Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, the Navy commissioned a destroyer on April 1, 2017, and named it after a man who deliberately crash-landed a perfectly good aircraft behind enemy lines. But the man who became the first American serviceman in the Korean War to receive the Medal of Honor—and the man who lent his name to the USS Thomas Hudner had a darn good reason, perhaps the best of...

On this episode of Our American Stories, was "Buffalo Bill" Cody a real-life hero, or was he a fake? Tune in to find out! 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, it’s known as the greatest sports moment of the 20th Century. But no matter how familiar you are with the story of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team’s Lake Placid “Miracle on Ice,” you will soon see that this event seems even more unlikely now than it felt decades ago.  Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donat...

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 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, our next story comes to us from a listener in West Virginia. Here’s Joe Quinn with his story 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, James Ward, author of  Zero Victim: Overcoming Injustice With A New Attitude , tells the story of two other black men in American history who have inspired his zero victim mentality. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Billy Graham took the role of evangelist to a new level, lifting it from the sawdust floors of canvas tents in small-town America to the podiums of packed stadiums in the world’s major cities.  Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for...

On this episode of Our American Stories, much of what America and the world know about Doc Holliday comes from movies and television. But historians agree that no movie portrayal has ever done justice to the real Doc Holliday—until now. Here to tell the story of Doc Holliday is Roger McGrath, author of Gunfighters, Highwaymen, and Vigilantes: Violence on the Frontier . Support the show ( htt...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Sean Pronger always dreamed of being and playing with Wayne Gretzky. Here's his story of what happened when his dream met his hangover.  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, Andrew Thompson shares another slice of his guide to understanding the baffling mini-mysteries of the English language. The book is  Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red: The Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions and Fun Phrases. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/don...

On this episode of Our American Stories, if you want to know about the history of America, it is imperative that you know the Bible's role in shaping our country. Our Founding Fathers—Christian and non-Christian—were heavily influenced by the Bible. Here to share another story is Robert Morgan, author of 100 Bible Verses That Made America. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstor...

On this episode of Our American Stories, ingrained lore has it that Parker took advantage of "poor country boy" Elvis to sign the singer who became "The King". For the first time, Colonel Parker's story is told by an insider, Greg McDonald, who worked under Parker and Elvis for years. Greg's never-before-heard stories of Parker's collaboration with Elvis reveal the man behind the legend. Support t...

On this episode of Our American Stories, it’s a well-known bit of movie trivia that all 5 films in which actor John Cazale appeared were nominated for Best Picture, and three of them received the Oscar. John Cazale played one of the most iconic characters in film history: Fredo Corleone from The Godfather. Yet today, most people don’t know his name. Here to tell this story is Jonjo Pow...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Tom and Lillian Lyons married in 1946. They lived a long and loving life raising a family on the south side of Chicago.  Lillian was singing opera professionally when she and Tom met, and her voice first made Tom fall in love.  After Lillian’s death, an unexpected discovery would reunite Tom with Lillian’s voice on Tom’s 97t...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the 30th Episode of our Story of America Series with Dr. Bill McClay, author of Land of Hope , Bill reads and explains one of President Lincoln's greatest accomplishments—The Emancipation Proclamation. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listen...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the 27th episode of our Story of America Series with Dr. Bill McClay, author of  Land of Hope , Dr. McClay tells the remarkable story of how a little-known trial lawyer from Illinois who had lost an election against the most famous politician in America became President of the United States.  Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.co...

On this episode of Our American Stories, the Civil War soldier, William Scott, fell asleep at his post, at the time a transgression punishable by execution. What happened next changed military history. 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, George Washington’s Bible was on loan to a famous Revolutionary War tavern mere blocks from the World Trade Center on 9/11. Just as the search for bodies ended, the search for the Bible began… Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener fo...

On this episode of Our American Stories, veteran Vince Benedetto delivers the awe-inspiring story of our first president. 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 1902, the first successful, commercially available gun silencer was invented by Hiram Percy Maxim. He also developed mufflers for internal combustion engines using much the same technology. Maxim was an American inventor, graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and son of Sir Hiram Stevens Maxi—inventor of the first portable, fully a...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Tom Zoellner purchased a diamond engagement ring and proposed. His girlfriend said "yes," and then suddenly walked out of his life, making Tom the owner of a used engagement ring. Instead of hitting the self-help shelves of his local bookstore, he hit the road to discover the true worth of this shining gem. He then wrote  The Heartless Stone . Support...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Dr. E. Wesley Ely of Vanderbilt University Medical Center shares intensely meaningful experiences, spiritual and all, from a patient's suddenly shortened last days in this life. 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, Old West historian Roger McGrath is here to tell the story of a time before the world knew Samuel Clemons by his pen name, Mark Twain. His time in the American West helped Clemens develop a distinctive Western voice and provided him with material that would make him America’s first celebrity author. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.co...

On this episode of Our American Stories, The Confederates didn't have the industrial might to build their own ships. As a result, cash crops proved king once again....or at least for a little while. Here's the story of a mystery 'blockade runner' and how it met its demise.  Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/dona...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Valentine’s Day began as a feast to celebrate the decapitation of a third-century Christian martyr. So, how did we get from beheading to betrothing?  Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.