Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, America was woefully unprepared for World War II. Our army was about the size of Portugal's, our navy was outdated, and our "air force" was roughly equivalent to what the German Luftwaffe flew on a near-daily basis across Europe. Not only that, but nobody in America wanted war—or expected it to come to us. FDR was under no such delusion. We needed wea...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Christina Dent shares how her life was forever changed after she became a foster mother. 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, Nicholas Biddle died broke, never received a pension, and was never officially recognized as a Union soldier because of his age and the color of his skin—but he was treated as a soldier by his company and was the first to shed blood in the Civil War, just days after the first shots were fired at Fort Sumter. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericans...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Mike Williams remembers his best friend and uncle (who was just one year older than him) as a "gun guy", and a Vietnam veteran who survived a harrowing night in the jungle after a helicopter crash. Here's Mike with the story of Dan Reeves.  Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.c...

On this episode of Our American Stories, the world was changing, and Aimee Semple McPherson certainly took note, becoming one of the first evangelizers to harness the power of national radio to spread the word of her mission. 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, Mike Gideon was just a gearhead who loved working on cars and restoring classics (something he thought he could retire on). But God had other plans... 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, in honor of Jim Thrope, who passed away this week in history in 1953, Sally Jenkins, author of  The Real All-Americans ,  and Steve Sheinkin, author of  Undefeated: Jim Thrope and the Carisle Indian School Football ,  tell the story of the man who changed the sporting world forever.  Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories...

On this episode of Our American Stories, our next story is told by Dennis C. Rasmussen, a professor of political science at Syracuse University and a Jack Miller Center Fellow. He’s also the author of The Constitution's Penman: Gouverneur Morris and the Creation of America's Basic Charter . Rasmussen tells the story of a Founding Father who wrote seven of the most famous words in American hi...

On this episode of Our American Stories, rarely does artistic rhythm rest as it does in Zoro the drummer. Hear from the man behind the great book Maria's Scarf  how his talent and temerity ultimately equipped him for a mountain of fun for everyone. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/list...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Drew Newman, of JC Newman Cigars, tells the story of cigars in the United States 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, in a thrilling, moment-by-moment narrative based on a wealth of recently declassified documents and in-depth interviews, 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 . This closing chapter of the war would become the largest-scale evacu...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Neil Young has "Old Black", Willie Nelson plays "Trigger", and Elvis worked with "The Dove", but perhaps the most famous nickname for a guitar is what B.B. King named his Gibson ES-355...Lucille. Here to tell the fiery story of how she got her name is B.B. King's longtime friend, Myron Johnson, and Daniel de Vice, author of  King of The Blues . Support...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Gettysburg Military National Park Ranger Matt Atkinson examines the postwar life of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. We'd like to thank the Gettysburg National Park Service for allowing us to use this wonderful audio. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.c...

On this episode of Our American Stories, the rivalry between Michigan and Ohio dates back long before the days of football. Tedd Long, curator and founder of Holy Toledo History, shares the story of how a small mapping error sparked the Toledo War—a real conflict that laid the groundwork for one of college football’s greatest rivalries. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Stephen Ambrose was one of America’s leading biographers and historians. While he passed away in 2002, his epic storytelling can now be heard here on Our American Stories, thanks to the efforts of those who manage his estate. Today, Stephen shares the stories of some of the most important weapons in WWII—barbed wire, mines, guns, and artillery....

On this episode of Our American Stories, Olivia Juliette Hooker (1915–2018) was born far from the sea—in Muskogee, Oklahoma, to be exact—but she made history in a branch of the U.S. military closely tied to it. She became the first African American woman to enlist in the United States Coast Guard. Here's Olivia sharing her inspiring story of why she chose to serve. Support the sh...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Dr. Larry P. Arnn, author of The Founders' Key and the President of Hillsdale College explains the ins and outs of our nation's two most important documents in 6 minutes. 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, the President of Hillsdale College, Dr. Larry Arnn, tells the story of our fourth president, James Madison. 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, Walter Gretzky passed away at the age of 82, prompting an outpouring of tributes for a genuine, approachable, and authentic man who nurtured the unparalleled hockey talents of his son, Wayne Gretzky, on the family's famed backyard rink in Brantford, Ontario. The 60-year-old NHL legend, now an American citizen, spoke shortly after laying his father to rest....

On this episode of Our American Stories, with its classic “old country” theme, Cracker Barrel has been an American favorite for many decades. However, many people don’t know that the decor on its walls and throughout its stores consists of authentic pieces of American history. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramerican...

On this episode of Our American Stories, at the time, no one knew just how great Michael Jordan would be in the NBA, but one underdog sneaker company—yes, Nike was an underdog then—decided to take a chance on him. However, the true turning point came when they focused on a rising director: Spike Lee. The rest is history. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Su...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Steve McQueen expert, Marshall Terrill, tells the story of the life of the undisputed "King of Cool".  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, Dr. Dennis Sempebwa shares how his faith propelled him from war-torn Uganda to America—and beyond.  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, here to tell the story of the DiMaggio brothers is the 4-times New York Times bestselling author, Tom Clavin—author of The DiMaggios . 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, Randall Wallace is the writer and director of films such as Braveheart, We Were Soldiers, The Man in the Iron Mask, Heaven Is for Real, Pearl Harbor, and Secretariat. Today, he shares a story about Penny Chenery, the owner of the 1973 Triple Crown winner—a Thoroughbred named Secretariat. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) S...