Our American Stories

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Latest Episodes:

The Flood That Took My Mother Jun 26, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, when David LaBelle was a teenager, his mother was the one person who believed in him. She helped him stay in school, encouraged his interest in photography, and stood by him through difficult years. Then, during a devastating flood in Southern California, she was swept away while David and his family struggled to survive atop their collapsing home.
For decades, David carried the memory of losing his mother and the unanswered questions surrounding her death. Through photography, teaching, and eventually writing fiction, he discovered that while we cannot change the past, we can change the stories we tell ourselves about it. David shares a moving story about grief, memory, and how art can help us find peace after loss. Be sure to read David's book about the tragedy, Bridges and Angels.

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The Death Sentence That Became One of Lincoln’s Most Famous Pardons Jun 26, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, during the Civil War, falling asleep on guard duty was a crime punishable by death. That was the fate awaiting William Scott, a young Union soldier who drifted off at his post one night. His case captured the attention of President Abraham Lincoln, who, astonishingly, chose mercy over execution.
What followed became one of the most remarkable Civil War stories, in which compassion and discipline collided in the heat of war. Jonathan White, a professor of history, Jack Miller Center fellow, and author of Midnight in America, shares the story.

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How a Group of Daring Bootleggers Created NASCAR Jun 26, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, before the corporate sponsors, television deals, and packed speedways, NASCAR began on the dirt roads of the American South. During Prohibition and the decades that followed, moonshine runners modified ordinary cars to outrun federal agents, creating faster engines, better suspensions, and a culture built on speed.
Neal Thompson, author of Driving with the Devil, shares the remarkable story of the bootleggers, mechanics, war veterans, and small-town racers who transformed illegal whiskey runs into one of America's most popular sports—NASCAR.

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234 Marines Against 10,000 Chinese Soldiers: Fox Company’s Fight for Survival Jun 25, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, at the height of the Korean War, Fox Company was cut off in the mountains and outnumbered almost fifty to one. Their orders were simple and brutal: hold a critical mountain pass or see thousands of fellow Marines trapped. For nearly a week, Captain William Barber’s men fought through cold, hunger, and relentless attacks, turning what could have been a massacre into one of the most heroic stands in Marine Corps history. Tom Clavin, author of The Last Stand of Fox Company, shares the story.

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Why I Traded My Firebird for a Sailboat Jun 25, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, growing up in Kansas, Bob Hamner never imagined he would become a sailor. But during a vacation in the Bahamas in the 1970s, he climbed into a small sailboat with no instruction, no experience, and little idea what he was doing. By the end of the day, he was hooked.
One boat led to another. The sports car gave way to a van, the van to a bigger boat, and eventually even a bigger house to store them all. From racing catamarans on Nebraska lakes to navigating storms and around freighters on the Great Lakes, Bob discovered that it is never too late to begin something entirely new. Bob Hamner shares the story of how sailing transformed his life and taught him that adventure can begin at any age.

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The College Student Who Became Groucho Marx's Assistant Jun 25, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, when college student Steve Stoliar's father insisted he find a summer job, Steve had little interest in working at a restaurant or fast-food counter. Instead, the lifelong Marx Brothers fan made an unlikely phone call to Groucho Marx's manager, asking if there might be any way he could help. To his astonishment, he was hired.
Thus began three unforgettable years working inside Groucho Marx's Beverly Hills mansion. Steve answered fan mail, organized memorabilia destined for the Smithsonian, shared lunches with Groucho, and met legendary visitors including George Burns and Steve Allen. Steve Stoliar shares the remarkable story of how a devoted fan became one of the final witnesses to the private world of one of America's greatest comedians.

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Ida B. Wells: Fighter for the Civil Rights of African Americans to Own Arms Jun 25, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, born into slavery in Mississippi during the Civil War, Ida B. Wells became one of the most fearless journalists and civil rights advocates in American history. She exposed the horrors of lynching, challenged segregation, fought for women's suffrage, and helped lay the groundwork for the NAACP. But another important part of her story has largely been forgotten.
After the lynching of close friends in Memphis, Wells argued that African Americans could not always rely on the law for protection and that self-defense was an essential civil right. Our regular contributor Ashley Hlebinsky shares the remarkable story of Wells' life, her fight against racial violence, and her belief that the right to keep and bear arms was inseparable from the struggle for freedom and equality.

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The Bible: The World's Best-Selling Book Jun 24, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, The Bible is the bestselling book of all time, with billions of copies distributed around the world. But its influence extends far beyond religion. Its stories, language, and ideas have shaped art, literature, law, politics, and culture for nearly two thousand years.
How did a collection of ancient texts written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek become one of the most widely read books in human history? The History Guy traces the Bible's remarkable journey, from its earliest manuscripts and translations to the King James Version and the modern editions read by millions today.

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Buried as a Mystery, Remembered by Name: The Story of Michael Blassie Jun 24, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, he was buried as the Vietnam Unknown beneath the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, representing every American service member whose fate remained unanswered. For years, visitors paid their respects without knowing his name. But advances in DNA testing would eventually reveal the truth: the unknown soldier was Air Force pilot Michael Joseph Blassie, shot down over Vietnam in 1972 at just 24 years old.
Craig Du Mez of the Grateful Nation Project shares the remarkable story of Blassie's life, the decades-long effort to identify his remains, and how one family's search for answers forever changed one of America's most sacred traditions.

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What Really Happened During the Kentucky Meat Shower of 1876 Jun 24, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, on a March day in 1876, residents of Bath County, Kentucky, looked up to find chunks of raw meat falling from the sky. Some said it was mutton. Others claimed beef or venison. A few even tasted it. Known now as the Kentucky Meat Shower, the event remains one of the strangest and least explained weather phenomena in American history. Was it vultures? A freak storm? Something else entirely?
Our regular contributor, Ashley Hlebinsky, shares the story of this bizarre chapter in American lore.

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