The Toughest Sheriff of them All!

Readers of Dogwoods Blush know that the tale is filled with tough-guys sheriffs who kept law and order in fictional Timmons County, Georgia for decades. Two of these heroes are the legendary "Big" Ben Spear, who WAS the law in the county from the 30's to the 90's, and the tormented Jeremiah Bronson who died trying to stop a Russian drug cartel from moving into the county in 1995 ... or so the "official report" stated. While many real-life and fictional characters formed the basis for these characters, none made a bigger impact on me than actor Joe Don Baker's portrayal of heroic Tennessee lawman Buford Pusser in the 1973 hit movie, Walking Tall. The real-life Pusser, elected Sheriff of McNairy County, Tennessee in the late 60's (possibly the most corrupt county in the USA at the time) proceeded to bring law and order to the county despite overwhelming odds and syndicate intervention. He survived multiple attempts on his life, including a brutal ambush on his family that killed Mrs. Pusser and severely injured him as well. Surviving his horrific wounds, this American hero continued to fight crime until he died in a very suspicious single-car crash on August 21, 1974. I was 15 years old the morning of August 22 when my mom awakened me with the sad news that she'd heard on the radio ... Sheriff Buford Pusser had been killed. But the legend and example of Buford Pusser still lives today, as evidenced by the many movies that still bear tribute to his memory as the uncompromising lawman who could not be bought, bribed or intimidated. In 2000, Tennessee Highway 64 was named the Buford Pusser Highway in his honor. A memorial was erected to him on the spot where he had his fatal accident. And in 2009, with the publication of Dogwoods Blush, I added my own tribute to this great American hero. This excerpt from the book describes a critical scene where Sheriff Jerry Bronson recalls a tragic night from his past:

Jerry had been away from the office and from typical police reports for more than 48 hours. He had been holding a prisoner on the run from McNairy County, Tennessee after he’d escaped from a road work detail near the Arkansas border. He’d agreed to meet the Tennessee sheriff halfway since they were friends and had worked so well together on numerous occasions over the years.

This passage from the book is my homage to the memory of the late, great Sheriff Buford Pusser and to the performance of actor Joe Don Baker, who brought this man to life for so many of us in the 1973 film. The film's slogan was "When was the last time you stood up and applauded a movie?". It stands as one of the most successful in Hollywood's history. And this rugged portrayal was pivotal in depicting the tough sheriffs in Dogwoods Blush. As Reverend Spindola acknowledges in a pivotal scene from Dogwoods, "the bad guys don't stand a chance!"