Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories , Roger McGrath is here with the story of Hollywood star, George O'Brien and how he left the fame and fortune to fight for his country in WWI, WWII, and Korea! Bert Rosica is here to give us his list on why a typewriter is better than a computer. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)   Time Codes: 00:00 -  Hollywood Goes to W...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Jarrod Roll shares the story of how Star Wars toys revolutionized movie merchandising, licensing, and even how kids play. Institute for Justice lawyer Wesley Hottot tells the story of Ash Patel's nearly six year long legal battle stemming from the Texas Board of Cosmetology requiring his eyebrow threaders to go back to school to learn other people's jobs....

On this episode of Our American Stories , James , a retired fire captain, shares his story of firefighting and the emotions that come along with it. Authors Bob Drury and Tom Clavin tell the remarkable story of the evacuation of Saigon in Last Men Out: The True Story of America's Heroic Final Hours in Vietnam .  Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)   Time Codes: 0...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Caleb Bailey shares his family’s story of hope and redemption after loss. Jon Elfner brings us this new Ferrari-slayer's story through the eyes of industry legends Neil Ressler, Scott Ahlman, and Mark McGowan. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)   Time Codes: 00:00 - Raising Children In The Midst Of Tragedy 23:00 - Ford...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Bill Toti tells us the story of his experience with Admiral Hyman Rickover and the impact he had in the Navy. Chris Siriano of the House of David Museum in Saint Joe, MI, tells the story of how a band of religious misfits ended up in along the shores of Lake Michigan and used their massive amounts of wealth to invent everything from the waffle cone, to foo...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Ben Berman 2nd year grad student in Philadelphia made the most of his time while staying at home during the pandemic. Alina Morse , CEO of  Zolli Candy  has created a delicious candy that actually cleans your teeth! Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)   Time Codes: 00:00 - Giving Out Pizza From Second Story Apartment...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Kristin O'Donnell Tubb , author of   John Lincoln Clem: Civil War Drummer Boy , tells the story of the family that lived in the New York Public Library. Heather McPherson tells us how her Great Uncle inspired her to become the Curator of History at the South Carolina Military Museum. Sarah Wells , author of  American Honey: A Field Guide to Resis...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Emerich Juettner was an upstanding citizen... for most of his life. Nicole Small , the former CEO of the Perot Museum of Nature and Science , tells us how she is now inspiring young women to pursue careers in STEM. Barry Levenson went from arguing cases in front of the Supreme Court to having the world's largest collection of mustard. Support the show (htt...

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 Bear Week , where bears compete to be the “Fat Bear Champion”. The grandsons of Dwayne Steinle , the Korean War veteran who founded Dwayne's Photo, tell us the story of the time the world descended upon Parsons, Kansas...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Ilene Hall tells us the story of when her husband, to whom she was married in March 1943, finished his training in the Army and was about to be shipped overseas and she decided not to put an ocean between them. Joel Wegener and his wife are blessed with 10 children, 2 of which were diagnosed with Down Syndrome. In his quest to find a fun way to teach them...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Emma McCormick was told she'd be working remotely in 2020, so she decided to live on a sailboat in Florida. Roger McGrath and William Yancey from Texas A&M University, Kingsville bring us the story of Richard King and the cattle kings of the Old West who carved empires out of the wilderness. Roger Rench shares with us some memories of his time playing...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Professor   Art T. Burton tells us about the life of Bass Reeves , one of the first black deputy U.S. marshals west of the Mississippi River.  Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)     Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories , Ryan Stewart shares his story of how canines have helped him get through life's adversities. Rona Simmons , author of  T he Other Veterans Of World War II, Stories from Behind the Front Lines , tells the story of Bill Scott , an African American combat engineer and photographer from Alabama who became one of the "black angels" for prisoners at Buchenw...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Fawn Weaver tells us the story of Uncle Nathan "Nearest" Green , the former enslaved person who taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey. Max Fisher shares the impact his mentor Stephen Ross had on him in ways that his wealth never could. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)   Time Codes: 00:00 - Discovering Nearest, the for...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Colin Bettles shares how he found his love for buffalo wings in New York and brought it back to his restaurant in Australia. Steve Bunyard started Regnite hope on Skid row in Los Angeles with the goal to help homeless people get jobs. 11 years later and countless lives have been changed through this welding certification course .  Support the show (ht...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Marija Elden , the Zoological Manager of Birds, shares Enrique’s journey to owning a pair of pretty cool kicks after being diagnosed with arthritis in his feet. Joshua Texidor tells us how it takes some time to find what we enjoy AND what we're good at. Tim Harwood of  Waterloo/Cedar Fall's KXEL 1540  and author of  Ball Hawks : T...

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 October 27, 2018. Dennis Peterson shares memories of his Appalachian storytelling grandfather, Paw Summers . Elisabeth Elliot , author of Through Gates of Splendor tells us the story of Operation Auca, an attempt by five American missionaries to re...

On this episode of Our American Stories , National Park Service ranger Curtis Gregory at the George Washington Carver National Monument in Diamond, Missouri tells us the story of George Washington Carver . William Wrigley, Jr. was a brilliant businessman, but his ingenuity was out shined by his love for his wife. This is the story of how he made his fortune and then spent it on the one he loved. S...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Alex Castle tells us how she came to own the first whiskey distillery, Old Dominick Distillery, in Memphis as well as the first female head distiller in the state of Tennessee since Prohibition. Mariam Ibraheem tells us how she came from Sudan to living in Virginia. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Time Codes: 00:00 - The Team B...

On this episode of Our American Stories , The  History Guy  tells us the story of the 16th President’s son, Robert Todd Lincoln .  Osiris Hoil lost his construction job in 2008, but through his fantastic cooking, he started  District Taco , D.C.'s best taco chain. The  History Guy  tells us the story of the banana and how it came to be the cheapest fruit. Support the show (https://www.ouramericans...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Alexandra Frost shares her secret to being a mother of four young, active boys, yet her home is cleaner than it was  before  she had kids. After Diablos Southwest Grill was broken into owner Carl Wallace made a Facebook post with a job offer for the perpetrator. To Carl’s surprise, the post quickly went viral, bringing international attention to their stor...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Jeffrey Johnson , WWII historian at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii and author of  Super-History: Comic Book Superheroes and American Society  tells us how the comic book superhero was born in the country’s margins. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com Support...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Iowa listener Joy Neal Kidney shares her father's story. Our regular contributors Jon Elfner and Dr. Kate Masur , author of "Until Justice Be Done," tell the rest of the story that begins with three runaway enslaved people. Tyson Timbs tells us how he found out that old habits do indeed die hard when he was arrested and convicted for selling drugs to under...

On this episode of Our American Stories , In 2017, Rhode Islander, Joe Jutras , broke the record for the largest giant green squash ever grown coming in at 2118lbs. Tom Morton always wanted to join the military...but it took a while to get onto the yellow footprints at Parris Island. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Time Codes: 00:00 - This Man Grows Pumpkins That Weigh...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Scott Jones , author of  Growing Up Rural: Lessons Learned For a Lifetime ,  tells the story of the time he stunk up his classroom with hog manure covered boots...and how a gracious teacher really helped him out.  Mike Leven  shares his story as past President and Chief Operating Officer of Las Vegas Sands Corp. One of the great hoteliers of all time—a leg...