Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories , Stephen Rusiniak  shares an awfully awkward Thanksgiving story after being warned by his mother not to be late; Joy Neal Kidney shares the story of two unforgettable Thanksgivings with Bosnian refugees; Steven Reid shares the story about when he lost a turkey for a family who hired him as their private chef; Lindsey Gallant tells her story of when she was...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Star Wars enthusiast and museum curator Jarod Roll shares how Star Wars revolutionized movie merchandising, licensing and how kids played with toys; and Wally Soplata tells the story of his eccentric union carpenter father who collected rare and vintage WWII aircraft for pennies on the dime. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Time...

On this episode of Our American Stories , teacher, organist, choir director, and World War II history buff Anne Clare , tells the story of how World War II impacted a small Navy town on the West Coast; Donna Howard shares the story of how she created a business to be able to provide a supportive work environment for people who are neurodivergent; Listener Brent Timmons tells the story of a lesson...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Joy Neal Kidney tells the story of her grandmother's needle incident during the Depression years; 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 legend in his business; and Homer Plessy's descendant, Keith Plessy , tells us the story of the Plessy v. Ferguson case,...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Ilene Hall tells the story of when she enlisted in the Army WAC in 1943, to follow her husband, Edward “Ken” Hall to war; and While working for Dick Cavett, Steve Stoliar met not one but two of Hollywood’s greatest dance legends. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Time Codes : 00:00 - Searching For My Husband During WWII 23:00 - M...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Robert Frohlich , author of   Aimless Life, Awesome God ,   tells the story of his German born grandfather William Burtner- a man who helped build the "Arsenal of Democracy" in World War II; Kirk Aubry , the CEO of the supply chain services company Savage, on the ethical principles of their 2nd generation, 75-year-old family company; and teacher, choir dir...

On this episode of Our American Stories , actress  Taylor Dooley  shares the story of when she played the role of Lavagirl and how now 15 years later, she has returned to acting to play the same role in the Netflix Film  We Can Be Heroes; Joy Neal Kidney , the recipient of our 2021 Great American Storyteller Award, tells the story of several Civil War soldiers in 1863 from Iowa and the lasting imp...

On this episode of Our American Stories , as a Cuban exile, Ray Montalvo joined Brigade 2506 to fight back against Castro, leading to his imprisonment in the country he once loved; and Dr. Stephen Nichols , president of  Reformation Bible College , chief academic officer for  Ligonier Ministries , tells the story of the Puritans and the Salem Witch Trials. Support the show (https://www.ouramerican...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Andrew Thompson continues to share another slice from his ultimate guide to understanding these baffling mini mysteries of the English language; and 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...

On this episode of Our American Stories , The remarkable life story of Ken Kendrick , the Arizona Diamondbacks’ principal owner and general managing partner; The  History Guy  tells the story of Richard “Dick” Bong who was a hero in an era of heroes; Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Time Codes: 00:00 - The Small-Town West Virginian With a World Series Ring, the Best Car...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Anne Claire shares the history of Veterans Day and the many ways Veterans have been honored throughout American history with the use of banners; Vince Benedetto shares the time he explained the importance of Veterans Day to an auditorium of kids and how George Washington is responsible for so many of our American traditions today; and Kristin O’Donnell Tub...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Dr. Roger McGrath tells the story of famous actor, Jimmy Stewart , and how his greatest honor in life was serving his country in WWII. Brent Evanoff discovers a secret he’d been unaware of for over 25 years and manages to help another veteran reconnect with something they lost as well. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Time Codes...

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; and Tom Clavin shares some great stories of Joltin' Joe, Dom, and Vince from his book,  The DiMaggios: Three Brothers, Their Passion for Baseball, Their Pursuit o...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Mike Leven was President and Chief Operating Officer of Las Vegas Sands Corp. One of the great hoteliers of all time—a legend in his business. Here’s Mike with a story about what he learned from his unseemly college law professor; and John Collins shares how his obsession with paper airplanes helped him achieve the Guinness world record for the farthest fl...

On this episode of Our American Stories , in America, we have four time zones: Pacific, Mountain, Central and Eastern. But we used to have thousands!; Dennis Peterson  shares memories of his Appalachian storytelling grandfather; and Trudy Cathy White on identity and climbing the mountains of life Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Time Codes: 00:00 - Invention of Time Zon...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Author of  The Book of Spam: A Most Glorious and Definitive Compendium of the World’s Favorite Canned Meat , Dustin Black , tells the story of this often speculated household name product.; Fitzgerald , Georgia , mayor Jim Puckett shares the story of his town building the world's largest topiary chicken; Thomas Jefferson is often known for championing reli...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Randy and Kelsey Bohlender have 10 children, 6 of which are adopted. Take a listen to hear their stories of adoption and how they came to found the adoption agency  Zoe’s House ; Wayne Gretzky tells us about the life of his father, Walter Gretzky known as “Canada's hockey dad,” and how his father's death prompted an avalanche of tributes for a genuine, app...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Don Arthurs and Erich Offenburg tell the story of their special needs program, Crown Theater Productions , and how it won Columbiana the title of "Nicest Place in America; and Stephen Davis , author of  Hammer of the Gods , and Kirby Ferguson of " Everything a Remix " tell the story of how Led Zeppelin found themselves in a courtroom over a few of their so...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Bill Bryk brings us the tale of the day British forces evacuated New York City after the Revolutionary War; Vermont historian and journalist Mark Bushnell takes us into the life of Calvin Coolidge in his hometown; and Loma Linda University Health  has sought to not see patients as customers, but as individuals, through a focus on whole person care Support...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Dwight Pogue tells the story 1961 story of how McDonald County, Missouri found a unique way to protest their state government. Also check out his book about this historic event. Laura Treppendahl’s life was one worth remembering. After being killed in a drunk driving accident, Laura’s family told the judge that they completely forgave the young man, Gregg,...

On this episode of Our American Stories , we learn about why we participate in these strange celebrations every Halloween season from Lesley Bannatyne, the author of  Halloween: An American Holiday, An American History   and Lisa Morton, the author of  Trick Or Treat: A History of Halloween . Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://w...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Joe Jutras shares how he broke the record in 2017 for the largest giant green squash ever grown coming in at 2118lbs; Halloween historian Lisa Morton is going to be unpacking the history of Haunted Attractions (AKA: Halloween Haunted House) which is directly tied into today’s practice of Trick-or-Treating; Chris Siriano tells the curious story about Benjam...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Jeanne Bishop tells us the story of the brutal murders of her beloved family member and how a change of heart changed her life and so many others. Read her  book  for the full story; and Chris Siriano tells this curious story about Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin being placed in a glass coffin. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Time...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Richard Muniz  tells a story that one of his friends told him about a coffee incident that took place on the USS Enterprise and David Klein, creator and founder of  Jelly Belly  jellybeans, shares the story of what led him to leave  Jelly Belly  just as it was about to explode and grow into a billion dollar enterprise. Support the show (https://www.ouramer...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Stephen Rusiniak’s story about his dad’s dog Benny and his mom Doris. From the book Chicken Soup for the Soul: My Very Good, Very Bad Dog ; Steve Bell tells his incredible story of integrity in the face of hardship; and Tim Leuliette began his career at Ford Motor Company under the leadership of Lee Iacocca and Henry Ford II. He got more than he bargained...