Our American Stories

The Story of a Military Man–Turned Missionary Who Carries a Gun... in War-Torn Burma

18 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, whether armed or unarmed, the medics and defenders of the Free Burma Rangers risk their lives to stand with c...

Spitfires: The American Women Who Flew in the Face of Danger During World War II

18 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, May 8, 2025, marked 80 years since the Allied victory over Nazi Germany. While the fighting in the Pacific wo...

The Sweetheart of American Snacks: The “Little Debbie” Story

18 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, whether you're a diehard Cosmic Brownie fan or a lover of Zebra Cakes, Nutty Buddy bars, Star Crunch, or the ...

The One College Football Run That Changed My Life

17 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, T.C. Stallings is best known for one of the most iconic runs in Louisville Cardinal football history: a game-...

The Unlikely Story of How the Bald Eagle Became America's Symbol

17 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, how did a bird Benjamin Franklin once called “of bad moral character” become America’s nati...

The Day Elvis Tried to Join the DEA (And Nixon Kind of Let Him)

17 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, the story sounds like fiction. In December 1970, "The King" boarded a commercial flight to Washington, D.C. w...

How the USPS Stamped Itself onto American History

17 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, The United States Postal Service was founded in 1792, and more than 230 years later, it remains a vital part ...

A Father Wanted a Clean Hotel for His Family... So He Created Holiday Inn

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, before the 1950s, family road trips meant unreliable motels and tired parents hopping from place to place. Af...

Paul’s Father’s Day Tribute to His Father and His Son

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Paul Bauer, a WCCO 830 listener from Minneapolis, Minnesota, shares two heartfelt Father’s Day stories&...

Leader of the Band: Dan Fogelberg's Love Song to His Father

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the canon of personal songs, "Leader of the Band" is one of the most treasured. The song is Fogelberg&rsqu...

Michael Powell’s Final Thoughts for His Father, General Colin Powell

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, on November 5, 2021, a funeral service was held for General Colin Powell at the Washington National Cathedral...

My Hero Father Needed No Star and No Cape

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Roger Latham, a regular contributor from Fort Worth, Texas, shares the story of his father, a World War II fi...

Brett Favre’s Tribute to His Father

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, NFL legend Brett Favre reflects on one of the most emotional games of his career. After the passing of his fa...

The Father Privilege: Turning Boys into Men Is a Dad's Job

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, for those of us whose fathers did their best to raise and love us, we’re the lucky ones. In fact, the g...

Ruger Firearms: The Story of a Great American Company

13 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Ruger is the largest gun manufacturer in the U.S., and it’s not by accident. Here to tell this story is...

The Civil War's Moses Moment at Providence Spring: 100 Bible Verses That Changed America

13 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, The Union soldiers at Andersonville Prison were near starvation and dehydration when prayer saved thousands o...

Ilene Hall Joined the Army to Find Her Husband in the Middle of WWII

13 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Ilene Hall enlisted in the Army WAC in 1943, she was following her husband, Edward “Ken” Hal...

The Story of the Barcode

13 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, the barcode, technically known as the UPC (Universal Product Code), is a small invention that plays a big rol...

The Story of Army Ranger–Turned Border Patrol Agent, Vincent "Rocco" Vargas

13 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Vincent “Rocco” Vargas shares his unique perspective on becoming a Border Patrol agent after his ...

The Blue-Collar Leader of America’s Most Innovative University

12 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Arizona State University President Michael Crow shares the inspiring story of how he helped transform ASU int...

A Former German Soldier Who Helped Build America's Arsenal of Democracy in WWII

12 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Robert Frohlich, a regular contributor to the show, shares the remarkable story of his grandfather—a Ge...

Hollywood's Golden Era Movie Star Had It All but Left It All to Fight in WWII

12 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, he was the dashing lead in The Mark of Zorro and one of Hollywood’s biggest stars during its ...

Ida B. Wells: Fighter for the Civil Rights of African Americans to Own Arms

12 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, born into slavery during the Civil War, Ida B. Wells is best remembered as an American journalist who fought ...

The 1st Air Force Pilot at Ground Zero—and the Last to Know What Happened

11 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, on the morning of September 11, 2001, Peter Braxton was the first military pilot in the air over the burning ...

Caring for My Dying Husband Made Life Worth Living

11 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Tracy Grant, former managing editor at The Washington Post, shares why the days spent caring for he...

A 12-Year-Old Girl’s Eight-Hour Car Chase to Get Elvis’s Photo at a Gas Station

11 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, a listener from Colorado shares her remarkable Elvis story—about the time she met the King not once, bu...

Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, and the Summer of ’41 (With George Will)

11 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist George Will tells the story of Ted Williams. He also tells the story of a Sa...

After 50 Years of Silence, Korean War Pilot Shares His Top-Secret Mission

11 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, between the Korean and Vietnam Wars, U.S. Navy Captain Royce Williams flew more than 220 missions. One missio...

Liquor and the Law: Taking a Wine Bottle to the Supreme Court

10 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Tennessee officials told Doug and Mary Ketchum they couldn’t run their liquor store in Memphis, th...

The Sweet and Surprising History of PEZ Candy

10 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, PEZ found great success in its native Austria but struggled when it first entered the American market. Shawn ...

Bruce Wang, All-American: The Chinese Cowboy with a Southern Accent

10 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Bruce may be Chinese born, but as you’re about to hear, he’s all American. Here he is with his un...

The True Story of the Plot to Steal Abraham Lincoln’s Corpse

10 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the 1800s, body snatching was surprisingly common, but stealing the body of a U.S. president was not. Hist...

The Story of How the Muppets Began as a TV Commercial

09 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Brian Jay Jones, author of Jim Henson: The Biography, tells the story of how some of America’s mos...

Hitler Called Him "The New Noah": Andrew Higgins and the Boats That Won WWII

09 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Eisenhower once said that D-Day would never have happened without this man's boat, born out of the swamps of ...

Paul Revere's Ride

09 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in this dramatic reading, American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow immortalizes Old North Church and Paul Rev...

The Marine-Turned Saturday Morning Cartoonist: "My Calling from God Is to Be an Animator"

09 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, after a career in the Marines, Mike Jones went on to work for some of the most successful animation studios, ...

Burt Young’s Story: The Man Who Played Paulie in "Rocky" Opens Up About His Family and His Craft

09 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Burt Young is an instantly recognizable character actor, known for his half-muttered voice and flinty gaze&md...

Hollywood Goes to War: The Story of Wayne Morris, the Brad Pitt of His Day

06 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, historian Roger McGrath returns with another installment of his “Hollywood Goes to War” series. W...

America Had a President Before George Washington?

06 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, was George Washington really America’s first president? Perhaps not. Historian and bestselling author C...

The New Mexico Wizard Hat Amendment: The Story Behind One of America's Oddest Proposed Laws

06 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, former state politician Duncan Scott shares the hilarious true story of how he pranked the New Mexico State L...

When Superman Battled the KKK—and Won

06 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, an undercover agent infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan in the 1940s, gathering secrets that would later be exposed ...

The CEO Who Grew Up Without Running Water

06 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, he grew up in poverty. His first job was at McDonald’s—and he would go on to become the CEO of 7-...

How Car Culture Captivates the Soul

05 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, like many others, Miles C. Collier fell in love with automobiles in an instant. Today, he runs the world-reno...

The Beer That Changed America: The Rise of the Pilsner

05 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Tom Acitelli, author of Pilsner: How the Beer of Kings Changed the World, tells the fascinating story of...

A Listener's Story About a Humble Local Hero—Her Uncle

05 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, listener and regular contributor Joy Neal Kidney, from Des Moines, Iowa, shares the war story of her uncle, D...

The Real Story of King George III: America’s Last King

05 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, American history hasn’t been kind to King George III. Branded a tyrant in the Declaration of Independen...

The Double Agent Spy Who Helped Win D-Day (With Stephen Ambrose)

05 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, defeating the Nazi menace took more than strength and tactics—it required feeding the Germans a steady ...

The President Whose Greatness Came from His Restraint: The Story of President Calvin Coolidge

04 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, at 2:47 AM on August 3, 1923, Calvin Coolidge was administered the oath of office by his father, lit by a ker...

Sergeant Stubby: The Most Decorated Dog of World War I

04 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Jeremy Swick of the College Football Hall of Fame shares the incredible true story of Sgt. Stubby—a str...

From Boardwalk to Broadcast: The Origins of Miss America

04 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, for over 100 years, the Miss America pageant has been a fixture of American culture, shaping ideas of beauty,...

The Story of Why "The Wild, Wild West" Wasn't Actually Wild

03 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, P.J. Hill, rancher and co-author of The Not So Wild, Wild West: Property Rights on the Frontier, explain...

"Back to Square One" and the Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions (Pt. 3)

03 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Andrew Thompson shares another slice of his guide to understanding the baffling mini-mysteries of the English...

Alzheimer's Caregiver: “I Will Remember for the Both of Us”

03 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, listener Laura Sangster shares the love story between her and her husband. Support the show (https://www.oura...

How a Losing Football Team Brought a Family Together

03 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Nancy Ball shares a story she wrote titled “Being an Ole Miss Fan Is, in and of Itself, a Lesson in Hum...

The South Vietnamese Pilot Who Stole a Plane to Save His Family

03 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Major Buang-Ly was a pilot working with the United States military during the Vietnam War. When the U.S. bega...

The Civil War Soldier Who Risked His Life to Give Water to His Enemies

03 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, listener Richard Hood takes us back to the Battle of Fredericksburg to share a story of compassion amid Ameri...

The Immigrant Who Made It Easier for Irish Catholic Immigrants to Rise in America Following the Revolution

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, American progress, with all its tragedies and enduring hope, can perhaps be seen as clearly through the Irish...

The Story of Jell-O: America’s Most Famous Dessert

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, invented in 1897, Jell-O quickly worked its way into the hearts—and stomachs—of Americans. In war...

Thomas Bennett: The Forgotten Man Behind the Winchester Rifle Brand

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Thomas Bennett was a master salesman and visionary businessman who, alongside legendary gun designer John Mos...

FDR's Warning About Threats to Religion from Abroad in His 1939 State of the Union Address

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, it may be one of the most eloquent defenses of religion in American life—and of free nations—in U...

My Father’s Super-Secret Double Life as a Nuclear Missile Savant

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, for 50 years, John Clauson believed his father was just a simple salesman—until, near his deathbed, his...

The Story of Charleston: The Way Life Used to Be, and Perhaps, Is Supposed to Be

30 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Tommy Dew’s walking tour of Charleston, South Carolina, has been praised and recommended by outlets lik...

How California’s “Night Stalker” Was Caught—Told by the Man Who Arrested Him

30 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Sergeant Bob Alaniz still carries the weight of the morning he fingerprinted Richard Ramirez, knowing he was ...

The Most (Un)Epic Love Story Ever

30 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Shiloh Carozza McCall shares how, in the worst of circumstances, she came to realize that the man she was dat...

Gail Halvorsen: The Man Who Bombed Berlin with Candy

30 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Gail Halvorsen was a young pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps assigned to the Berlin Airlift, where American fo...

The Most Popular Book in History You’ve Never Heard Of: The Story of Pilgrim’s Progress

29 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, The Pilgrim’s Progress is the second most popular book in world history, after the Bible. Its auth...

The Story of America: Steel, Rails, and Steam—The Industrial Revolution

29 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the 34th episode of our Story of America series, Hillsdale College professor and Land of Hope&nb...

The Day That Johnny Cash Survived Death and Found God

29 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1967, Johnny Cash stumbled into Nickajack Cave in Tennessee, intent on ending his life. Struggling with a ...

The Two Men Who Ended Red-Light Camera Tickets

28 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Civil rights lawyers Hugh Eastwood and Bevis Schock of St. Louis share the story of how they filed three sepa...

Brett Favre on Humility, Aging, and Faith

28 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, much of what’s known about legendary NFL quarterback Brett Favre has stayed between the goalposts. So, ...

50 Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy—The Plow, Barbed Wire, and Google Search

28 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Tim Harford, author of the bestselling book 50 Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy, shares the sto...

Take Me Home: The Story of John Denver

28 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, John Denver’s songs have become part of the American bloodstream. His melodies and lyrics are heard all...

The Story of the Highest-Ranking Female Marine and First Female Annapolis Graduate to Be Killed in Action

27 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, the word "hero" is often overused in today’s culture, but not when it comes to Megan McClung. Here's wh...

Moral Injury: The Invisible Epidemic Affecting American Veterans

27 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Major General "Mook" Mukoyama volunteered and served in both Korea and Vietnam. In 1986, he became the younge...

[Memorial Day Special] Karl Marlantes: How I Came to Terms with My Navy Cross

26 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Karl Marlantes, a Vietnam War veteran and the award-winning author of Matterhorn and What It I...

Remembering The USS Indianapolis: The Worst Naval Disaster in American History—Told in the Movie Jaws

26 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Robert Shaw’s “Quint” told the world what happened to the USS Indianapolis in the hit mov...

[Memorial Day Special] How a House of War Became a Place of Honor: The Story of Arlington

26 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Arlington National Cemetery is the nation’s most iconic military burial ground, but its origins are mor...

Why Memorial Day Matters to Me: The Uncle Lee Habeeb Never Knew, Killed in WWII

25 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, our host, Lee Habeeb, shares a very personal Memorial Day story about the ...

[Memorial Day Special] A Medal of Honor Recipient Through the Eyes of His Father

25 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, the late Paul Monti often drove his son Jared’s truck—an act that inspired the hit country song &...

She Buried Over 60 Unclaimed People, Including Many Veterans

24 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Lanae Strovers was tasked with deciding what to do with unclaimed urns at the funeral home where she wor...

The Forgotten First Memorial Day: Freed Slaves Honoring Fallen Union Soldiers in Charleston

24 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, formerly enslaved people in Charleston, SC, decided to honor the Union soldiers who had perished at a racecou...

Abraham Lincoln: From Poverty to Frontier Genius

23 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Abraham Lincoln was asked on a questionnaire to describe his education, he wrote just one word: "defecti...

Horse Jumping Was Dull—So They Jumped Mules

23 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, everyone knows a horse can jump a good-sized fence—but the folks in Pea Ridge, Arkansas, thought it was...

Amelia Earhart: The First Woman Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross

23 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, most people know Amelia Earhart for the mystery surrounding her disappearance over the Pacific Ocean—bu...

Joplin’s EF-5 Tornado: A Story of Loss, Love, and Hope

23 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, on May 22, 2011, Joplin, Missouri, took a direct hit from the deadliest and costliest tornado in U.S. history...

Have Pool Cue, Will Travel—The Story of St. Louie Louie, a Local Legend. 

22 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Mark O'Brian, a listener of Our American Stories, shares the story of St. Louie Louie—one of the g...

How a 19-Year-Old Single Mother Built the Largest Female-Owned Trucking Company

22 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Marcia Taylor went from being a pregnant teenager to running one of the largest trucking companies in America...

The Case of the Mysterious Senate Candy Desk

22 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1965, California Senator George Murphy started a sweet tradition, literally. He began stocking his de...

John Brown: The Radical Abolitionist Who Killed Slavery, Sparked a Civil War, and Seeded Civil Rights

22 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, to Southerners, he was a dangerous villain. To many Northerners, a fanatic. But to himself, he was an instrum...

Arresting Your Boss... a Nazi Commander: The True Story of Pino Lella 

21 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Michael Lella shares the incredible true story of his father, Pino Lella—a teenage hero of the Italian ...

From Billy Goats to Zero Turns: The History of Lawn Care

21 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in just a few centuries, the lawn went from being a status symbol for kings and nobles to a hallmark of the A...

Final Thoughts: An Older Brother’s Letter to His Younger Brother

21 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, George Bryan pays tribute to his older brother, John Bryan, a business leader who ran the Sara Lee Corporatio...

The Winner Who Always Finished Last

21 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Saje Hellstern was the fastest runner on his cross-country team and consistently finished near the top. ...

This Week In History: Levi Strauss: The Jewish Immigrant Who Gave Blue Jeans to the World

21 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, as part of our "This Week in History" series, we tell the story of an immigrant whose name you probably know&...

Dog Food CEO Eats Kibble for 30 Days to Prove It's Good for Dogs

20 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Mitch Felderhoff, co-owner of Muenster Milling in Muenster, Texas, decided to put his mouth where his money i...

The Man Who Paints Rocks to Honor Veterans: The Story Behind the Freedom Rocks

20 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Ray “Bubba” Sorensen shares the story behind his “Freedom Rocks”—giant, unique,...

Moving to a Farm from the City Changed My Life

20 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, after moving from the bright lights of Tampa, Florida, to a farm in the small college town of Oxford, Mississ...

99 Reasons Why a Typewriter Is Better Than a Computer!

20 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, some interesting facts about the typewriter: The QWERTY layout was originally designed to slow typists down. ...

The Nuclear Mishap That "Created" CNN

20 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, a wrench slipped. A rocket leaked, lost fuel pressure, collapsed, and exploded. A nuclear warhead was launche...

[TWIH] How Jackie Kennedy Saved Grand Central Station

20 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in honor of Jackie Kennedy, who died this week in history in 1994, we tell the story of the preservation of a...