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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

19:28

A DNA Test, a Long-Lost Son, and a Journey Back to...

Our American Stories ·

2026/01/23

On this episode of Our American Stories, Brent Evanoff thought he had life figured out until one phone call changed everything. He learned he had a son he never knew, conceived during his time in the Army and now serving overseas in the U.S. Navy.What followed was more than a reunion. A journey through Southeast Asia brought a family together, led Brent deep into the jungles of Vietnam, and set the stage for an unexpected act of healing when he returned a long-lost dog tag to a fellow American

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7:59

How Abraham Lincoln Used the Telegraph to Win the...

Our American Stories ·

2026/01/23

On this episode of Our American Stories, long before texts, emails, or instant messaging, Abraham Lincoln found a new way to lead a nation at war. By embracing the telegraph, Lincoln became the first “wired” president, using near real-time communication to track battles, direct generals, issue orders, and project presidential authority in ways no American leader ever had before. He spent countless hours in the War Department’s Telegraph Office, reading dispatches from the front,

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10:49

The Police Chaplain Who Showed Up on Oklahoma City’s...

Our American Stories ·

2026/01/22

On this episode of Our American Stories, Greg Giltner spent nearly three decades with the Oklahoma City Police Department and later served as a police chaplain. His role was not to preach or persuade, but to show up. On the worst days of an officer’s life, and on the worst day in Oklahoma City’s history.Giltner shares how a mentor known simply as Chaplain Poe taught him that real ministry often means silence, presence, and compassion. From officer-involved shootings to line-of-duty

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19:28

The Great Chicago Fire Was Devastating. The Recovery...

Our American Stories ·

2026/01/22

On this episode of Our American Stories, most people know the story of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Fewer know what happened next. After flames destroyed the heart of the city and left more than 100,000 people homeless, Chicago didn’t collapse. It rebuilt faster and bigger than anyone thought possible. Businesses reopened while the rubble was still smoking. New buildings rose within months. And in just a few decades, the city transformed itself into a global center of commerce,

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7:59

Why Men Grow Beards: A Cultural History of...

Our American Stories ·

2026/01/22

On this episode of Our American Stories, beards may feel like a modern trend, but they’ve been shaping ideas about manhood for thousands of years. In some eras, a clean-shaven face signaled order, discipline, and respectability. In others, a beard stood for strength, rebellion, or independence.Christopher Oldstone-Moore, the author ofOf Beards and Men,and a history teacher at Wright State University, tells the surprisingly rich story of how facial hair has risen and fallen alongside changing

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10:49

A Sister’s Love Through the Tragic Loss of Her Three...

Our American Stories ·

2026/01/22

On this episode of Our American Stories, growing up in rural Alabama, Edie Hand shared an idyllic childhood with her three younger brothers, known as the Blackburn boys. Days were filled with horses, imagination, and dreams of the futures they would one day live.Those dreams were cut short by tragedy. One by one, Edie lost all three brothers, each death arriving in a different season of her life and leaving a deeper mark than the last. What remained was grief, memory, and a promise made to the last

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27:27

Bob Funk and the Business of Giving People Work,...

Our American Stories ·

2026/01/22

On this episode of Our American Stories, before founding Express Employment Professionals, Bob Funk believed his life’s work would be in the ministry. Instead, he discovered that helping people find jobs could become a calling of its own.Raised in poverty and shaped by hard work from an early age, Funk built a staffing company grounded in integrity, faith, and service. Over four decades, his mission to connect workers to work has helped millions find employment, dignity, and hope. His belief

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10:49

When a Daughter Becomes Her Father’s Caregiver

Our American Stories ·

2026/01/21

On this episode of Our American Stories, as a child, Deborah Freeburg learned what faith, perseverance, and family looked like by watching her parents care for their own. Years later, she entered a new and frightening season when her father’s health declined and the roles reversed.In this listener's story, Deborah shares what it meant to become her father’s caregiver, tending to him through illness, loss of independence, and moments of deep vulnerability. It’s a story about aging,

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9:29

A DNA Test Turned One Man’s Family From 2 to 10

Our American Stories ·

2026/01/21

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Jamie Scott was born, he was placed for adoption and raised by loving parents in North Carolina. For decades, he lived a full life without searching for his biological family. Then a simple DNA test changed everything.In this listener's story, Jamie explains how taking a test through AncestryDNA revealed siblings, cousins, and a family history hidden in plain sight, all in his own hometown. What began as curiosity quickly became connection, turning a

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9:59

The Chosen: How a Crowdfunded TV Series About Jesus...

Our American Stories ·

2026/01/21

On this episode of Our American Stories, The Chosenis the first multi-season television series about the life of Jesus Christ, and it has become one of the most successful faith-based projects in entertainment history. What began as a small, crowdfunded Christmas special has grown into a global phenomenon with hundreds of millions of views worldwide.Here to tell the story behind the series is Katherine Warnock, Vice President of Original Content, who explains how creator Dallas Jenkins and his team

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7:59

Texas Boys Don’t Cry, Until a Son Reads His Mother’s...

Our American Stories ·

2026/01/21

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Roger Latham was handed a few handwritten pages years after his mother’s death, he did not expect them to change the way he understood her, or himself. Written in pencil and tucked away without intention of publication, the poem revealed a depth and inner life he never knew she possessed.In this moving story, Roger reflects on discovering his mother’s hidden gift for poetry, and his daughter Candy reads “Hands” by Gladys Latham, a

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38:16

Jesse James: The Most Notorious Outlaw in American...

Our American Stories ·

2026/01/21

On this episode of Our American Stories, more than 150 years after his death, Jesse James remains one of the most famous and misunderstood figures in American history. Was he a Robin Hood style folk hero, or a ruthless criminal shaped by war and revenge?Historian Roger McGrath traces Jesse James’s life from his childhood in Civil War–era Missouri through his years as a Confederate guerrilla, bank and train robber, and national celebrity. Set against Bleeding Kansas, Reconstruction, and

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10:49

Bite the Bullet and Bless You: The Wonderful Origins...

Our American Stories ·

2026/01/20

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, this time diving into how the phrases “bite the bullet” and "bless you" came to be. His book,Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red: The Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions and Fun Phrases, is a must-read. Be sure to check it out! Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show:

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9:29

The Most Unlikely Tank Kill of World War II

Our American Stories ·

2026/01/20

On this episode of Our American Stories, during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944, an American reconnaissance armored car faced one of Nazi Germany’s most feared weapons, a massive Tiger tank. By every measure, it should have been an impossible fight.Our regular contributor, The History Guy, shares the tale of how a lightly armed U.S. M8 armored car encountered a German Tiger tank near the crossroads town of St. Vith, Belgium, and how quick thinking, timing, and nerve turned the

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9:59

A Son’s Eulogy for His Biker Father, by Taylor Brown

Our American Stories ·

2026/01/20

On this episode of Our American Stories, writer Taylor Brown shares a deeply personal eulogy for his father, a lifelong motorcyclist who taught him about patience, character, and what it means to choose what is hard over what is easy.Originally published inGarden & Gun, the piece traces their bond through long rides, shared roads, and the quiet lessons passed from father to son. From childhood trips on the back of a Harley to the final ride that took his father’s life, Brown reflects on

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7:59

Shooting Bunnies From a Motorboat and Other Bizarre...

Our American Stories ·

2026/01/20

On this episode of Our American Stories, why is it illegal to shoot rabbits from a motorboat? Or to import skunks into certain states? And who decided these things needed to be written into law in the first place?Author Winter Prosapio joinsOur American Storiesto explore the strange, funny, and often forgotten laws that still exist across the United States. Drawing from her bookWeird U.S. Laws, she explains how many of these rules began as practical solutions to real problems, from livestock theft

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38:16

Jimmy Neary: The Irish Immigrant Who Built a New York...

Our American Stories ·

2026/01/20

On this episode of Our American Stories, Jimmy Neary arrived in New York City from County Sligo, Ireland in 1954 with almost nothing but a gift for people. After finding work at the New York Athletic Club and learning the restaurant trade under famed Irish restaurateur P.J. Moriarty, he opened Neary’s near 57th Street and First Avenue and turned it into a Manhattan institution.Told by his daughter, Una Neary, this is an Irish immigrant story about faith, family, and the kind of hospitality

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30:17

Corrie ten Boom and the Secret Room That Saved...

Our American Stories ·

2026/01/19

On this episode of Our American Stories, during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, Corrie ten Boom and her family turned their watchmaker’s home into a refuge for Jews facing deportation and death. Working with the Dutch underground, they built a hidden room behind a false wall, where hundreds found shelter from the Gestapo. Their courage came at a terrible cost. Corrie and her sister Betsie were arrested and sent to prison and then to the Ravensbrück concentration camp. In this

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7:59

A Veteran Police Officer on Mental Illness,...

Our American Stories ·

2026/01/19

On this episode of Our American Stories, Deon Joseph has worked in law enforcement for more than two decades, spending much of that time in places where support systems rarely hold. The people he meets are often in crisis, and the job asks more than it once did. He reflects on how expectations have shifted, how officers adapt when there’s nowhere else to send someone, and what it means to keep doing the work when most of the pressure lands on the same few shoulders. Support the show

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20:18

The Woman Behind Jack London: Charmian Kittredge London

Our American Stories ·

2026/01/19

On this episode of Our American Stories, best known as the wife of Jack London, Charmian Kittredge London was far more than a companion to a literary giant. She was a writer, photographer, athlete, traveler, and intellectual partner whose contributions were long overlooked or misrepresented. Author and historian Iris Jamal Dunkle shares the story behind her groundbreaking biography, the first full-length account devoted solely to Charmian’s life. From global voyages aboard the Snarkto creative

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2,223 results

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