Our American Stories
Episodes
"Pray for Us!": Father Receives Daughter's Text during Pittsburgh Synagogue Massacre
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Paul Kengor's daughters were across the street while a tragedy unfolded at the Tree of Life Synagogue on Octo...
Why Are Bananas So Cheap? (History Guy)
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, if you think of the quintessential American fruit, it would probably have to be the apple. But apples are not...
The Woman Who Holds 13 World Records for Running... On One Leg!
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Amy Palmiero-Winters holds 13 world records for running... and happens to have one prosthetic leg. Support th...
"The Streets Were My Father"
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, meet Carlos Colon, a Chicago man who joined a gang as a teenager, murdered a man, found salvation in prison, ...
Brett Favre on His Miraculous Monday Night Game after His Father Died (Pt. 3)
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, part 3 of our 5-part series we hear Favre get very personal about his miraculous Monday Night Football game i...
Forgiving My Worthless Father
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Leslie Leyland Fields tells us about the heart-breaking relationship between her and her father. And it's not...
Dad With Cancer Tells Kids: “You Are My Best Investments”
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Storyteller Shiloh Carozza remembers her father in a moving portrait of his love, steadfastness, and faith. S...
My Hero-Father Needed No Star and No Cape
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, a son's story about his father, from our regular listener/contributor Roger Latham, from Fort Worth, Texas. ...
Two For The Road: A Son's Eulogy for His Biker Father
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Taylor Brown shares the eulogy he wrote in Garden and Gun for his biker dad. Support the show (https://www.ou...
"Leader of The Band": Dan Fogelberg's Love Song to His Father
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in a canon of personal songs, “Leader of the Band” stands out as Dan Fogelberg’s most treasured. It’s...
Helping, Helping, Helping: Frank Cone's Story
14 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Rona Simmons tells the story of Frank Cone, a horse-mounted battle surgeon in the Philippines who went from c...
A Family Lived in the New York Public Library?
14 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, our audience loved Kristin O'Donnell Tubb’s wonderful story from her historical fiction book John Lincoln ...
A Crooked Cop, an Innocent Man, and an Unlikely Journey of Forgiveness and Friendship
14 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, it all went down in the city of Benton Harbor, Michigan, in 2006. Andrew Collins was a narcotics officer. Jam...
Were All Japanese Americans In Internment Camps? One Woman's Story
14 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Mary Mikami was a Japanese American born in Alaska. Learn about her acceptance and achievements. Support the ...
A Divorced Father Living with His Marine Son
13 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, if Bob McLalan knew his father would be living with him for 18 months, he would have thrown him out that firs...
The Auto Outsider vs. Detroit: The Studebaker Story
13 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Miles outside of motor city in South Bend, Indiana, one of America’s most iconic classic car companies batt...
“Black Harry” Hoosier: The Story Behind Indiana’s Namesake
13 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, how did Indiana get its nickname “The Hoosier State?” And how did people from Indiana come to be called “...
The FBI's First Deaf Agent: Sue Thomas' Story of Faith and Character
13 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Sue Thomas' story became the basis for the TV series Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye. She's here to share the story that ...
The Story of The Highest-Ranking Female Marine and First Female Annapolis Graduate to be Killed in Action
12 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the word "hero" has been much misused in our present culture, but not when it comes to Megan McClung. You are...
“Propose a Toast” and the Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions (Pt. 17)
12 Jun 2024
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...
Dick Bong, Ace of Aces: The Greatest Fighter Pilot in American History
12 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Richard “Dick” Bong was a hero in an era of heroes. Here’s the History Guy with the story. Support the ...
"The First Guy Cannot Fail": The Jackie Robinson Story
12 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Bob Kendrick, President of the Negro Baseball Leagues Museum, tells the story of a man who started in Kansas ...
The Civil War Soldier Who Risked His Life to Give Water To His Enemies
12 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, listener Richard Hood takes us to the Battle of Fredericksburg and tells a story about compassion in the mids...
I Was Gretzky’s Hungover Linemate
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Sean Pronger always dreamed of being and playing with Wayne Gretzky. Find out what happens when his dream mee...
The Men Who Tried to Steal Lincoln's Corpse
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, when most people die, the story is over—but not in Lincoln's case. Louis Picone tells the story of the plot...
A Police Chief's Mission to Serve with Love and Compassion
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the Police Chief of Oxford, Mississippi—a small town where Our American Stories broadcasts from—had good ...
The First Kennedys: The Humble Roots of an American Dynasty
10 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, author Neal Thompson explores the inspiring story of the poor Irish refugee couple who escaped famine, create...
He Wrote "The Giving Tree" and Johnny Cash's "A Boy Named Sue": The Shel Silverstein Story
10 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, we all know Shel Silverstein's children's book, "The Giving Tree," but did you know he wrote some of America'...
He Escaped a Mass Shooting
10 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, a mass shooting took place on November 7, 2018, in Thousand Oaks, California, at the Borderline Bar & Gr...
The Unlikely Story of How "Georgia on My Mind" Came To Be
07 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Lee Habeeb tells the story of how "Georgia on My Mind" came to be, and how it became a song the world would c...
The Late, Great Stephen Ambrose on the Boys Who Flew B-24s in WWII
07 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, here’s Stephen Ambrose to tell us a short story from The Wild Blue: The Men and Boys who Flew the B-24s Ove...
The Story of James Best (AKA Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane) of "The Dukes of Hazzard"
07 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, before he was a television star, James Best was orphaned at the age of three. During WWII he served with the ...
The Story of Roosevelt's D-Day Prayer
07 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, on June 6, 1944, FDR delivered a prayer to the nation at 9:57PM ET. It would last 6 minutes long, and be hear...
The Story of America's Alliance With Stalin—And How It Brought About The Downfall of Hitler
07 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Stephen Ambrose shares a WWII story beginning in January of 1943 and ending with the Allied solution of Uncon...
He Flew Nukes, Captured World Records, and Saved His Way to Wealth...
06 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, hear the story of Orville Rogers and how he gave much of his wealth away. Support the show (https://www.ouram...
The Story of How "Women and Children First" Came to Be
06 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, The History Guy remembers the Birkenhead Disaster and explains where the protocol "women and children first" ...
How Coach Bear Bryant Saved and Changed My Life
06 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Jeremiah Castille played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide and was on the last team coached by th...
"Cat Got Your Tongue?" and the Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions
06 Jun 2024
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...
The Founding Fathers Said, No Bible—No America: 100 Bible Verses That Made America
06 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, if you want to know about the history of America, it is imperative that you know the role that the Bible play...
Coach John Wooden: A Lifetime Masterpiece
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, John Wooden compiled the greatest legacy of any coach in history. How he defined success was unique and centr...
The Man Who Played Boss Hogg Was a Genius and American Hero?
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Boss Hogg, played by long-time actor Sorrell Booke, had a much wider range of skill and talents than the bumb...
Brett Favre on Tough Love, Parenting, and Telling the Truth (Pt. 2 of 5)
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Brett Favre's father coached the legendary QB on many subjects - most of which informed his training, practic...
My Father Was Friends With Castro...Until He Wasn't
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, "If We Get Called Back..." Mike Gonzalez tells this story of his family escaping the clutches of Castro's com...
The Paul Harvey Story
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, born in small-town Oklahoma in 1918—Oklahoma had only been a state for 10 years—his rural roots would sha...
Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, and the Summer of ‘41 (by George Will)
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, George Will tells the story of Ted Williams. He also tells the story of a San Francisco fisherman, Joe DiMagg...
The Forgotten Story of the Black Man Who Was the First to Shed Blood In the Civil War
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Nicholas Biddle died broke, never received a pension, and was never officially a soldier for the Union Army b...
A President, a Preacher, and a Giant Block of Cheese
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Thomas Jefferson is often known for championing religious freedom in our nation's infancy, but not many peopl...
Wayne Gretzky Memorializes His Father
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Walter Gretzky died at the age of 82. His death prompted an avalanche of tributes for a genuine, approachable...
"Fair Game" and the Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, here again with his reoccurring series is Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red: The Curious Origins of Every...
Playing Cards in a Dumpster?
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, here's the story of why Paul Kotz hopped into a dumpster with a homeless man to play cards with him. Support ...
The Story of Legendary Storm Chaser, Tim Samaras
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, at the turn of the twenty-first century, the tornado was one of the last true mysteries of the modern world. ...
Two American Heroes—Martin Luther King, Jr. and Booker T. Washington—Who Overcame Injustice With a Zero-Victim Attitude
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, James Ward, author of Zero Victim: Overcoming Injustice With A New Attitude, tells the story of two other bla...
The Man Who Changed The West: Gunfighter/Lawman/Gambler Bat Masterson
31 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, to Bat Masterson, gunslingers were hoodlums who killed for fun. He used guns to enforce the law or defend a f...
The Story of America: The Tragedy of King Cotton
31 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in our 25th Episode of The Story of America Series, Dr. Bill McClay tells the story of how the South became b...
What I Learned About Faith and Friendship After 9/11
31 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Our American Stories listener Jocelyn Green tells the story of what she learned about faith and friendship af...
Guitar Virtuoso Tommy Emmanuel: I Came To America Because Everything Here Is Better
30 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, born in Australia, Tommy Emmanuel fell in love with American country guitar legend, Chet Atkins. The rest, as...
Mr. 60s: A Baby-Boomer’s Story of Trials, Triumphs... and Redemption
30 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, our next story comes to us from a listener in West Virginia. Here’s Joe Quinn with his story. Support the s...
How Horse Racing and the Triple Crown Brought a Father and Son Together
30 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, a former high-powered media executive shares the story of how the 37-year horse racing Triple Crown drought ...
Slavery Slayer: The Story of William Wilberforce
30 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the man who stirred the conscience of the world to see the evil of slavery was William Wilberforce. His effor...
How the Constitution Came to Be: The Story of America [Ep. 12]
29 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the Constitution didn't just become the law of the land overnight—it took some convincing. Here to tell the...
Final Thoughts: Justice Kagan Remembers Justice Scalia
29 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, honoring her colleague's legal integrity and effectiveness as well as his personal kindness and dynamism, Jus...
Remembering the Gold Star Father Whose Story Inspired the Hit Country Song "I Drive Your Truck"
29 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Paul Monti was able to keep - and drive - a meaningful memorial of his son Jared, who was killed in action de...
The Forgotten First Memorial Day: Freed Slaves Honoring Fallen Union Soldiers In Charleston
29 May 2024
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 racecour...
Who Does This Medal of Honor Belong To?
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Sergeant Ryan Pitts earned our nation’s highest award for valor for his extraordinary actions during one of...
A Letter From a Widow of the Black Hawk Down Mission to Her Daughters
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, "For now I must take the responsibility for keeping his life entwined with yours." Carmen Gordon remembers he...
Remembering the Worst Naval Disaster In American History (The USS Indianapolis)—A Story Featured in the Movie "Jaws"
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Robert Shaw's "Quint" told the world about what happened to the USS Indianapolis in the hit movie "Jaws." The...
The Gettysburg Soldier Who Received The Medal of Honor 151 Years After His Death
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, here's the story of Alanzo Cushing as told by those who fought to have him recognized long after he fell at G...
Why Memorial Day Matters to Me: The Story the Uncle That Lee Habeeb Never Knew—He Was Killed in Action in WWII
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Lee Habeeb shares a very personal Memorial Day story. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/do...
A Medal of Honor Recipient Through The Eyes of His Father
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Paul Monti, father of Medal of Honor recipient Jared Monti, tells his son's story. Support the show (https://...
She's Seen It All: The Story of Mayor, Liquor Store Owner, Garbage Woman, and Teacher Cubby Hall
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Cubby Hall has been a mayor, a garbage woman, a liquor store owner, a pioneer in the Women's Army Corps (WAC)...
Life Beyond My Wildest Dreams: Professional Dog Walker
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Ryan Stewart went most of his life unsure of his purpose... But, there was one thing that kept him going --...
The Sidney Poitier Story
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Sidney Poitier's elegant bearing and principled onscreen characters made him Hollywood's first black movie st...
The Scout Never Called: Growing Up in Competitive Sports
24 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Roger Rench shares with us some memories of his time playing various competitive sports throughout his life t...
How Duke’s Coach K Was Almost Fired in 1983
24 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, John Feinstein is a sportswriter of 42 books, 23 of them New York Times bestsellers. He is also the friend of...
The Life of Duke Ellington: An American Original
24 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, some believe he was the most important composer of the 20th century, in or out of jazz. Terry Teachout, one o...
The Union Colonel Who Showed Mercy on Confederate POWs During the Civil War
23 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Boston’s Fort Warren housed Confederate POWs during the Civil War, but it was no Andersonville. Only 13 Con...
Making Peace With My Sister's Killer
23 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Jeanne Bishop tells us the story of the brutal murders of her beloved family members… and how a change of h...
How a Major League Baseball Game Turned Into the “Ten Cent Beer Night” Riot
23 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the June 4, 1974 night game between the Texas Rangers and the Cleveland Indians was one for the record books....
The Nuclear Mishap in Arkansas That "Created" CNN
23 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, a wrench fell; a rocket leaked, lost fuel pressure, collapsed, and exploded. A nuclear warhead soared out of...
The Woman Who Snuck Into George Washington's Army
23 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Deborah Sampson became a hero of the American Revolution when she disguised herself as a man and joined the P...
Fighting Crime in Downtown Los Angeles with Love, Respect, and God
23 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Senior Lead Officer Deon Joseph recounts how he built community connections and relationships—and changed p...
The Girls Next Door: How Serving Coffee and Donuts in World War I Led To Women Gaining the Right to Vote
22 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Kara Dixon Vuic tells this remarkable story of service. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/...
The Goo Goo Cluster: Nashville's "Official" Candy?
22 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, it's a family story, a business story, and a regional story; It's the story of how the Goo Goo cluster became...
Bears Compete to be the Fattest During Fat Bear Week
22 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Lian Law is a ranger at Brooks Camp in Katmai National Park and Preserve, and she’s here to share about Fat...
Michael Powell’s Final Thoughts For His Father, General Colin Powell
22 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, a funeral service was held on Nov. 5, 2021 for General Colin Powell at the Washington National Cathedral in ...
The Town of Joplin was Destroyed by an EF-5 Tornado This Day in 2011: This is Joplin's Story—a Story of Loss, Love, and Hope
22 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, on March 22, 2011 Joplin, Missouri, took a direct hit from the costliest tornado in American history. Though ...
Levi Strauss: The Jewish Immigrant Who Gave Blue Jeans to the World (On This Day in 1873)
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, this is the story of how one man got his American Dream stitched into a pair of blue jeans. Lynn Downey (Levi...
Surviving Hanoi: Larry Spencer's Story
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Larry Spencer tells the story of being one of the first POW's of the Vietnam war and surviving until war's en...
The Truth Behind the “Cursed” Millionaire Heiress, Sarah Winchester
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the mansion she built is world-renowned, as much for its many design curiosities and innovations as it is for...
The USS Lexington: The Oldest Working Carrier in the Navy
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, our regular contributor, Anne Clare, tells the story of a unique aircraft carrier, the USS Lexington. Support...
A Family Speaks At Their Fallen Hero's Funeral: Colorado Deputy Micah Flick
20 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, for National Police Week, we feature the funeral of Colorado Deputy Micah Flick who was killed in action on F...
One Man's Walk Across America—His Stories and His "Why?"
20 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, when Ranger Kielak set out across America, many of his friends and family were concerned about the people he'...
An Air Force Pilot's Post-Retirement Career Dilemma: A Job at a Big Bank or the Pilot of Air Force 2
20 May 2024
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 ...
The Most Heard Guitarist You’ve Never Heard Of: The Wrecking Crew's Tommy Tedesco
20 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Tommy Tedesco is probably the most recorded guitarist in history having played on thousands of recordings fro...
A Widow and Police Partner Celebrate The Life Of Washington Officer Diego Moreno
17 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Diego Moreno was a fun-loving, high-intensity police officer, trainer, and father. Hear from his wife - and f...
Did You Ever Think Your Life Would Be a Movie? The Story Behind 'Unsung Hero'
17 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Helen Smallbone is a mother of seven - a family devoted to a generation of Christian music. Here's her story ...
A Texas Boy vs. an Air Traffic Control Bully
17 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, you've heard that you "Don't Mess With Texas." This story from our regular listener/contributor Roger Latham,...
The American Sniper Other American Snipers Look Up To
17 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, long before Chris Kyle penned "American Sniper,” which became Clint Eastwood’s Oscar-nominated movie mast...
Left for Dead: A Soldier's Second Life After Vietnam
17 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in Vietnam, the armored personnel carrier Jon Hovde was driving hit an anti-tank mine. The 20-year-old soldie...
Burt Young’s Story: The Man Who Played Paulie in Rocky Opens Up About His Family and His Craft
17 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Burt Young is an immediately recognizable character actor whose half-muttered voice and flinty gaze made him ...