Today, I had the good fortune of being able to enjoy a good meal and good conversation with a man who used to be, among other things, a Level 1 sniper and member of the Army’s elite Special Forces fraternity, the Green Berets.

L-R: Kelly A. Stewart and Bob McCarty.

Though I had communicated with former Army Sgt. 1st Class Kelly A. Stewart, the man whose life story — including a wrongful conviction in a military court-martial — is chronicled in my book, Three Days In August.

Though I had communicated with Stewart countless times during the past three years, today’s meal at a Cracker Barrel Country Store in the St. Louis area marked the first time Stewart and I were able to meet in person. It became possible as a result of Stewart passing through Missouri on the return leg of a cross-country trek to visit family.

Worth noting: After spending more than two hours across the table from him, I’m convinced more than ever before that he is the victim of military justice gone awry.

To read the never-before-published details about Stewart’s wrongful conviction, read the book, Three Days In August. Based on 18 months of research, interviews with the key players and access to the actual Record of Trial, this book is available in paperback and ebook via most online booksellers, including Amazon.com.  To visit the book website, click here.