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. They are responsible for medical evacuation support for the most dangerous areas of the country, including the dreaded Korengal Valley. The mountainous terrain is perilous, the weather often making it more treacherous, and the likelihood that their red crosses will attract bullets and missiles is high. Yet, none of that stops them in their zeal to save lives, not only of soldiers, but of civilians and even enemy fighters. The story is fictional, but includes many rescues based on actual missions as reported by various media outlets.

Flight crew antics – some also based on true accounts of medevac units – and a love story serve to develop the characters and story between missions. The four-person crews work in close quarters with a great deal at stake and become very close. The two central characters are Samantha Hawkins, the co-pilot, and Daniel Beaton, the flight medic. He aggressively pursues her throughout his posting in country. The heartache that flight medics have to endure in this war is almost beyond belief; for Daniel, Samantha represents a crucial escape, counterbalancing the pervasive pain, death and horror with love, life and hope for the future. She, however, is forbidden to have a relationship with him because he is an enlisted man, and she falls in love with a flight surgeon. Daniel fights for her heart, mostly with a searing wit, but it is a losing battle.

To compound his problems, he develops diabetes during his second summer in Jalalabad, which, if the army finds out about it, will ruin his plans for the future. Added to Samantha’s consistent rejections and the enormous stress of the job, this overwhelms the young man. He suffers a breakdown and is sent home.

Once home with the war and the army behind them, they both have trouble adjusting to normal life, which is dull and frivolous by comparison. There the tables are turned, with Samantha pursuing Daniel, but Daniel wary of her. She needs him to help her settle back into normal life; he too needs her, but is afraid to trust her after a year and a half of rejection in Afghanistan.

Is there any hope they will end up together?

(Please note that because the story is largely set in the army during war, it has violence, vulgar language and sexual innuendo.)