Burn Notice Biography of

Sam is a former US Navy S.E.A.L. who met Michael while working in military intelligence. He has some previous knowledge of both Fiona and Lucy as well; but, was retired and living the good life – off of his pension and wealthy widows he dated – until Michael got burned. Now he has grown into one of Michael's closest friends; which thing has put a serious crimp in his dating. Their friendship is at the level that he is one of the few, or only one, who gets away with calling him 'Mikey.' He is very well 'connected' into government “sources” and has a great facility with computers, electronics and the usual spy type stuff as well. He was married to a woman named Amanda but was divorced 'because the SEALs kept getting in the way.' Later (we assume), he and a girl he met got married but separated 'like the next day' – although neither of them bothered to get a divorce.

 

With the exception of Michael, he developed a true dislike for spies who he calls 'bitchy little girls.' That stems from a mission he was sent on as punishment for, even though unwittingly, sleeping with the wife of his CO. He and the people he was attempting to rescue were nearly allowed to be killed by the double-dealing and arrogance of two self-centered CIA spys in Columbia. He did get out of it but not with the help of the CIA; although, help from his new 'civilian friends' enabled him to be discharged with a sizeable pension.

 

[A false passport gave Charles Finley's DOB as 6 Oct 1956 - often forgers use real (or close) DOBs on documents.]

 

 

 

Youth:

- 10 yo -  He stole a Red Ryder BB gun when his dad told him he couldn't have one. His dad told the cops to lock him up in a cell for a couple of hours to teach him a lesson. (48)

- He played football for 'Annalee High' and said that his 'passing arm' took his team to the Michigan State Quarter Finals. (46)

- He was an all-county quarterback for Annalee High.

- Evently he grew up in Michigan and went to school there.

 

- His animosity toward Fiona possibly stemmed from her attempt at purchasing guns from a Libyan arms dealer.

- Dated Josie Conolly who had a son Stacey. When they broke up Sam wasn’t allowed to see Stacey any more which came back to haunt him in the form of an IRS audit by the vindictive Stacey.

 

Military:

- He served with Virgil Watkins overseas in the S.E.A.L. teams (Panama, Iraq, China) and remembered a woman named Gerta from East Berlin.

- He led a hostage rescue operation in Venezuela for some U.S. businessmen which turned out to be a set up. The hostages being bait for Sam’s team.

- He worked an operation with Mike and one other person where they retrieved a personnel carrier in Bulgaria (which he later called to Mikes mind in order to get him to help another friend, Virgil Watkins, repo a boat.

- Had a bizarre, made-up card game that he played in the S.E.A.L. teams when they were feeling crappy and needed to take their minds off something.

- He told Mike that he had dated a few Ukrainian’s “in my day.”

- He knew Larry Sizemore and didn’t like him.

- He did four or five missions with a duplicitous, bumbling-fool, pretty-boy in special-forces, Harlan, who “always had your back.” M also worked for about a year with Harlan.

- He was divorced from Amanda his wife “because the missions were always more important.”

- He admitted to having a 'fling' with a woman and was married 'for one day'; but he had never thought to get a divorce.

- He told a client that he had been pulling some civilians out of a hot spot in Kuwait and had gotten shot on the way out.

- He served in the S.E.A.L.s with a man known as Mack who married Amanda after they had divorced. [It is uncertain how this part of the back story jives with his “fling” where he was married for a day and never divorced which prevented his marrying Veronica” – i.e. was he a bigamist then as well? ]

- He caught a marlin off of Pidgeon Key with Harlan on his boat.

- He learned about a drinking tradition in Panama while he was down there chasing Noriega. Both sides of a fight would lock themselves in a room and not come out until the whole bottle of 'el ojo del Diablo' was gone and they were past their differences.

 

- 80's - He led a 5 man fact finding team into El Salvador, including Pete his buddy. The death squads attacked and Pete was hit in the spine. He told Sam to go on without him but instead Sam sent the team ahead and stayed with Pete to hide in a church living off the communion wafers until a couple of Black Hawks could airlift them out.

- 84 - His life was “saved” by Virgil back in ’84 in East Germany when Sam had “done some stuff that I shouldn’t have” and Virgil had given him a second chance when he didn’t deserve it.

- 89 - A “broker” named Mueller contacted him in East Germany in ’89 and tried to pay him to “Accidentally” blow up a factory during an operation. He refused.

- 95 - In ’95 he led a S.E.A.L. team down to Columbia for a “drug war thing.” Medellin put a bomb in his hotel and Juan Ruiz tipped them off.

- 97 - During a hostage situation, Mike told Sam 'remember Ukraine '97, which apparantly was a job they did together that involved something like blowing up a gas line to 'sell' the idea that a war-lord's gang had a traitor inside it. (77)

- 05 - Just after new year, Jan 22nd, he met and eventually slept with Donna Maitland who eventually told him that she was married - to his CO, Admiral Maitland! He met with Michael Weston that afternoon who advised him to 'come clean' to his CO immediately - he didn't, and was caught because he had accidentally left his belt at her house. For that, he was assigned to a punishment duty in Columbia - which nearly got him killed or even worse, court martialed.

- 05 - Jan 22-31st he was sent to Columbia in 'Operation Provide Support' ostensibly to 'observe and report' about a rebel group who a 'governor Perez' had requested help with. Instead, he found that Perez and his Colonel, Veracruz, were really drug runners who were trying to annialate some farmers and a volunteer clinic who were in their way. Eventually Sam was able to coerce a couple of unwilling CIA agents to help him rescue the real victims. It was only his 'street savy' and quick thinking that enabled him to avoid a trumped-up court martial and obtain a discharge and pension to Miami. It was there where he first used the alias Chuck Finley.

 

- 07 - He was blackmailed by the FBI with the threatened loss of his pension, to get him to inform on his buddy Michael Westen. Mike knew about it and he only gave the FBI information that wouldn't get M in trouble.

- Even though he complained all the way, he answered Ms call when Fiona didn’t; so, M said he was going to call Sam first from then on.

- 09 - Volunteer's for 'Help at Home,' a charity for soldiers families who were killed in combat. He was 'Sammyclause' at Christmas.