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More than just a farmer and County Board Member, Don Stephen was also a war hero, a published author, and the proprietor/manager of a local hunting reserve, The Quail Shed. Photo by John Lotz
Spotlight On Don Stephen-Unassuming Hero and Renaissance Man  Share
If you sit down and talk with Don Stephen, you'll find him to be a humble, unassuming family man who claims to be nothing more than a good ol' farm boy. Dig a little deeper, though, and what you'll find is more reminiscent of a Renaissance man, and that's why he's the focus of this week's spotlight. Born on September 22, 1945, Don Stephen was the third of four children born and raised on a family farm near the border of Casey and Martinsville. Along with his brothers Paul and Roy and his sister Betty, Don learned about the value of family, cooperation and hard work at an early age-traits that would serve him well in the days and years to come. The Stephen family in this region, according to Don, dates back to the origins of Clark County. In fact, one of his ancestors was actually a surveyor on the original National Road project. But like most of the Stephens, Don doesn't boast about his roots or his own accomplishments, although there's plenty to boast about, starting with his admirable service in Vietnam. As a young man just out of high school, Don worked with his father in managing the family farm, until he was drafted to serve his country at the age of 22. He turned 25 while in Vietnam and was referred to as the ''old man'' of his platoon, which consisted of mostly 18-20 year olds. Several years later, after hearing and seeing how distorted some of the stories about Vietnam got and how the men who served were often portrayed, Don began documenting his own memories and experiences in a Book called Bait, which was published in 1987 and reprinted some time later after a successful first run.
When asked how he came up with the title of his book, Don said he couldn't think of a one, so he started asking some his friends for ideas. That's when his friend John Sherman, a man who served with Don, said, ''I felt like we were just old fashioned bait. They'd drop us in and say, 'Go find the enemy.''' ''The trouble is,'' noted Don, ''that when you find the enemy, they find you too.'' Miraculously, however, Don only lost one man as the Lieutenant of his platoon in the entire time he was in Vietnam-an obvious testament to his leadership, even though he takes no credit for their success. ''I'm proud that in my battalion, my platoon had the fewest casualties, but I take no credit for that. God was good to me and gave me a bunch of good people.'' As for Don's life after Vietnam, he still meets up with the men from his battalion every three years-often right here in Clark County, although they met at the Wall in Washington DC for their last reunion. For the most part, however, Don's life has revolved around his six kids, his wife Barb, and his work, whether it's on the family farm, serving on the State Farm Bureau Board, serving on the Clark County Board, or managing his own hunting reserve-a cooperative venture with his brothers that he manages with his wife and son Jeff Fisher. According to Don, he started the Quail Shed in 1993, and the business has grown steadily ever since. With customers from across the country and even a few from overseas, the Quail Shed is a 320 acre ''put-and-take'' hunting reserve, although only 110 acres are actually huntable. In addition to the Shed itself, there is also an onsite hunting lodge for those who need a place to stay during the bird hunting season which runs from September 1 to April 15, and during the white tail deer hunting season which runs in conjunction with the specified State/County deer hunting seasons. When asked what he likes best about The Quail Shed, Don said without hesitation, ''The hunters. Hunters and sportsmen in general are some of the best people you'd ever want to meet.'' And based on what I've learned about Don Stephen, I'll bet that most of the people who know him, have worked with him, or have served with him, would say the same about Don. For more information about the Quail Shed or Don Stephen's novel Bait, call Don at 217-382-5230. Lotz out. John Lotz is a staff writer for the Marshall Independent.
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