On this episode of Our American Stories, award-winning storyteller Joy Neal Kidney shares a deeply personal family history from the Great Depression, when common childhood illnesses could still be deadly. Drawing from her Iowa roots, Kidney recounts how mumps and whooping cough devastated two related families already struggling with poverty, farm loss, and scarce medical care. In one household, nine children fell ill at once, and twin infants did not survive. Through vivid detail and remembered hardship, Joy's story reminds us how fragile life once was, and how much modern medicine and vaccinations have changed everyday survival. 

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On this episode of Our American Stories, award-winning storyteller Joy Neal Kidney shares a deeply personal family history from the Great Depression, when common childhood illnesses could still be deadly. Drawing from her Iowa roots, Kidney recounts how mumps and whooping cough devastated two related families already struggling with poverty, farm loss, and scarce medical care. In one household, nine children fell ill at once, and twin infants did not survive. Through vivid detail and remembered hardship, Joy's story reminds us how fragile life once was, and how much modern medicine and vaccinations have changed everyday survival.&nbsp;
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>

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.

Our American Stories

Dreaded Diseases of the Great Depression

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/5e7f31db-bc2f-416e-b59a-b3d3002486f0/transcript

On this episode of Our American Stories, during the Korean War, Navy pilot Thomas Hudner made a decision that defied orders and nearly cost him his life. When his wingman, Jesse L. Brown, the Navy’s first Black aviator, was shot down behind enemy lines near the Chosin Reservoir, Hudner deliberately crash-landed his own aircraft in the snow to try to save him. Trapped and badly injured, Brown could not be freed before darkness and freezing temperatures forced rescuers to withdraw. Told by the History Guy, this is the story of friendship, sacrifice, and an extraordinary act of selfless courage that earned Hudner the Medal of Honor and secured Brown’s place in American history.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, during the Korean War, Navy pilot Thomas Hudner made a decision that defied orders and nearly cost him his life. When his wingman, Jesse L. Brown, the Navy&rsquo;s first Black aviator, was shot down behind enemy lines near the Chosin Reservoir, Hudner deliberately crash-landed his own aircraft in the snow to try to save him. Trapped and badly injured, Brown could not be freed before darkness and freezing temperatures forced rescuers to withdraw. Told by the History Guy, this is the story of friendship, sacrifice, and an extraordinary act of selfless courage that earned Hudner the Medal of Honor and secured Brown&rsquo;s place in American history.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>

The Medal of Honor Pilot Who Crashed His Plane to Save His Wingman

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/918128b1-5546-4355-907b-b3d3002486f1/transcript

On this episode of Our American Stories, former Las Vegas Sands executive Mike Leven shares how an unlikely partnership helped launch the Asian American Hotel Owners Association in the 1980s. After hearing stereotypes inside the hotel industry about Indian American franchisees, Leven asked for the data and found their properties performed like everyone else, often better. Working with hotel owner H. P. Rama and organizer Lee Duschoff, he helped form an association to fight discrimination, improve access to financing, and claim a rightful place in American hospitality. 

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

On this episode of Our American Stories, former Las Vegas Sands executive Mike Leven shares how an unlikely partnership helped launch the Asian American Hotel Owners Association in the 1980s. After hearing stereotypes inside the hotel industry about Indian American franchisees, Leven asked for the data and found their properties performed like everyone else, often better. Working with hotel owner H. P. Rama and organizer Lee Duschoff, he helped form an association to fight discrimination, improve access to financing, and claim a rightful place in American hospitality.&nbsp;
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>

How Indian American Hoteliers Built a Hospitality Empire, With Help From an Unlikely Ally

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/ecceecf8-3925-4846-a138-b3d3002486ef/transcript

On this episode of Our American Stories, regular contributor Anne Clare tells the lesser-known story of two ships lost at Pearl Harbor, the USS Utah and the USS Oklahoma. During the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941, the Utah, a retired battleship used as a target ship, was torpedoed and left where it sank on Ford Island, where its quiet memorial still stands today. The Oklahoma was hit by multiple torpedoes and capsized in minutes, trapping hundreds inside. Ann recounts rescues, acts of bravery, and the memorials that honor the dead, including the 429 white pillars representing Oklahoma’s fallen crew, and what it means to remember them.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, regular contributor Anne Clare tells the lesser-known story of two ships lost at Pearl Harbor, the USS Utah&nbsp;and the&nbsp;USS Oklahoma. During the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941, the&nbsp;Utah, a retired battleship used as a target ship, was torpedoed and left where it sank on Ford Island, where its quiet memorial still stands today. The&nbsp;Oklahoma&nbsp;was hit by multiple torpedoes and capsized in minutes, trapping hundreds inside. Ann recounts rescues, acts of bravery, and the memorials that honor the dead, including the 429 white pillars representing&nbsp;Oklahoma&rsquo;s&nbsp;fallen crew, and what it means to remember them.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>

Pearl Harbor’s Overlooked Wrecks: The USS Oklahoma and USS Utah

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/beb74dba-ebc9-47b1-b894-b3d3002486ef/transcript

Dreaded Diseases of the Great Depression

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