Our American Stories

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How Oskar Schindler Risked Everything to Save Lives in WWII Jun 24, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, before the war, Oskar Schindler was a businessman chasing opportunity, even if it meant joining the Nazi Party. But when he witnessed the brutality unfolding around him in occupied Poland, he made a choice that would define his life. Through cunning, bribery, and sheer nerve, Schindler used his factory to protect over 1,200 Jews from deportation to Nazi death camps.
Our own Greg Hengler shares the story behind Spielberg's famous movie: the real account of the man, and the lives he saved.

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The Story of America: Our Declaration of Cultural Independence [Ep. 24] Jun 24, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, in the decades after the American Revolution, the United States had won its political independence, but many wondered whether it would ever develop a culture of its own. Most Americans still looked to Europe for great literature, art, and ideas. Critics openly questioned whether America could produce writers to rival the great minds of the Old World.
Then came a remarkable generation of American thinkers and writers. Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, and Walt Whitman helped forge a distinctly American voice, creating works that reflected the nation's landscapes, ideals, and people. In this installment of our ongoing Story of Us—Story of America series, Dr. Bill McClay, author of Land of Hope, shares the story of the nation's cultural coming of age.

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The Teenage Spy Who Arrested His Nazi Boss Jun 23, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, at 17 years old, Pino Lella was helping Jewish families escape Nazi-occupied Italy by guiding them across the Alps into Switzerland. A year later, after being drafted into the German military, he found himself assigned as the personal driver to one of the most powerful Nazi commanders in Italy.
Secretly working for the Italian resistance and the Allies, Pino used his position to gather intelligence on German troop movements and military defenses. Then, in the final days of World War II, he did the unthinkable: he arrested the very general he had been driving. Michael Lella shares the remarkable true story of his father, a teenage resistance fighter whose courage helped save lives and fight tyranny during one of history's darkest chapters.

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Dolly Parton's Biggest Hit Almost Belonged to Elvis Jun 23, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, when Dolly Parton wrote "I Will Always Love You" in 1973, she wasn't writing about a romantic breakup. She was saying goodbye to her longtime friend, mentor, and business partner, Porter Wagoner. The song became a country hit, but its journey was only beginning.
Along the way, the song caught the attention of Elvis Presley, whose manager demanded half of the publishing rights before he would record it. Parton refused. Years later, actor Kevin Costner helped introduce the song to Whitney Houston for The Bodyguard, turning it into one of the best-selling singles in music history. Our own Lee Habeeb shares the remarkable story behind a song that transformed the lives of everyone who touched it.

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The Iowa Governor Who Saved Thousands of Refugees Jun 23, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, when the United States withdrew from Vietnam, many of its allies in Southeast Asia were left behind to face Communist reprisals, imprisonment, and even death. Desperate families fled Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia in search of safety, but few knew where they would go.
Then an extraordinary letter arrived in Iowa. What followed was one of the most successful refugee resettlement efforts in American history. Matthew R. Walsh, author of The Good Governor, shares the story of Governor Robert Ray, the Iowa leader who opened his state to thousands of refugees and helped transform countless lives in the process.

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Just Days Before His Death, Pistol Pete Told His Story Jun 23, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, few athletes have ever reached the heights of Pete Maravich. Known simply as "Pistol Pete," he became one of the greatest basketball players in history, dazzling fans with his ball-handling, scoring, and creativity on the court. He achieved nearly everything he dreamed about as a boy: college stardom, professional success, fame, wealth, and admiration from millions.
But in the final years of his life, Maravich began asking deeper questions. Why, after achieving everything he had worked for, did he still feel empty? In this remarkable talk, recorded just days before his death in January 1988, Pistol Pete reflects on his lifelong pursuit of success, his struggles with alcohol and searching for meaning, and the faith that ultimately transformed his life.

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The Most (Un)Epic Love Story Ever Jun 23, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Shiloh Carozza McCall shares how, in the worst of circumstances, she came to realize that the man she was dating was the rare kind of person you want to spend the rest of your life with. Shiloh is a regular contributor to Our American Stories.

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When Americans Sent Their Kids Through the Mail Jun 22, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, when the U.S. Postal Service introduced Parcel Post in 1913, Americans suddenly had a cheap new way to ship packages across the country. What postal officials didn't anticipate was how creatively people would use it. Families mailed eggs, butter, bees, and even entire building supplies through the postal system. In one famous case, a bank in Utah was shipped brick by brick through the mail.
Then came the children. Taking advantage of a loophole in the rules, some parents discovered it was cheaper to mail their sons and daughters than buy them train tickets. For our Rule of Law series, Christopher Warren of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum shares one of the strangest and most surprisingly true stories in American postal history.

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Why Henry Gunther Was the Final Casualty of WWI Jun 22, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, the First World War ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. But not before one last man fell. His name was Henry Gunther, and he died just moments before peace officially began. Why he charged forward, and how his death came to symbolize the senselessness of war's final moments, is a story often overlooked.
Craig Du Mez of the Grateful Nation Project shares the true story of Henry and the motivations that ultimately led him to become the last American casualty of a war that had already ended in words, but not yet in action.

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An Appeal to Heaven: The Forgotten Flag of George Washington’s Navy Jun 22, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, before the Stars and Stripes became the national banner, another symbol of liberty flew over American ships. Known as the Pine Tree Flag, or the "Appeal to Heaven" flag, it was one of the earliest wartime flags of the American Revolution. In 1775, George Washington ordered it raised on six schooners that made up the first naval force of the colonies. Its white field and green pine tree drew from New England symbolism, while its motto reflected John Locke's political philosophy that, when all earthly appeals failed, justice could be sought from above.
For the colonists, it was both a patriotic emblem and a symbol of liberty at a time when independence was still a daring idea. Our regular contributor, Ashley Hlebinsky, brings the story of this early American flag to life, connecting its 18th-century symbolism to the broader tradition of U.S. flags.

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