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EPISODE · Jun 23, 2026 · 17 MIN

The Iowa Governor Who Saved Thousands of Refugees

from Our American Stories · host iHeartPodcasts

On this episode of Our American Stories, when the United States withdrew from Vietnam, many of its allies in Southeast Asia were left behind to face Communist reprisals, imprisonment, and even death. Desperate families fled Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia in search of safety, but few knew where they would go.Then an extraordinary letter arrived in Iowa. What followed was one of the most successful refugee resettlement efforts in American history. Matthew R. Walsh, author of The Good Governor, shares the story of Governor Robert Ray, the Iowa leader who opened his state to thousands of refugees and helped transform countless lives in the process. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jun 23, 2026

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The Iowa Governor Who Saved Thousands of Refugees

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