Our American Stories

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Latest Episodes:

Remembering Father and Son Whose Story Inspired the Hit Country Song "I Drive Your Truck" Feb 26, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, Paul Monti was able to keep and drive a meaningful memorial of his son, Jared, who was killed in action while defending his comrades. Those experiences later inspired the song “I Drive Your Truck,” recorded by country artist Lee Brice. Our own Lee Habeeb shares the story.

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How One Man Saved the USS Midway—and Brought It to San Diego Feb 26, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Malin Burnham, a San Diego business leader, shares his story of community development and philanthropy, including how he helped bring the USS Midway to San Diego and transform the retired aircraft carrier into the USS Midway Museum, now one of the city’s most visited landmarks and a lasting civic legacy.

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When Neutral Iceland Became a Strategic Prize in WWII Feb 26, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, by the time the United States sent troops to Iceland, the war in Europe was already reshaping the Atlantic. Iceland declared neutrality, but its location placed it squarely inside the expanding European theater of World War II. Control of sea lanes, supply routes, and air coverage made the island too important to ignore.
The History Guy walks through the timeline that brought American forces to a neutral country and explains how this move fit into the larger World War II European campaign.

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Why Ole Miss Fans Learn Humility Early Feb 26, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, loving a team that loses year after year certainly has a way of shaping character, and in Oxford, Mississippi, Ole Miss football has never been a safe bet. For generations, being a Rebels fan has meant learning how to hope carefully, endure long seasons, and keep showing up even when winning feels distant.
Our American Stories listener Nancy Ball shares a story she wrote titled “Being an Ole Miss Fan Is, in and of Itself, a Lesson in Humility,” and explains why winning isn't always about making playoffs.

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Why Moby-Dick Nearly Ruined Herman Melville Feb 26, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, today, Herman Melville sits firmly within the canon of American literature. His novel Moby-Dick is assigned in classrooms, quoted in essays, and ranked among the greatest classic novels of all time. But when Moby-Dick was first published in 1851, it was a massive commercial failure.
Our own Greg Hengler and others share the story of a man who was dirt poor for most of his life but is now considered America’s Shakespeare.

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Losing Both Arms at Ten and Learning to Live Again Feb 25, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, when Mississippi native Madysen Acey was ten years old, an electrical accident led to the loss of both her arms. In a single day, her life shifted from school and friends to surgery, rehabilitation, and learning how to function without hands.
Madysen reflects on what it meant to grow up as a bilateral amputee and how that experience shaped her sense of identity, and her deep faith.

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Spam: How a Canned Meat Became an American Icon Feb 25, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, ask ten people what Spam is, and you will hear ten different answers. Some think of canned meat on a grocery shelf. Others think of World War II rations or Spam in Hawaii. A few still wonder what the word actually means.
Dustin Black, the author of The Book of Spam, explains where Spam came from, how it got its name, and why this canned meat outlasted countless food trends.

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The Dog Food CEO Who Ate Kibble for 30 Days Feb 25, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, in an age of viral marketing campaigns and carefully crafted advertising strategies, one Texas business owner took a very direct approach. Mitch Felderhoff, co-owner of Muenster Milling in Muenster, Texas, decided to eat nothing but his company’s dog food for 30 days. The goal was simple: prove confidence in the product and create a publicity stunt people could not ignore.

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he Story of America: Cuba, the Philippines, and the Making of an American Empire [Ep. 38] Feb 25, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1898, the mysterious explosion of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor lit a fuse that had already been burning for months. The ensuing Spanish–American War lasted only a few months, but its consequences still shape American foreign policy. American forces defeated Spain in Cuba and in the Philippines, ending centuries of Spanish colonial rule. For the first time, the United States faced the challenge of governing distant lands and defending its actions on the global stage.
As part of our ongoing Story of Us—Story of Americaseries, Bill McClay, the author of Land of Hope, shares the story of the Spanish–American War, from Havana Harbor to Manila, and explains why this “splendid little war” marked a turning point in U.S. history.

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Driving Into the Alaskan Wilderness—and the Storm That Changed Me Feb 25, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, Kent Nerburn, author of Letters to My Son, set out on a road trip through Alaska as a young man—and found himself facing far more than he expected. As a snowstorm closed in, his group pushed past the last checkpoint and onto a narrow gravel road carved for the Alaska Pipeline, with no guardrails, no shelter, and miles of wilderness in every direction.
What followed was a harrowing climb through the Brooks Range, moments of real danger, and then a sudden emergence into a vast Arctic landscape that reshaped how Kent understood fear, beauty, and himself.

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