Our American Stories

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At 16, Pregnancy Gave Her a Reason to Change Her Life May 25, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, by the time Teri Neal became pregnant at sixteen, she had already dropped out of school and fallen deep into drug culture. She had grown up watching addiction consume nearly everyone around her and expected her own life would end the same way. Then her son gave her a reason to believe something else was possible. Teri shares the remarkable story of her life, her recovery, and the bond that changed both her future and her son’s.

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The Story of America: Andrew Jackson and the Rise of the Common Man [Ep. 21] May 25, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, for decades after the founding of the United States, the presidency remained in the hands of polished Virginia statesmen and political insiders. Then came Andrew Jackson, a frontier fighter who built his reputation at the Battle of New Orleans and carried his popularity straight into the election of 1828. To his supporters, Jackson represented the “common man” at a moment when more Americans were gaining a voice in politics.
As part of our Story of Us—Story of America series, Bill McClay, author of Land of Hope, explains how Andrew Jackson shattered the old political order and helped launch the era known as Jacksonian democracy.

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The First Pilot At Ground Zero Recalls His First Jobs May 25, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Peter Braxton’s first day as a military pilot began in the skies above September 11 attacks on 9/11. But that was just one of several first jobs that helped shape his life. From high-stakes military missions to everyday roles in civilian life, Braxton reflects on the early experiences that defined who he became and the lessons he carried with him along the way.

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Meet John Clem, the Youngest Soldier to Fight in the Civil War May 22, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, at an age when most kids were still in school, John Clem was marching into battle. He joined the Union Army as a drummer boy at just 12 and quickly became a symbol of bravery. Wounded at Chickamauga and promoted on the field, he was known across the country as “Johnny Clem.”
Kristin O’Donnell Tubb, author of John Lincoln Clem: Civil War Drummer Boy, shares the remarkable true story of one of the Civil War’s youngest soldiers and how his courage helped shape his place in American history.

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The Customer Service Lesson Mike Leven Never Forgot May 22, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories,

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Stephen Ambrose on the Young Men Who Flew WWII Bombers May 22, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, during World War II, thousands of young Americans volunteered to fly dangerous bombing missions over Europe in the Consolidated B-24 Liberator, one of the most heavily produced aircraft of the war. Many of the men climbing into those freezing aluminum bombers were barely out of high school and had never traveled far from home before joining the United States Army Air Forces.
The late, great historian Stephen Ambrose shares the story of the crews who flew the rugged WWII bomber through brutal conditions over Germany and helped cripple Adolf Hitler’s war machine.

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The Mom Who Refused to Give Up on Her Mono Mono Twins May 22, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, for years, Lex Ginger was told pregnancy might never happen because of PCOS and a blood-clotting disorder that made miscarriage far more likely. Then, after becoming pregnant, doctors discovered she was carrying mono-mono twins, a rare and dangerous condition in which identical twins share the same sac and placenta. Some warned the babies had only a 50 percent chance of surviving the first trimester, but Lex chose to celebrate her pregnancy anyway. Here’s her remarkable story.

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The Opera Singer Who Left Her Husband One Last Song May 22, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Tom Lyons and Lillian Lyons married in 1946 and spent a lifetime together on the South Side of Chicago. Lillian’s opera career began before their marriage, and it was her voice that first captured Tom’s heart. Through decades of family life, music remained at the center of their love.
When Lillian died, Tom thought he would never hear her sing again. But on his 97th birthday, an unexpected discovery gave him one final gift: her voice. For Tom, it was more than a recording. It was the return of the woman who had been his partner in everything and the sound that had shaped his life.

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Why Bob Munden Is Still the Fastest Gun on Record May 21, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Wild Bill Hickok. Doc Holliday. Billy the Kid. None of them ever matched Bob Munden’s speed. Known around the world as the fastest gun who ever lived, Munden could draw, fire, and hit a target before anyone else had even cleared leather. Our own Greg Hengler, along with the late Bob Munden himself, shares the story.

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She Spent 46 Years Searching for the Sisters She Never Met May 21, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Traci Huguley was still a child when she learned she had been adopted. Years later, she discovered that two younger sisters had also been placed with other families. For decades, she carried their birthdays in her mind and quietly searched for them everywhere she went. Then, in 2018, an Ancestry DNA test connected her with a half-sister who had spent years searching too. Traci shares the story of the family reunion she never expected.

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