On this episode of Our American Stories, regular contributor, Anne Clare, tells the story of a unique aircraft carrier, the USS Lexington. Tom Zoellner purchased a diamond engagement ring and proposed. His girlfriend said, "yes" and then, suddenly, walked out of his life making Tom the owner of a used engagement ring. Instead of hitting the self-help shelves of his local bookstore, he hit the road to discover the true worth of this shining gem and then wrote The Heartless Stone. Mike Freeman, author of Clarence Saunders & the Founding of Piggly Wiggly: The Rise and Fall of a Memphis Maverick, tells us how Clarence Saunders revolutionized the way people shopped by developing “self-service” grocery shopping.

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Time Codes:

00:00 - The USS Lexington, The Naval Juggernaut

10:00 - The Shocking Story Behind the Diamond Engagement Ring

23:00 - How Piggly Wiggly Created the Modern Supermarket