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PODCAST

Our American Stories

Our American Stories tells stories that aren’t being told. Positive stories about generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love. Stories about the past and present. And stories about ordinary Americans who do extraordinary things each and every day. Stories from our listeners about their lives. And their history. In that pursuit, we hope we’ll be a place where listeners can refresh their spirit, and be inspired by our stories.

society & culture documentary

All Episodes

38:16

The True Story Behind Sue Thomas: the FBI’s First...

Our American Stories ·

2025/09/18

On this episode of Our American Stories, Sue Thomas’s life became the inspiration for the TV drama Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye, but the real story is far more powerful than anything Hollywood put on screen. Born profoundly deaf, she grew up learning to read lips and pushed past low expectations to earn a place inside the FBI. There, she became the Bureau’s first deaf agent and proved that disability could be turned into strength. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)See

en-US

9:29

The Story of Thomas Mundy Peterson, America’s First...

Our American Stories ·

2025/09/18

On this episode of Our American Stories, shortly after the ratification of the 15th Amendment, which guaranteed the right to vote regardless of race, Thomas Mundy Peterson walked into a polling place in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and made history as the first Black voter in the United States. His ballot was cast at a time when the meaning of the Constitution was still being tested and when many states resisted the idea of true suffrage for African Americans. Historian Elliott Drago of the Jack Miller

en-US

30:17

Bear Bryant Taught Him to Win, the Packers Taught Him...

Our American Stories ·

2025/09/18

On this episode of Our American Stories, Rich Wingo’s football journey began under legendary Alabama coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, whose tough, uncompromising style forged players into men prepared for more than just Saturdays in Tuscaloosa. Bryant’s influence followed Wingo beyond his college years and into the NFL, where he suited up for the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. It was in those two worlds, the Crimson Tide and the Packers, that Wingo’s understanding of

en-US

9:59

Brett Favre on Tough Love, Parenting, and Telling the...

Our American Stories ·

2025/09/18

On this episode of Our American Stories, Brett Favre's father coached the legendary QB on many subjects—most of which shaped his training, practice, and play. The passing game? Not so much. But life itself? Absolutely. Here's Brett himself with the story. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

7:59

"Tie the Knot" & "Blackballed" and the Wonderful...

Our American Stories ·

2025/09/18

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. His book isHair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red: The Curious Origins of Everyday Sayings and Fun Phrases. This time, Andrew explores the backstories of phrases like “tie the knot” and “blackballed,” among others. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy

en-US

10:49

George Washington and the Day He Refused a Crown

Our American Stories ·

2025/09/18

On this episode of Our American Stories, at the end of the Revolutionary War, with soldiers restless and unpaid, whispers spread about replacing Congress with a monarchy. Some even suggested that George Washington take the throne. In what became known as the Newburgh Conspiracy, Washington faced a decision that could have reshaped America’s future. Instead of seizing power, he delivered words that calmed his officers and secured the path of a republic. Washington interpreter Brian Hilton,

en-US

30:17

How Christopher’s Battle With Childhood Cancer...

Our American Stories ·

2025/09/17

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Kathy Cooley’s young son Christopher was diagnosed with cancer, life turned into a series of questions, hospital visits, and prayers. Yet in the middle of the struggle, Christopher’s spirit guided his family toward a deeper faith. His courage in the face of pediatric cancer became the foundation for a legacy that lives on through The Christopher Foundation. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)See

en-US

7:59

How MIT Basketball Shaped Bill Koch’s View of Leadership

Our American Stories ·

2025/09/17

On this episode of Our American Stories, before he was a billionaire businessman and America’s Cup champion, Bill Koch was a student-athlete at MIT learning lessons that would shape his leadership. Told he wasn’t smart or skilled enough, he worked relentlessly and discovered the power of teamwork, accountability, and focus. Koch shares how a coach, one play, and a group of “nerds” taught him that winning comes when everyone knows their role and works together. Support the

en-US

10:49

How Gettysburg and Abraham Lincoln Inspired Dwight D....

Our American Stories ·

2025/09/17

On this episode of Our American Stories, Dwight D. Eisenhower carried many influences into his role as Supreme Allied Commander, but none mattered more than his deep respect for Abraham Lincoln. Before ordering the D-Day invasion, Eisenhower often reflected on the Civil War and the leadership shown at Gettysburg. National Park Service Ranger Daniel Vermilya shares the story of how Lincoln’s words and actions became a touchstone for Eisenhower, offering guidance on sacrifice, responsibility,

en-US

19:28

How Goats Became San Francisco’s Unlikely Landscaping...

Our American Stories ·

2025/09/17

On this episode of Our American Stories, City Grazing started with a simple idea: goats are natural landscapers. Today, the San Francisco non-profit provides goat grazing services across the Bay Area, using herds to reduce fire risk, cut down invasive weeds, and clear land in ways machines can’t. Executive director Genevieve Church, sometimes called the third “Goat Lady of San Francisco,” shares the story of how the project began and what it takes to run a goat-powered lawn and

en-US

7:59

Ray Caldwell: The MLB Pitcher Struck by Lightning Who...

Our American Stories ·

2025/09/17

On this episode of Our American Stories, on August 24, 1919, Cleveland Indians pitcher Ray Caldwell made his debut at League Park before a crowd of 20,000. In the ninth inning, with victory in sight, lightning suddenly struck the field—and Caldwell himself. Fans thought he had been killed. Instead, moments later, he stood up, shook it off, and finished the game. It remains one of the most astonishing moments in Major League Baseball history. Nick Ragone, host of This Date in History, shares

en-US

10:49

The First B-17 to Bomb Berlin in World War II

Our American Stories ·

2025/09/16

On this episode of Our American Stories, it was never supposed to be their mission. But in March 1944, through a twist of circumstance, Lt. Bill Owen’s crew became the first to fly a B-17 Flying Fortress into Berlin during World War II. Against heavy defenses from the German Luftwaffe, they dropped bombs in the heart of the Third Reich and returned to tell the story. John O’Neil, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, shares the account

en-US

9:29

The Flushing Remonstrance and America’s First Fight...

Our American Stories ·

2025/09/16

On this episode of Our American Stories, long before the Bill of Rights was drafted, a group of ordinary citizens in Queens, New York, made a bold stand for freedom. In 1657, they issued the Flushing Remonstrance, a petition demanding the right to worship without interference from government. Their words, written in a small colonial town, would echo more than a century later in the First Amendment’s guarantee of religious liberty. Larry Reed, President Emeritus of the Foundation for Economic

en-US

9:59

Mike Leven: The Bigger the Bureaucracy, the Smaller...

Our American Stories ·

2025/09/16

On this episode of Our American Stories, Mike Leven spent decades at the top of the hotel world, rising to President and COO of Las Vegas Sands Corp. and earning a reputation as one of the sharpest business leaders of his generation. Looking back on a lifetime in service and management, Leven offers a piece of wisdom he believes every company should take seriously: the bigger the bureaucracy, the smaller the customer. In this reflection, he explains how organizations lose their edge when they bury

en-US

7:59

What an Old Piano Remembered

Our American Stories ·

2025/09/16

On this episode of Our American Stories, it was scratched, heavy, and imperfect, but to Joy Neal Kidney, the old upright piano her mother left behind was priceless. She remembered the sound of hymns and simple songs filling the house, her mother’s hands steady on the keys. Years later, when the piano became hers, every touch of the keys carried those moments back. Joy shares the story of her mother's lasting memory through one prized possession. Support the show

en-US

30:17

How Vanderbilt Rose From Poverty to Become the...

Our American Stories ·

2025/09/16

On this episode of Our American Stories, few figures embody the rise of America’s economy in the nineteenth century more than Cornelius Vanderbilt. He began with nothing, working the waters of New York Harbor, and built a fortune that placed him among the wealthiest people in history. Known to some as a railroad baron and to others as the very model of a captain of industry, Vanderbilt created vast networks of steamships and railroads that fueled the Gold Rush, connected a growing nation, and

en-US

7:59

The Hidden Work Behind Every Horse

Our American Stories ·

2025/09/16

On this episode of Our American Stories, Bill Bryk has spent years in the saddle, but in this story, he takes us to a place most riders overlook: the quiet, deliberate work of caring for a horse. Before a hoof hits the trail or a rider lifts the reins, there are coats to brush, manes to comb, and hooves to clean. Even teeth require attention—a reminder that a horse’s strength begins with small acts of care. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)See

en-US

38:16

Spearhead: An American Tank Gunner’s Story in WWII

Our American Stories ·

2025/09/15

On this episode of Our American Stories, Clarence Smoyer, a gunner in the U.S. Army’s 3rd Armored Division—“Spearhead”—became one of World War II’s most unlikely heroes. In Cologne, his Pershing tank faced Gustav Schaefer’s Panzer in a duel captured on film, now one of history’s most famous armored battles. Best-selling author Adam Makos shares Smoyer’s story of courage, loss, and reconciliation, showing why remembering WWII tank heroes remains

en-US

10:49

I Found Out I was Adopted At 30!

Our American Stories ·

2025/09/15

On this episode of Our American Stories, Skip Reeves grew up in a military family, traveling the world, making music, and building a life surrounded by love and stability. He never questioned the bond he had with his father, a man who taught him strength, respect, and decency. But decades later, as an adult with children of his own, Skip learned a secret that had been hidden since he was five years old: he was adopted. Skip reflects on what it means to learn such a truth as an adult and why, for

en-US

19:28

"No! No! No! Who the Hell Boos Santa Claus?!" The...

Our American Stories ·

2025/09/15

On this episode of Our American Stories, in December 1968, 19-year-old Frank Olivo showed up at a Philadelphia Eagles game in a Santa suit, hoping to bring some holiday cheer to the crowd. What happened next became one of the strangest and funniest moments in football history. Instead of applause, Olivo was booed, jeered, and pelted with snowballs by frustrated Eagles fans. The story has lived on for decades, becoming part of both Philadelphia sports lore and Christmas legend. Richard Monastra,

en-US

1,677 results

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