Our American Stories
Our American Stories tells stories that aren’t being told. Positive stories about generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love. Stories about the past and present. And stories about ordinary Americans who do extraordinary things each and every day. Stories from our listeners about their lives. And their history. In that pursuit, we hope we’ll be a place where listeners can refresh their spirit, and be inspired by our stories.
Episodes
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-American experience as any other. Karen Kaufmann shares the story of one man, Matthew Kerry, who never tired of calling Americans, again and again, to the high aspirations of the Declaration of Independence. We'd like to thank the Jack Miller Center for turning us on to this story.
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 and peace, in sickness and in health, from Greek houses to inflatable pools, Jell-O was there. Here to tell the story is Simon Whistler, host of the Today I Found Out YouTube channel and its sister podcast, The Brain Food Show.
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On this episode of Our American Stories, Thomas Bennett was a master salesman and visionary businessman who, alongside legendary gun designer John Moses Browning, helped build Winchester into one of the most iconic firearms brands in American history. Here's the story of this forgotten, but all-important, man
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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.S. history. “Where freedom of religion has been attacked, the attack has come from sources opposed to democracy,” FDR explained. “Where democracy has been overthrown, the spirit of free worship has disappeared.” Our host, Lee Habeeb, shares the story.
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 father revealed a shocking secret: he had lived a double life tied to America’s top-secret nuclear missile program. John shares the incredible true story, based on his book Missileman.
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On this episode of Our American Stories, Tommy Dew’s walking tour of Charleston, South Carolina, has been praised and recommended by outlets like The Wall Street Journal and TripAdvisor. Here’s Tommy with the story of Charleston—from the American Revolution to today.
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On this episode of Our American Stories, Sergeant Bob Alaniz still carries the weight of the morning he fingerprinted Richard Ramirez, knowing he was holding the hands of one of California’s most notorious serial killers, the “Night Stalker.” Here's Bob to tell the story, alongside firearms historian and regular contributor Ashley Hlebinsky.
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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 dating was the rare kind of person you want to spend the rest of your life with.
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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 forces flew vital supplies into a war-torn, Soviet-blockaded Berlin after WWII. While carrying out his missions, Lt. Halvorsen noticed German children gathering at the fences of Tempelhof Air Base. Wanting to bring them hope and a little joy, he came up with an idea: drop candy from his...
On this episode of Our American Stories, The Pilgrim’s Progress is the second most popular book in world history, after the Bible. Its author, John Bunyan, was a preacher in Bedford, England, who wrote the book in 1676 while imprisoned for “preaching without a license.” The book quickly made its way onto ships bound for the New World. In America, it became so popular tha...
On this episode of Our American Stories, in the 34th episode of our Story of America series, Hillsdale College professor and Land of Hope author Wilfred McClay tells the story of how the railroads fundamentally transformed American life—from the way we handle finance, to how we receive mail, to how we tell time. Or, as he puts it, “Suddenly, we were on the clock.”
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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 relentless addiction to amphetamines, he was canceling shows and recordings while spending time in and out of hospitals and jail cells. Greg Laurie, author of Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon, shares the story.
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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 separate lawsuits—all heard by the Missouri Supreme Court in a single landmark morning session, that led to the end of the dreaded red-light ticket cameras in the Show-Me State.
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On this episode of Our American Stories, much of what’s known about legendary NFL quarterback Brett Favre has stayed between the goalposts. So, Greg Hengler sat down with him at his home in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where Brett shared stories about humility, aging, and faith—part four of a five-part series.
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On this episode of Our American Stories, Tim Harford, author of the bestselling book 50 Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy, shares the stories of three inventions that changed the way we live today—this time: barbed wire, the plow, and Google Search.
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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 over the world. His music is simple and honest—no auto-tune, no flashy outfits—just a man and his guitar. Our own Greg Hengler tells the story of this cultural icon.
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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 why her tombstone reads: "Be Bold. Be Brief. Be Gone."
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On this episode of Our American Stories, Major General "Mook" Mukoyama volunteered and served in both Korea and Vietnam. In 1986, he became the youngest general in the U.S. Army at the time. Soon after, he was promoted to Major General and commanded the 70th Training Division during Desert Storm. Now retired, he devotes his time to serving our veterans.
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On this episode of Our American Stories, Karl Marlantes, a Vietnam War veteran and the award-winning author of Matterhorn and What It Is Like to Go to War, shares how he earned the Navy Cross—and why he struggled with the recognition, knowing others had done more and received less. You won't want to miss this powerful story for our Memorial Day Special.
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On this episode of Our American Stories, Robert Shaw’s “Quint” told the world what happened to the USS Indianapolis in the hit movie Jaws. For our Memorial Day Special, the late Edgar Harrell, the last surviving Marine from the downed ship, shares the real-life story of that fateful day—one you won’t soon forget.
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Lee Habeeb