Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, as a teenager walking to school in Manhattan, Theodore Schwartz stopped to help a stranger whose car was trapped in the snow. The feeling he got from helping someone who could offer him nothing in return stayed with him. He decided he wanted to spend his life doing exactly that.He eventually became one of America's leading neurosurgeons, operating on thousands of brain tumors and making decisions where a fraction of an inch can separate a cure from catastrophe. Dr. Theodore Schwartz, author of Gray Matters: A Biography of Brain Surgery, takes us inside the operating room to explain what it's really like to operate on the human brain. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Wendy Steele kept meeting women who wanted to help their communities but believed they didn't have enough time, money, or experience to make a difference. Then the Cincinnati banker had an idea: What if 100 women each gave $1,000, pooled the money, and together chose a local nonprofit to receive one transformational $100,000 grant?123 women took a chance on her idea. Their first grant helped rebuild a struggling dental clinic in one of Cincinnati's poorest neighborhoods, and the results went far beyond anything Steele expected. Soon, women across the country were calling to ask how they could do the same thing. Wendy Steele shares the story of how Impact100 grew from a spiral notebook into a worldwide movement that has given tens of millions of dollars back to local communities. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, by 1926, explorers had spent decades risking their lives trying to conquer the world's most hostile places. Now, two of the greatest were racing toward the North Pole in radically different machines. American naval aviator Richard Byrd bet on the speed of a Fokker trimotor airplane. Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen put his faith in the Norge, a massive hydrogen-filled airship.Who would win? Our regular contributor The History Guy shares the story of the dangerous 1926 race that tested two explorers, two technologies, and the future of flight. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, they were Americans by birth but treated as outsiders when the war began. After Pearl Harbor, many Japanese Americans were sent to camps under suspicion of aiding the enemy. Yet from those same camps came volunteers who joined the U.S. Army, determined to prove their loyalty.Known as the Nisei, these second-generation Japanese Americans fought in Europe's bloodiest battles and helped redefine what it meant to be American. Major General James Mukoyama, the first Asian American to command a U.S. Army division, shares the story of these remarkable men in his memoir Faith, Family & Flag: Memoirs of an Unlikely American Samurai Crusader. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, as a boy, Bob McClellan walked through Golden Gate National Cemetery on his way into town. Years later, he returned as a father, bringing his own children to place flags beside the graves on Memorial Day and visit the resting place of their grandfather, a Marine who fought at Guadalcanal.But their walks through the cemetery became about much more than remembering one man. From an 18-year-old Marine killed in Vietnam to Medal of Honor recipients, the Black sailors lost in the Port Chicago disaster, and Japanese Americans who fought for a country that had imprisoned their families, Bob found stories everywhere. Here's Bob himself to share a few of them. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1909, William Boeing watched an airplane fly for the first time and became fascinated by a machine many Americans still regarded as little more than an expensive toy. The wealthy timberman learned to fly, built his own seaplane, and became convinced that aviation was going to change the world. When World War I ended and the young aircraft industry nearly collapsed, Boeing put hundreds of thousands of dollars of his own money into keeping his company alive.This is the story of the man who saw the future in the airplane and built his name into one of the giants of American aviation. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, before the Civil War, thousands of Southern men joined a secret society complete with castles, passwords, elaborate oaths, medieval costumes, and dreams of conquest. They called themselves the Knights of the Golden Circle, and beneath all the pageantry was a serious ambition: expand slavery by building a vast new empire across Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.Mark Kawar, author of America but Bigger, and David C. Keehn, author of Knights of the Golden Circle: Secret Empire, Southern Secession, Civil War, share the strange story of the organization that ultimately discovered that dreaming of an empire was much easier than building one. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Kenny Rogers grew up poor in a Houston housing project, one of eight children in a family that had little money but plenty of music, faith, and humor. He wanted something more and relentlessly chased a career in music, even when that ambition came at a cost in his personal life.By the time Rogers turned to country music, he was nearly 40 and had already bounced through jazz, folk, rock, and pop. Nashville told him he was too old, too pop, and looked all wrong for country. Rogers proved them wrong. With songs like “Lucille,” “Lady,” and “The Gambler,” he crossed musical boundaries and became one of the most recognizable entertainers in America. Our own Greg Hengler, along with the late Kenny Rogers himself, shares the life story of a man who bridged pop and country to create a sound all his own. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, at the beginning of 1941, Britain stood virtually alone against Hitler while the United States remained bitterly divided over whether to enter the war. But across the Atlantic and Pacific, events were rapidly pulling America closer to the fight.The late historian Stephen Ambrose shares the story of a fateful year and America’s precarious diplomatic balancing act as war raged around the globe. It all came to an end with Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, which suddenly united a divided nation and brought the United States into World War II. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the 1850s, William Walker had an extraordinary idea: Why not conquer a country of his own? The Tennessee-born doctor, lawyer, and journalist gathered a small army of Americans, invaded Mexico, and declared himself ruler of a new republic. When that collapsed, he tried again. This time, he set his sights on Nicaragua.Mark Kawar, author of America, but Bigger, shares the remarkable story of an American filibuster who dreamed of an empire stretching across Central America. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, before Colorado was even a state, a young German immigrant named Adolph Coors arrived in Golden with years of hard-earned experience and a dream of building his own brewery. He had come to America with no money or papers, worked his way west, and in 1873 invested everything he had into a small brewery beside the waters of Clear Creek.His great-grandson Pete Coors shares how Adolph survived fierce competition and a devastating flood to build a family business that would eventually give America Coors Banquet. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, there was a time when billions of American chestnut trees stretched across the eastern United States. In Appalachia, their nuts fed families and wildlife, their harvests provided income, and their rot-resistant wood was used for everything from fences and homes to cradles and coffins. Then, in the early 1900s, a deadly blight arrived from Asia and nearly wiped them out. Before long, the American chestnut had become a tree largely confined to memory and Christmas songs.Michael Goergen, CEO of The American Chestnut Foundation, shares the story of how America lost one of its most important trees and how his group is working to bring it back. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, when the First Continental Congress gathered in Philadelphia, the delegates arrived anxious about what Britain might do next and unsure of what they themselves should do. Before they argued or planned, they asked for prayer.The passage read that morning landed with surprising force and settled the room in a way no debate could have. Here to tell the story is Robert Morgan, author of 100 Bible Verses That Made America: Defining Moments That Shaped Our Enduring Foundation of Faith. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, John Cazale never became a movie star. He never received an Academy Award nomination, and his film career lasted only six years. Yet Al Pacino considered him an acting idol, Meryl Streep fell in love with him, and every one of the five films he appeared in was nominated for Best Picture.Jonjo Powers, author of A Small Perfection: John Cazale and the Art of Acting, shares the remarkable story of the man who brought Fredo Corleone to life, made some of Hollywood's greatest actors better, and died at just 42 years old with a nearly perfect body of work behind him. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1967, Atlantic Records producer Jerry Wexler approached the songwriting team of Carole King and Gerry Goffin with an idea. He needed a hit for Aretha Franklin and even had a title in mind: "A Natural Woman."After putting their children to bed, King and Goffin went to work. By the next day, they had written a song specifically for a singer they had never met. Lee Habeeb shares the story of the unlikely collaboration that gave Aretha Franklin one of the defining songs of her career. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Laura Margolis arrived in Shanghai to help Jewish refugees who had fled persecution in Europe. Then Pearl Harbor changed everything. With the city under Japanese occupation and some 20,000 Jewish refugees now trapped there, Margolis found herself classified as an enemy alien while desperately trying to secure the food and money needed to keep them alive.For our ongoing The Six Percent series, Deborah Dwork, author of Saints and Liars, shares the remarkable story of how Margolis worked with the Japanese and rebuilt Shanghai’s relief operation, helping thousands of Jewish refugees survive. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Clarence Birdseye was always looking for his next adventure. He hunted coyotes in the American West, collected dangerous ticks in the Rocky Mountains, and eventually took his young family into the frozen wilderness of Labrador.There, Birdseye noticed how Inuit people could freeze freshly caught fish almost instantly in the bitter cold. Years later, that memory gave him an idea that would change the way Americans eat. Mark Kurlansky, author of Birdseye, shares the remarkable story of the adventurer who turned quick-freezing into an industry. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Ralph Cox had spent years dreaming of representing the United States at the Olympics. In 1980, he came within days of doing it. Then coach Herb Brooks called him into a room and delivered the news: Cox would be the final player cut from the U.S. Olympic hockey team.Weeks later, his former teammates pulled off the “Miracle on Ice.” Our own Greg Hengler and Ralph Cox himself share the story of what it was like to watch from the outside and how losing the dream he had built his life around ultimately changed him for the better. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the late 1800s, stray dogs began hopping aboard America's trains and riding wherever the rails took them. Their adventures soon made the newspapers, and some became celebrities known across the country.Paul Koudounaris, author of Go West, Young Dog, shares the story of America's railroad dogs and the legendary Railroad Jack. To a generation of Americans who dreamed of escaping the grind of industrial life, these wandering dogs came to represent something bigger: the freedom to just climb aboard and go. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, as a teenager growing up on a farm in rural Idaho, Philo Farnsworth had an idea that seemed almost impossible: transmit moving pictures through the air. Before long, he had built the first fully electronic television system and found himself in a battle with RCA, one of the most powerful companies in America.The History Guy and Evan Schwartz, author of The Last Lone Inventor, share the remarkable story of Farnsworth and the many other inventors who helped turn television from a dream into a technology that fundamentally transformed American life. Evan's audio originally appeared in the Naked Science video The Invention That Changed The World. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, more than 13,000 Native Americans took part in the Revolutionary War, most fighting alongside the British. Daniel Nimham chose a different path. The last sachem of the Wappinger people of New York's Hudson Valley, Nimham joined the American cause, received a commission as a captain in the Continental Army, and served alongside George Washington at Valley Forge.Craig Du Mez, president of the Grateful Nation Project, shares the remarkable story of Daniel and his son Abraham Nimham, who fought from Saratoga to New York City before making their final stand against an overwhelming British force at the Battle of Kingsbridge in 1778. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, from the days of Hulk Hogan to modern WWE, wrestlers travel constantly, train relentlessly, and perform feats that demand strength, timing, and endurance. The spectacle may be designed for drama, but the toll on the body is no joke.Sportswriter Riley Evans of Grandstand Central shares the real story and physical cost of professional wrestling. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in February 1861, Abraham Lincoln was making a 13-day journey from Springfield, Illinois, to Washington, D.C., when warnings emerged of a plot to assassinate the president-elect as he passed through Baltimore, Maryland. With the country already coming apart and Lincoln’s inauguration only days away, detective Allan Pinkerton raced to uncover the threat and find a way to get Lincoln safely through the city.Daniel Stashower, author of The Hour of Peril, shares the remarkable story of the Baltimore Plot and Kate Warne, a pioneering detective who posed as Lincoln’s sister and helped smuggle the future president through the city under cover of night. We’d like to thank the Library of Congress for making this audio available to the public. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, to Southerners, John Brown was a dangerous villain. To many Northerners, he was a fanatic. But Brown believed he was an instrument of God, called to wage war against the evil of slavery.David S. Reynolds, author of John Brown, Abolitionist, shares the story of how a deeply religious boy from Connecticut became one of the most feared and controversial men in America. Brown’s crusade against slavery would take him west to the blood-soaked plains of Kansas and eventually to Harpers Ferry, Virginia, where he hoped to ignite a rebellion that would free the enslaved. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, James Madison may not have been America's greatest president, but his understanding of the Constitution helped shape the nation long before he entered the White House. A Virginia legislator, author of the Federalist Papers, architect of the Constitution, political partner of Thomas Jefferson, and eventual fourth president of the United States, Madison devoted much of his life to understanding how a free government could control power while remaining accountable to the people.Hillsdale College President Dr. Larry P. Arnn shares the story of Madison, the "lawgiver." Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1960, McDonald's franchise owner Lou Groen had a problem. His Cincinnati, Ohio, restaurant sat in a neighborhood that was 87 percent Catholic, and on Fridays, when many Catholics abstained from eating meat, his hamburger sales collapsed. With his struggling restaurant and his family's livelihood on the line, Groen came up with an idea: sell fish.Simon Whistler of Today I Found Out and the Brain Food Show shares how Groen's creation helped turn a struggling Ohio franchisee into the owner of 43 McDonald's restaurants. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, from the American Revolution to the Civil War, the biblical prophet Elijah has played an important role in the American story, inspiring generations in their fights for liberty and justice.Rabbi Dr. Stuart Halpern, co-author of The Jewish Roots of American Liberty, shares how Elijah’s rebuke of the tyrannical King Ahab inspired Americans during the Revolution. His “still small voice” would later echo in the words of Frederick Douglass, while the story of his ascent to heaven found new life in the spiritual “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.” Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1975, advertising copywriter Gary Dahl was sitting in a California bar listening to friends complain about the hassle of caring for their pets when he joked that a rock would make the perfect companion. It would never need to be fed, walked, groomed, or taken to the vet.Our frequent contributor Jesse Edwards shares the tale of the Pet Rock and how clever packaging and a 32-page instruction manual turned an ordinary stone into a cultural phenomenon in 1970s America. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, before "Smokin' Ed" Currie created the Carolina Reaper and Pepper X, two of the hottest peppers the world has ever known, his life was being consumed by drugs and alcohol. After hitting rock bottom, an experience during a Michigan blizzard led him to a rehabilitation hospital and began a journey through recovery, faith, family, and an obsession with peppers that stretched back to his childhood.Ed Currie, founder of South Carolina's PuckerButt Pepper Company, shares the remarkable story of how a recovering addict turned his fascination with capsaicin into a business that continues to spice up our lives today. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, when President Donald Trump floated the idea of buying Greenland in 2019, many Americans thought the proposal came out of nowhere. In reality, the United States had been eyeing the Arctic island for more than 150 years. We especially wanted it after Denmark fell into Nazi hands.Mark Kawar, author of America, but Bigger: Near-Annexations from Greenland to the Galápagos, shares the remarkable history of America's long fascination with Greenland and why its location, resources, and strategic importance have repeatedly drawn the attention of American leaders...and changed world history. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Erica Brewer of Eagle, Wisconsin, spoke out in defense of a neighbor she believed was being treated unfairly by local officials, she never expected the town's attention to turn toward her own family. Soon, inspectors were showing up at their property, citing everything from tall grass and flower boxes to their small roadside farm stand, while fines and fees threatened to climb beyond $20,000.For our Rule of Law series, Erica and Institute for Justice attorney Kirby West share the story of her fight against the Town of Eagle, and the First Amendment battle over whether local government can punish a citizen for speaking out. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, have you ever imagined a buffalo running on a racetrack against thoroughbred horses? In the 1960s, Harvey Wallbanger did exactly that. This larger-than-life buffalo stunned crowds as he thundered past racehorses, turning a novelty act into an unforgettable chapter of racing history.Francie M. Berg of Buffalo Grande shares the unlikely but true story of how one buffalo captured America's attention and proved just how wild the frontier spirit could still be. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Ash Patel opened his eyebrow threading business in Texas, he followed the law as it existed. Then state regulators decided eyebrow threading counted as cosmetology and demanded that his experienced employees spend up to 750 hours in beauty school learning techniques they would never use, at a cost of thousands of dollars, before they could return to the jobs they had already mastered.For our Rule of Law series, Institute for Justice attorney Wesley Hottot tells the remarkable story behind Patel v. Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the six-year legal battle that reached the Texas Supreme Court and became a landmark victory for economic liberty and the constitutional right to earn a living. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, ten days after Caleb Bailey was born, his father, Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Joseph Dupee, was killed in the line of duty while trying to rescue one of his own firefighters during a warehouse fire in California. His death left behind a young widow and two small sons, and seemed to mark the beginning of a lifetime of heartbreak.Instead, it became the beginning of an extraordinary story of redemption. Caleb shares how his father's sacrifice transformed his uncle's life, how another firefighter stepped in to become the father he never had, and why, more than two decades later, his family remembers that tragedy not for what was lost, but for everything God built from it Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, born on the Fourth of July in the tiny village of Plymouth Notch, Vermont, Calvin Coolidge grew up surrounded by hardworking neighbors who prized honesty, humility, thrift, and service above wealth or status. Those lessons stayed with him from the family store to the governor's office, and ultimately to the White House.Matthew Denhart of the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation, along with acclaimed Coolidge interpreter Tracy Messer, reading from Coolidge's autobiography, share the remarkable story of America's 30th president, from his rural upbringing and dramatic midnight swearing-in by his father to the principles that shaped one of the most distinctive presidencies in American history. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 a horse's teeth require attention, a reminder that its strength begins with small acts of care. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, born in rural Missouri in 1934, Rebecca "Cubby" Hall grew up without electricity, joined the Women's Army Corps, learned to ride a Harley-Davidson, taught in a one-room schoolhouse, served as mayor of Neosho, owned a liquor store, worked as a garbage collector, and never stopped finding ways to serve her community.In her own words, Cubby looks back on a life that spanned extraordinary changes in America, sharing stories of hard work, small-town life, unforgettable mentors, and the adventurous spirit that led her to try just about everything. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, few decisions in American history remain as controversial as the choice to drop atomic bombs on Japan in the final days of World War II. Supporters argue the attacks hastened the war’s end and saved lives. Critics say they crossed a moral line that reshaped warfare forever.Ken LaCorte, host of the YouTube channel Elephants in Rooms, examines the historical context, military calculations, and ethical questions surrounding Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and why the debate over whether the bomb was necessary continues decades later. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Richard "Dick" Bong was a farm boy who learned to fly and never stopped pushing the limits of what a pilot could do. Flying the P-38 Lightning, he downed 40 enemy aircraft, making him the nation's Ace of Aces and one of the most decorated World War II aviators in history. Yet behind the record was a quiet Midwestern pilot who wrote letters home, worried about his friends, and carried the weight of fame he never sought.The History Guy shares the story of how Major Richard Bong rose from his rural Wisconsin roots to become a national hero and America's highest-scoring fighter ace of World War II. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the summer of 1787, the United States was deeply in debt, politically divided, and struggling to survive under the weak Articles of Confederation. Behind closed doors in a sweltering room in Philadelphia, a remarkable group of Americans spent three months debating, compromising, and ultimately creating the United States Constitution.At a Constitution Day event at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., the late historian David McCullough explains why the Founding Fathers were not soundbite men with soundbite minds, what they were reading, what inspired them, and why the Constitution remains one of the greatest achievements in American history. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Tom Golisano didn't build Paychex by creating a joyless workplace. He believed people did their best work when they enjoyed coming to the office, and that meant making room for laughter, practical jokes, and a culture where even the CEO wasn't off limits.The Paychex founder shares some of the company's most legendary office pranks and explains why fun, trust, and camaraderie became part of the culture that helped grow one of America's most successful payroll companies. His book is Built Not Born: A Self-Made Billionaire's No-Nonsense Guide for Entrepreneurs. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the early days of hip-hop, the music grew out of Black and Latino communities in New York City. It was local, raw, and deeply rooted in the neighborhoods where it began. So when three white, Jewish kids from New York entered that world, it raised more than a few eyebrows.Our own Greg Hengler shares the story of the Beastie Boys, how they found their place in a culture that wasn’t originally their own, and how their music helped carry hip-hop to audiences far beyond the city. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, before Yogi Berra became one of the greatest catchers in baseball history, he was an 18-year-old U.S. Navy sailor headed toward Omaha Beach on D-Day. After World War II, the son of Italian immigrants from St. Louis helped build one of the greatest careers in American sports, winning 10 World Series championships with the New York Yankees and becoming one of the most beloved figures in baseball.Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist George Will shares how Berra's remarkable career reflected not only excellence on the field, but also the story of immigration, opportunity, and America itself. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Lance Cpl. Tom Morton deployed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan, he found much more than a squad leader in Sgt. Joe L. Wrightsman. He found a mentor whose hardnosed training and leadership prepared a young Marine for the realities of combat. Then, during a mission across the Helmand River, Wrightsman gave his life trying to save an Afghan police officer from drowning.Tom shares the story of the worst day of his life, and the long road to finding peace after war through craftsmanship and meaning. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, as part of his ongoing series on the origins of everyday expressions, Andrew Thompson, author of Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red, shares the fascinating backstories behind the phrases "take the cake," "the third degree," and others. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1956, Elvis Presley bombed in Las Vegas. Thirteen years later, he returned to a city that was struggling to attract a new generation, and together they changed each other's future.Author Richard Zoglin shares the story of Elvis's legendary 1969 comeback at the International Hotel and explains how the King of Rock 'n' Roll reinvented the Las Vegas stage with a concert unlike anything the Strip had ever seen. His book is Elvis in Vegas: How the King Reinvented the Las Vegas Show. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, before American Sniper introduced millions to Chris Kyle, there was Carlos Hathcock, the legendary U.S. Marine sniper known throughout Vietnam as "White Feather." Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, Hathcock grew up hunting to help feed his family before becoming one of the greatest marksmen in American military history.Military veterans Colin D. Heaton and Mike Droberg of Forgotten History, along with Hathcock himself via archival audio, share the story of the dangerous missions, sniper duels, and battlefield heroism that made him a Marine Corps legend. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, we all know the look and taste of bubblegum, but few people know where it came from. The first bubblegum was invented in 1928 by Walter Diemer, who used the only food dye available: pink. That color stuck, and so did the flavor, a blend of fruit notes now simply called "bubblegum."Simon Whistler, from the Today I Found Out YouTube channel and its sister podcast, The Brain Food Show, shares the story of how bubblegum was created and how a simple candy became a lasting invention of the 20th century. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Indiana did not choose its nickname so much as grow into it. The term Hoosier appeared in jokes, travel accounts, and frontier banter, yet no one ever agreed on where it started. Despite the uncertainty, the name kept rising to the surface until it became part of the state's character.What survives is a word tied closely to the people who shaped Indiana in its earliest years. Dr. Stephen Flick explains how a bit of regional language became a lasting identity. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.