Our American Stories

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Latest Episodes:

Reconciling Dad the Farmer and Dad the WWII Pilot Jun 09, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, growing up, Joy Neal Kidney knew her father as an Iowa farmer, a simple, kind man in overalls who drove tractors, tended livestock, and taught his children the value of hard work. But before that, he had lived a very different life. During World War II, Warren Neal commanded large bomber aircraft and prepared to fly combat missions against Japan before the war came to an end.
Years after his passing, Joy climbed aboard a restored B-17 Flying Fortress and sat in the pilot's seat. There, her perception of her father began to change. Joy shares the story of how one afternoon at an airport helped her reconcile Dad the farmer with Dad the young World War II pilot.

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Bear Bryant Taught Him to Win, the Packers Taught Him to Believe Jun 09, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, Rich Wingo’s football journey began under legendary Alabama coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, whose tough, uncompromising style forged players into men prepared for more than just Saturdays in Tuscaloosa. Bryant’s influence followed Wingo beyond his college years and into the NFL, where he suited up for the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
It was in those two worlds, Alabama football and the Packers, that Wingo’s understanding of discipline, perseverance, and faith deepened. Looking back, he shares how the lessons he learned from a storied college football program and one of the NFL’s most iconic franchises transformed not just his playing career, but his entire outlook on life.

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Pilsner: The Czech Beer That Conquered America Jun 09, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, today, nearly every major American lager traces its roots back to a revolutionary beer first brewed in 1842 in the city of Pilsen, located in what is now the Czech Republic. Clear, crisp, and unlike anything drinkers had seen before, Pilsner quickly spread across Europe before German immigrants carried their taste for the style to the United States.
Author Tom Acitelli, writer ofPilsner: How the Beer of Kings Changed the World, shares the remarkable story of how a beer from the Austrian Empire helped inspire brewing giants like Budweiser, Miller, and Pabst, survived Prohibition, and became the most influential beer style in America.

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Inside Johnny Carson and Joan Rivers’ Rise and Fall on The Tonight Show Jun 09, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, for years, Johnny Carson and Joan Rivers defined late-night television. Carson ruled The Tonight Show as its steady center, while Rivers became his most trusted guest host, winning audiences with her sharp timing and fearless comedy. Night after night, viewers came to see them as a natural pairing, shaping what a late-night talk show could be. Then, in nineteen eighty-six, everything changed. Joan Rivers accepted her own late-night show, a move that fractured one of television’s most influential relationships. Mark Malkoff, author of Love Johnny Carson: One Obsessive Fan's Journey to Find the Genius Behind the Legend, tells the story.

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My Life Is Broken Into "BD & AD": Before Dad & After Dad Jun 08, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, Bruce Paddock remembers his life in two chapters: BD and AD, Before Dad and After Dad. When his father died young, the loss reshaped everything, from the way he viewed family and purpose to the path he would eventually take in his own career.
In this deeply personal tribute, Bruce reflects on grief, memory, and the enduring influence of a father whose life and death continued to guide him long after he was gone.

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Jimmy Stewart Left Hollywood Stardom to Bomb Nazi Germany Jun 08, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, before It’s a Wonderful Life and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Jimmy Stewart walked away from Hollywood stardom to serve in World War II. Determined to fly despite resistance from studio executives and concerns about his age and weight, Stewart became a U.S. Army Air Forces pilot, flew dangerous bombing missions over Europe, and rose through the ranks to become a decorated combat commander.
In this installment of our ongoing Hollywood Goes to War series, historian, author, and former U.S. Marine Roger McGrath shares the remarkable story of how one of America’s most beloved actors found what he later called the greatest honor of his life: serving his country in wartime.

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The Story of America: The Rise of Andrew Jackson and the Common Man [Ep. 22] Jun 08, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, the election of 1828 marked a political revolution in America. Andrew Jackson, a hard-driving frontiersman who never forgot his roots, brought a new style of politics to Washington, one built on popular appeal, distrust of elites, and faith in the judgment of ordinary Americans.
In this installment of our ongoing Story of Us—Story of America series, Dr. Bill McClay, author ofLand of Hope, tells the tale of the rise of Andrew Jackson, what Jacksonian Democracy was, and the promise and contradictions of America’s first common-man president.

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Abandoned at Birth in Korea: One Woman’s Adoption Story Jun 08, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, at only hours old, Jackie Darby was abandoned in a garbage dump in Seoul, Korea, where rats were already biting her tiny body when a missionary nurse rescued her. Adopted by an American family, Jackie grew up surrounded by love, but struggled with profound questions about rejection, identity, and her own self-worth.
Through faith and family, she' come to see her story very differently. Jackie shares the story of her remarkable journey from abandonment to purpose, and how God transformed the story she once carried in shame into one she now uses to encourage others. Be sure to check out her childrens book on adoption, Whose Am I?

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The Story of America: The Rise of the Progressives [Ep. 40] Jun 05, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, the 1896 election made one thing clear: William Jennings Bryan and the Populists had tapped into a growing sense that many Americans were being left behind by a rapidly changing nation. Though Bryan lost, the reformers behind his movement lived on. Soon, a new generation of reformers known as Progressives would seek to modernize government, curb corruption, and apply expertise and administration to the problems of industrial America.
In this installment of our Story of Us—Story of America series, Dr. Bill McClay, author of Land of Hope, shares the story of the rise of the Progressive Movement and explains the ideas that reshaped American politics and society in the early 20th century.

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The Best Time I Spent with My Dad Was Guarding Him in Prison Jun 05, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, at seven years old, Randy Liberty visited his absent father behind bars at the Maine State Prison, whose imposing walls later helped inspire Stephen King's novel The Shawshank Redemption. Decades later, he returned to that same prison, not as a visitor but as a corrections officer. Along the way, he charted his own unique path, rose to become the prison’s warden, and helped reshape corrections in Maine by introducing groundbreaking programs designed to reduce recidivism and change lives.
Be sure to check out his book, Liberty’s Prison.

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