Our American Stories

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Why Vietnam Veterans Trusted Randall Wallace With We Were Soldiers Jul 07, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, before We Were Soldiers became one of Hollywood's most acclaimed Vietnam War films, Lt. Gen. Hal Moore and journalist Joseph Galloway refused to let anyone adapt their bestselling book. After years of watching Hollywood get the Vietnam War wrong, they had no interest in seeing their soldiers' story distorted once again.
Writer and director Randall Wallace shares the remarkable story of how Braveheart earned him their trust, why he risked his own money to secure the film rights, and how We Were Soldiers became a tribute to the courage, sacrifice, and brotherhood of the American soldier in Vietnam.

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President Reagan's Greatest Speech You've Never Heard: His July 4 Speech in NY Harbor Jul 04, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, on July 4, 1986, moments before the largest fireworks display in American history, President Ronald Reagan gave a rousing speech from the deck of the USS John F. Kennedy in New York Harbor. Standing beneath the Statue of Liberty, he reminded the country and the world what freedom really means.

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Why the Declaration of Independence We Display Isn’t the Original Jul 04, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, The Declaration of Independence is one of the most famous documents ever written. Its words helped launch a revolution and have inspired independence movements around the world ever since.
But the parchment signed in 1776 faded badly over time. By the early twentieth century, it was nearly impossible to reproduce clearly. The version most Americans recognize today exists because of Theodore Ohman, an immigrant craftsman who settled in Memphis, Tennessee. Mark Hill tells the story of how Ohman created the detailed reproduction that preserved the Declaration’s appearance for generations

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George Washington’s Letter That Defined Religious Freedom in America Jul 04, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1790, George Washington answered a letter from the Hebrew congregation of Newport, Rhode Island. His reply carried words that still echo today: America would give "to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance." It was a radical promise for its time, a vision of a nation where faith and government would remain separate and all people would be free to worship as they chose.
Vince Benedetto of Bold Gold Media Group shares the story of how one letter helped define what religious liberty would mean in the United States.

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How the Bald Eagle Became America's National Symbol Jul 04, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, the bald eagle has appeared on America's Great Seal, coins, flags, and official emblems for more than two centuries. But the bird's journey to becoming the nation's symbol was anything but straightforward. The Founding Fathers couldn't agree on a design for the Great Seal, and after the bald eagle was finally chosen, Americans spent generations hunting and poisoning the very bird they celebrated.
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jack E. Davis, author of The Bald Eagle: The Improbable Journey of America's Bird, shares the remarkable story of how the bald eagle became America's national symbol, why Benjamin Franklin disliked it, and how one of the greatest wildlife recoveries in American history brought the species back from the brink.

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What Calvin Coolidge Said About the True Meaning of Independence Jul 03, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1926, on the 150th anniversary of American independence, Calvin Coolidge delivered a Fourth of July address that went far beyond celebration. Speaking in Philadelphia, he argued that America's prosperity did not create its founding ideals, but that its founding ideals created America's prosperity.
Coolidge warned that abandoning the principles of the Declaration of Independence would mean losing the very source of American freedom. Drawing on the same moral tradition invoked by Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, he defended equality, natural rights, and self-government as enduring truths rather than outdated ideas. Vince Benedetto, joined by Coolidge interpreter Tracy Messer, share the story of a speech that still challenges Americans to remember the true heart of their independence.

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The Founding Choice That Defined America: Washington’s Refusal to Be King Jul 03, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, after leading the colonies to victory in the American Revolution, George Washington shocked the world by refusing to become king. Instead, he laid the foundation for the American presidency and helped define the future of our republic. Dr. Larry Arnn of Hillsdale College and bestselling author Nathaniel Philbrick share the remarkable story.

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The Day Rick Monday Made One of Baseball’s Most Patriotic Plays Jul 03, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Rick Monday's career spanned more than a decade in Major League Baseball, but one defining moment had nothing to do with a bat or a glove. In the spring of 1976, at Dodger Stadium, he intervened when protesters tried to set fire to the American flag in the middle of a game. His quick reaction, caught on camera, made him an unlikely national hero and turned an ordinary afternoon at the ballpark into one of the most memorable moments in baseball history.
Veteran and Our American Stories regular contributor Blake Stilwell shares the story.

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David McCullough on Why the Founding Fathers Were Not Like Us Jul 03, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, the late historian David McCullough explains why America's Founding Fathers cannot be understood as ordinary people living modern lives. Drawing on his deep study of figures like John and Abigail Adams, McCullough describes a world shaped by slow communication, constant risk, and immense personal responsibility. Decisions were made without instant news, quick consultation, or shared blame, and the consequences were often a matter of life and death.
McCullough argues that to understand the Founders, we must first understand the culture they lived in, the hardships they endured, and the moral weight they carried. It's a reminder that history is not abstract and that character is forged under pressure

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The 17-Year-Old Who Built Jersey Mike's Jul 03, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, at 14, Peter Cancro took a summer job making sandwiches at a tiny sub shop on the Jersey Shore. Three years later, when the business went up for sale, his mother asked a simple question: "Why don't you buy it?" At just 17 years old, Cancro borrowed the money, skipped high school classes to run the shop, and bet his future on a single sandwich store.
Peter Cancro shares the remarkable story of building Jersey Mike's from one neighborhood sub shop into one of America's fastest-growing restaurant chains.

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