Our American Stories
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 ref…Follow the podcast:
Remembering Father and Son Whose Story Inspired the Hit Country Song "I Drive Your Truck"
On this episode of Our American Stories, Paul Monti was able to keep and drive a meaningful memorial of his son, Jared, who was killed in action while defending his comrades. Those experiences later inspired the song “I Drive Your Truck,” recorded by country artist Lee Brice. Our own Lee Habeeb sha…
10:48
How One Man Saved the USS Midway—and Brought It to San Diego
On this episode of Our American Stories, Malin Burnham, a San Diego business leader, shares his story of community development and philanthropy, including how he helped bring the USS Midway to San Diego and transform the retired aircraft carrier into the USS Midway Museum, now one of the city’s mos…
19:28
When Neutral Iceland Became a Strategic Prize in WWII
On this episode of Our American Stories, by the time the United States sent troops to Iceland, the war in Europe was already reshaping the Atlantic. Iceland declared neutrality, but its location placed it squarely inside the expanding European theater of World War II. Control of sea lanes, supply r…
07:59
Why Ole Miss Fans Learn Humility Early
On this episode of Our American Stories, loving a team that loses year after year certainly has a way of shaping character, and in Oxford, Mississippi, Ole Miss football has never been a safe bet. For generations, being a Rebels fan has meant learning how to hope carefully, endure long seasons, and…
10:49
Why Moby-Dick Nearly Ruined Herman Melville
On this episode of Our American Stories, today, Herman Melville sits firmly within the canon of American literature. His novel Moby-Dick is assigned in classrooms, quoted in essays, and ranked among the greatest classic novels of all time. But when Moby-Dick was first published in 1851, it was a ma…
27:26
Losing Both Arms at Ten and Learning to Live Again
On this episode of Our American Stories, when Mississippi native Madysen Acey was ten years old, an electrical accident led to the loss of both her arms. In a single day, her life shifted from school and friends to surgery, rehabilitation, and learning how to function without hands. Madysen reflec…
20:18
Spam: How a Canned Meat Became an American Icon
On this episode of Our American Stories, ask ten people what Spam is, and you will hear ten different answers. Some think of canned meat on a grocery shelf. Others think of World War II rations or Spam in Hawaii. A few still wonder what the word actually means. Dustin Black, the author of The Book…
17:58
The Dog Food CEO Who Ate Kibble for 30 Days
On this episode of Our American Stories, in an age of viral marketing campaigns and carefully crafted advertising strategies, one Texas business owner took a very direct approach. Mitch Felderhoff, co-owner of Muenster Milling in Muenster, Texas, decided to eat nothing but his company’s dog food fo…
10:49
he Story of America: Cuba, the Philippines, and the Making of an American Empire [Ep. 38]
On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1898, the mysterious explosion of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor lit a fuse that had already been burning for months. The ensuing Spanish–American War lasted only a few months, but its consequences still shape American foreign policy. American forces defe…
19:28
Driving Into the Alaskan Wilderness—and the Storm That Changed Me
On this episode of Our American Stories, Kent Nerburn, author of Letters to My Son, set out on a road trip through Alaska as a young man—and found himself facing far more than he expected. As a snowstorm closed in, his group pushed past the last checkpoint and onto a narrow gravel road carved for t…
07:59