How old do you have to be to buy tobacco in Maine? I think here it's 21. The owner could have been referring to his age rather then his military ID.. I was in a tobacco store here and a mother and her 15 year old daughter came in the store. The owner told the mother her daughter would have to leave. The mother looked surprised ( so did I) and asked, even if I'm here? The owner told her yes, if the anti tobacco folks walked in they could shut him down.
We have one restaurant that added a whole different area on a restaurant so he could have a smoking section. I know even with a parents permission kids can't go in that section.
IMHO, if a guy is packing a military ID, this silly ass shop owner should have GIVEN him a pack of smokes!