Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, often, art imitates life; this time, life imitated art. Two of America's most famous actors (Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino in the movie Heat) inspired the most famous bank robbery in American history. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...

On this episode of Our American Stories, straight out of a Horatio Alger novel, the Silver Kings (John Mackay, James Fair, William O'Brien, and James Flood) epitomized the rags-to-riches American dream story. Roger McGrath tells the story of the richest mineral discovery in American history - the Comstock Lode. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https:...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Thomas Jefferson’s impact on our country cannot be overstated. He fought for religious liberty, states rights, and the expansion and strengthening of America as an up-and-coming nation. His legacy is memorialized in many locations across the country, not the least of which is his own residence in Charlottesville, Virginia… Monticello. Support the show ( htt...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Major General James Mukoyama rose from his blue collar Chicago neighborhood to become the first Asian-American to command a US Army division. General “Mook” is the author of Faith, Family & Flag: Memoirs of an Unlikely American Samurai Crusader. Here he is to tell the story of the Japanese who fought for the United States in WWII. Support the show ( htt...

On this episode of Our American Stories, you can delegate authority - yet responsibility remains with you, the leader. Hear lessons that make a difference from Former U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, author of Risks and Returns: Creating Success in Business and Life . His career flourished thanks to hard work, mentorship, and many other blessings worthy of study.  HS Support the show ( https:...

On this episode of Our American Stories,  Carter Momsen-Hudson from Hillsborough, North Carolina, started walking on the Appalachian Trail not knowing if he could actually finish the 2,000 mile trek. The encounters he had along the way spawned a spiritual journey that would take him to a place that he would have never imagined. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support...

On this episode of Our American Stories, the crew of Apollo 8 and Steve Kates tell the story of their Christmas time mission to the moon--and the reading of Genesis over its surface. 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, on the morning of September 11, 2001, Peter Braxton was the first military pilot in the air over the burning Twin Towers. It was his first day on the job. Here’s Peter sharing some stories from a few of his first jobs including his first job after serving in the Air Force. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: http...

On this episode of Our American Stories, author James Ward (Zero Victim: Overcoming Injustice With a New Attitude) describes the pivotal moment in third grade that transformed his 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, everyone knows that a horse can jump a good-sized fence - but the folks in Pea Ridge, Arkansas thought whether a mule could do it was much more interesting. Here's the story of how their unique competition started. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/li...

On this episode of Our American Stories, from the time he was a boy, Merian C. Cooper wanted to be an adventurer, a wish that propelled him into journalism, the National Guard, military aviation, and two world wars. Amid these, he became a movie producer and writer, working on some cinematic classics, including King Kong in 1933. He even played one of the pilots in the film. Here again, to tell th...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Abercrombie and Fitch clothing apparel stores conquered malls in the late '90s and early '00s with gorgeous models, pulsing dance beats and a fierce scent. What most people don’t know is that the company was founded in 1892 in New York City as an outfitter for elite outdoorsmen. Here to tell the whole story is Ashley Hlebinsky. Ashley is the former co-host...

On this episode of Our American Stories, here’s Bill “Engineer Guy” Hammack telling the story of how Betamax was defeated by the VHS tape. 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, when Lanae Strovers was given the job of figuring out what to do with unclaimed urns at the funeral home she worked at, she took it personally...but that would make sense for someone who got into the mortuary business for personal reasons. Give her story a listen! Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.o...

On this episode of Our American Stories, like so many fatherless children, Blair Linne had a hole in her heart. She had a loving mom, but went from home to home to home (25 in all) in her search for stability and a family she could call her own. Here's her story of ending a generational curse. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericans...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin is in a glass coffin...but so is an American man along the shores of Lake Michigan. Chris Siriano tells this curious story about the coffin, the man inside of it, and the harebrained scheme to steal his diamond necklace. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstori...

On this episode of Our American Stories, this is the story of how identical twin brothers—a doctor and a lawyer—collaborated with scores of unsung heroes to modernize emergency medical services, help create the physician assistant profession, help write the model law for organ donation and develop other programs that save thousands of lives every year. Here’s Alfred and Blair Sadler with their sto...

On this episode of Our American Stories, here to tell the second part of his Texas anthropology series is Monte Monroe, the official Texas State Historian. Today Monte shares with us how Texas joined the Union, and how the spirit of Texan "independence" became a thing. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omn...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 2017, Rhode Islander Joe Jutras broke the record for the largest giant green squash ever grown- it came in at 2,118 lbs. Today Joe shares all that goes into growing these giant fruits. 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, why do we participate in these strange celebrations every Halloween? Lesley Bannatyne is the author of Halloween: An American Holiday, An American History, and Lisa Morton is the author of Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omn...

On this episode of Our American Stories, we’ve all heard of gunslingers “Wild” Bill Hickok, Doc Holliday, and Billy The Kid. These quick-draw legends had nothing on Bob Munden. 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, official Texas State Historian Monte Monroe, as well as Rachel Halversen and Anne Clare, tell the story of President James K. Polk, and why his one term in office managed to beat out most presidents who served two. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/li...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Sam Goodwin had traveled to 180 countries, and Syria was to be number 181. Two hours into his adventurous visit there, a total transformation of his life began. His book is  Saving Sam , and his website is  https://www.samrgoodwin.com  — Here's Sam with his story. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.o...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Peter Funt shares the enthralling growth of a billion-dollar business. Hear the journey from the early GOPPPL days to an integral part of the NFL marketing plan. Peter's book is  Inside Fantasy Football: America's Favorite Non-Contact Sport Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/do...

On this episode of Our American Stories, going Ga-Ga for automobiles happened to Miles Collier as to so many - in an instant. Now Miles runs the world's best car museum, and wrote The Archaeological Automobile,  a book about American material culture, the material remnants we leave behind as we travel through time. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: ht...