Our American Stories

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Latest Episodes:

The Story of James Best (AKA Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane) of "The Dukes of Hazzard" Mar 14, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, before he was a television star, James Best was orphaned at the age of three. During WWII he served with the Military Police in war-torn Germany. He became one of the hottest acting coaches in Hollywood training the likes of Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds, Glen Campbell, Quentin Tarantino, and Regis Philbin.

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Ronald Reagan's D-Day Speech Mar 14, 2025

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Young Army Rangers scaled Normandy cliffs under rifle fire and grenade blasts. Why did they do it? Hear President Reagan celebrate the surviving Rangers at the site, near the monument to the daggers they drove in to top the walls of Hitler's "Fortress Europe."

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From Home Depot to Lead Singer of “Boston”: Tommy DeCarlo’s Rock ’n’ Roll Fantasy Mar 14, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, the rock band Boston has sold over 75 million albums with classic hits like "More Than a Feeling,” “Peace of Mind,” “Rock and Roll Band,” “Smokin',” and “Don't Look Back.” Here’s Greg Hengler with the story about a Home Depot employee and his favorite rock n roll band.

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John Eliot, The Apostle to the Indians Mar 14, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, if you want to understand the history of America, it is essential to recognize the Bible's role in shaping our country. Our Founding Fathers—both Christian and non-Christian—were deeply influenced by it. Here to share another story is Robert Morgan, author of 100 Bible Verses That Made America.

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The Epic Story of Mountain Man Kit Carson: Agent of “Manifest Destiny Mar 14, 2025

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Kit Carson is one of the most complex characters in American history. The good and the bad that come with the great conquest of the American West are summed up in this one man’s unaccountable life. Our regular contributor Roger McGrath tells the story.

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The Confederate Secret Service's Secret Plot to Overthrow Lincoln—and Start a Revolution Mar 13, 2025

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On this episode of Our American Stories, when Wild Bill Donovan penned a letter to President Roosevelt expressing the need for the United States to have special forces units in WWII (which would eventually become the OSS and later the CIA), he looked back at America’s first modern conflict—the Civil War—and the group that attempted the first color revolution in history: the Confederate Secret Service. Patrick K. O'Donnell, author of The Unvanquished, tells the story of this secretive group that could have easily altered the course of the Civil War.

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Oliver Hazard Perry: The Hero of Lake Erie Mar 13, 2025

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On this episode of Our American Stories, when Oliver Hazard Perry sailed into battle on Lake Erie in September of 1813, the words "don't give up the ship" were stitched into his battle flag—honoring the late Captain James Lawrence. Perry won—and won decisively. Here to tell the story of Perry—and his astonishing victory—is Craig Du Mez of the Grateful Nation Project.

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The Hidden Truth About Monopoly Mar 13, 2025

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On this episode of Our American Stories, the story of how Monopoly came to be often goes like this: Charles Darrow, an out-of-work salesman, sat down amid the Great Depression and created the board game after watching his friends play a game involving the buying and selling of properties. He'd bring the game to the Parker Brothers and the rest is history. The truth, however, is far more complicated. Here to tell the true story of how Monopoly came to be is Mary Pilon, author of The Monopolists.

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[This Week in History: Clement Studebaker Born] The Auto Outsider vs. Detroit: The Studebaker Story Mar 13, 2025

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On this episode of Our American Stories, miles outside of the motor city in South Bend, Indiana, one of America’s most iconic classic car companies battled for survival against the ever-increasing tides against it. Automotive historian Patrick Foster brings us the story of Studebaker.

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[This Week in History: Jack Kerouac Born] A Listener's Touching Story On His Father—and Jack Kerouac Mar 13, 2025

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Our American Stories listener and regular contributor Paul Kotz gives a touching tribute to his father for our' This Week in History' series. At a time when Paul needed a great deal of encouragement, his father turned to an American novelist to cheer him up.

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