A Sailor's Story

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has been running a powerful narrative this week by Mark Johnson. "An American Hero's Fall From Grace" tells the story of Mark Samples, who in 1987 helped save the lives of 180 shipmates on the USS Stark and earned a bronze medal. Johnson describes how Samples unraveled emotionally after coming home and ended up robbing a credit union 14 years later. Johnson's eye for detail and lively writing fueled by strong verbs makes this story a page turner.