  The stochastic vacuum model description of a heavy meson is discussed in the
context of a gauge invariant approach where Wilson loop expectation values
appear naturally in the O($v^2$) spin-orbit Hamiltonian. These expectation
values have been derived elsewhere, however by a procedure whose legitimacy is
now placed in question. Here they are derived by standard functional methods
with a result that is identical to the previous one. In addition, a full
spin-independent Hamiltonian reduction to O($v^2$) is carried out.
