Before he was able to talk plainly, Clyde Pollard decided that he wanted the same nickname as his father, "Sam". When his brothers pointed at that it would be too confusing to have two Sams in the family, he said, "Then I be little Sham."

He was not Little Sam for long. Though the youngest of the family, he grew to 6' 2". He grew up on a farm near Glen Alpine, attending school until he went off to World War II at age 16 when he joined the Merchant Marines. When the war ended, he joined the Army and was stationed in Germany during the Korean War.

He worked at various jobs during his lifetime, including managing a used car lot and as a supervisor at Morganton Dye and Finishing. Sam did not marry until he was in his late thirties. He and Mary Lee were married nearly 40 years. A heart attack forced him into early retirement.

He spent many of his later years enjoying his RV at nearby Lake James, where he fished and cruised the lake. He also loved going to Myrtle Beach, and spent many happy vacations there. He and Mary Lee also took several trips, enjoying their time together as her health began to fail. He lost Mary Lee in 2005.

Sam loved eating out. His favorite food was steak, but he loved a good buffet or breakfast, too.

In his final years, Sam found a special girlfriend and they enjoyed shopping and eating out. He began to have fainting spells, and problems multiplied after one fall broke his pelvis. His heart failure advanced, and he died at his beloved Veteran's Hospital.

Sam attended his church faithfully until his health and eyesight began to fail. His last words were, "I'm going home."

His funeral was held with military rites and although no flyover was scheduled, President Obama did indeed fly over on his funeral day.

He was survived by one brother, Kenneth Wayne Pollard (now deceased) several nieces and nephews, and his girlfriend.