Our American Stories

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Latest Episodes:

The Story of How British Aristocrats Turned Benjamin Franklin into an American Patriot—In Less Than an Hour Jan 09, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, on January 29, 1774, Benjamin Franklin was called to appear in Britain before a select group of the King's advisors—in an octagonal-shaped room in a Palace called 'the Cockpit'. Though Franklin entered the room as a dutiful servant of the British crown, he left as a budding American revolutionary. This event ultimately pitted Franklin against his son, suggesting that the Revolution was, in no small part, also a civil war. Here to tell the story is renowned Franklin historian Sheila Skemp, author of The Making of a Patriot: Benjamin Franklin at the Cockpit.

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From Animal House to Belushi and Seinfeld: Mark "Neidermeyer" Metcalf's Story Jan 08, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, Mark Metcalf is best known for his role as the sadistic ROTC officer Douglas C. Neidermeyer in the 1978 comedy Animal House. He is also known for playing the role of “The Maestro” on the hit sitcom Seinfeld as well as for his recurring role as “The Master” on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Mark's life story is as large as the characters he portrays.

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The Story of the Youngest Soldier To Serve In The Civil War—John Clem Jan 08, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, John Lincoln Clem was just 12 years old when he picked up a drum and marched into battle becoming the youngest non-commissioned officer in Army history. Kristin O’Donnell Tubb, author of John Lincoln Clem: Civil War Drummer Boy, tells the remarkable story.

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What Happened When an American Armored Car Battled Nazi Germany's Largest Tank Jan 08, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, The History Guy tells the story of one of the most extraordinary David vs. Goliath tank battles of WW2, which involved a little American M8 armored car and Hitler's enormous King Tiger tank.

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The UFO Incident at Exeter Jan 08, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, our next story has been considered one of the most spectacular and best-corroborated UFO close encounters of all time. Ashley Hlebinsky is here to tell the story.

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One Mother’s Escape From A Sudanese Death Sentence...to America Jan 07, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, Mariam Ibrahim lives in Virginia—but her story begins far from there and under very different, and dire, circumstances. Here she is to tell her remarkable story of survival and freedom.

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The Late, Great Stephen Ambrose on the Boys Who Flew B-24s in WWII Jan 07, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, the late historian Stephen Ambrose tells a short story from his terrific book The Wild Blue: The Men and Boys Who Flew the B-24s Over Germany.

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A Deal with the Devil: FDR’s WWII Pact With Stalin Jan 07, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, the subject of FDR’s relationship with Joseph Stalin during WWII is for many observers, a puzzle. How could the leader of the free world and the face of American capitalism have had a working relationship—let alone something resembling a friendship—with a person who embodied the complete opposite? A brutal, ruthless, totalitarian dictator who perpetrated mass atrocities on a scale difficult even to quantify. This is the story of one of the 20th century’s unlikeliest alliances.

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The House Built By Chewing Gum? Jan 06, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, William Wrigley, Jr. was a brilliant businessman, but his ingenuity was outshined by his love for his wife. Here's the story of how he made his fortune and then spent it on the one he loved.

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He Was Elvis' Biggest Competitor in the '50s: Pat Boone on His Two Loves, Music and His Late Wife, Shirley Jan 06, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, Pat Boone got engaged on a Saturday and married the next day (by his high school principal)—at 19! Here he is with the story of how he balanced fame and fortune with faith and family.

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