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Our American Stories tells stories that aren’t being told. Positive stories about generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love. Stories about the past and present. And stories about ordinary Americans who do extraordinary things each and every day. Stories from our listeners about their lives. And their history. In that pursuit, we hope we’ll be a place where listeners can refresh their spirit, and be inspired by our stories.
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On this episode of Our American Stories, around the world, access to clean water is something many take for granted, but for Manny Singh, it was a problem he experienced firsthand growing up in India, where water shortages were a daily reality.Now, as president of Koch Membrane Systems, Singh is helping develop technologies that can turn wastewater into safe, usable water—addressing one of the world’s most urgent challenges. From improving water systems in drought-stricken regions to making treatment more efficient and accessible, his work is helping communities around the globe secure reliable sources of clean water. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On this episode of Our American Stories, Amy Palmiero-Winters is one of the most accomplished athletes in adaptive sports. She holds 13 world records for distance running, completing marathons and endurance races using a prosthetic leg.Her journey into competitive running began after a life-changing accident that could have ended her athletic ambitions entirely. Instead, it pushed her toward a new challenge. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On this episode of Our American Stories, Kimberly McCullough shares the beauty, and heartbreak, of walking through the foster care and adoption process. Through her experiences as a foster mother, McCullough reflects on the tension at the heart of foster care: the hope of reunification, the deep bonds formed with children, and the painful reality of letting them go. From courtroom adoption days filled with joy to difficult goodbyes that test a family’s strength, her story captures what she calls a “broken hallelujah”. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On this episode of Our American Stories, as part of his ongoing series on the origins of everyday expressions, Andrew Thompson, author of Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red, shares the fascinating backstories behind the phrases “knock on wood” and “kick the bucket,” among others. These familiar sayings carry histories shaped by religion, literature, and everyday life in earlier centuries. Thompson traces how these expressions traveled through time, how their meanings shifted, and why they continue to resonate in modern speech. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On this episode of Our American Stories, Tom McManus thought he understood hard work. As an NFL rookie with the Jacksonville Jaguars, training camp pushed him to his limits. But during one quiet conversation with his father, he discovered what real hardship looked like.At the same age Tom was grinding through football practice, his father was flying combat missions over Europe in a B-24 Liberator bomber during World War II. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On this episode of Our American Stories, Doc Holliday is one of the most famous figures of the American Old West, known for his friendship with Wyatt Earp and his role in the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Movies and television have turned him into a legend, but the real Doc Holliday was far more complicated than the popular portrayals suggest.Historian Roger McGrath joins us to tell the true story of John Henry “Doc” Holliday—the Southern dentist who became a gambler, gunslinger, and enduring figure of frontier history. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On this episode of Our American Stories, behind many successful people is someone who helped guide them along the way. For Stephen Ross, owner of the Miami Dolphins and founder of Related Companies, that person was businessman and philanthropist Max Fisher.Ross explains how Fisher’s mentorship shaped the decisions he made in business and in life, leaving an impact far greater than money or titles. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On this episode of Our American Stories, after the Civil War, hundreds of Irish-American veterans launched an invasion — not in Ireland, but across the Canadian border. It was a daring, chaotic attempt to pressure Britain into freeing Ireland. Author and History Channel contributor Christopher Klein shares the untold story of the Fenian Raids. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On this episode of Our American Stories, Olivia Hooker’s life spans some of the most important chapters of American history. A survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre as a child, she later went on to become the first Black woman to serve in the United States Coast Guard.In her own words, Hooker reflects on the path that led her to military service and the experiences that shaped her remarkable life. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On this episode of Our American Stories, today the Converse Chuck Taylor All Star is one of the most recognizable sneakers in the world, worn by athletes, musicians, and everyday fans alike. But the man whose name appears on that famous ankle patch was not a superstar athlete.Chuck Taylor was a basketball evangelist and traveling salesman who spent decades promoting the sport and the shoes that would become synonymous with it. Lee Habeeb shares the story of Charles “Chuck” Taylor and how a passionate promoter helped popularize basketball while turning Converse high-top sneakers into an American icon. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On this episode of Our American Stories, Ed Sykes shares the remarkable story of his friendship with fellow fighter pilot Dave Dinan and the decades-long effort to bring his fallen comrade home.During the Vietnam War, Sykes flew dangerous combat missions in the F-105 Thunderchief alongside a close-knit brotherhood of pilots. One of those men was Dave Dinan, a brilliant young airman who was shot down over Laos in 1969 while flying in the secret “Hidden War” connected to the conflict in Vietnam. Dinan’s body was never recovered, and over time his family was told there was little hope that his remains would ever be found.But Sykes never forgot his friend. Here's Ed with the story. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On this episode of Our American Stories, every immigrant story begins with a decision to leave something familiar behind. For Kevin Samy’s father, that meant leaving a village where opportunity was scarce and education was almost nonexistent.Samy shares how that journey to the United States influenced his upbringing, from growing up in a diverse American community to discovering how football, education, and discipline helped shape the path of his life. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On this episode of Our American Stories, Brent Timmons, a listener of Our American Stories, shares the story of his grandfather, a quiet man known in the family simply as “Pop Pop.” Vernon Timmons lived a modest life in southern Delaware, working hard, speaking little, and rarely seeking attention. He briefly ran a small gas station and later worked long hours while farming a piece of land outside the town of Dagsboro. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On this episode of Our American Stories, the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer sits at the intersection of faith, politics, and conscience during one of the darkest chapters of modern history. As a Lutheran pastor and theologian, Bonhoeffer spoke openly against the Nazi regime and later became connected to members of the underground resistance working to overthrow Adolf Hitler.Eric Metaxas shares the story behind Bonhoeffer’s life, from his early years as a pastor to the sacrifice that ultimately made him one of the most compelling figures of Christian resistance during World War II. Metaxas is the author of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On this episode of Our American Stories, born on the land of the former plantation where her parents had been enslaved, Madam C. J. Walker married young, became a mother young, was widowed young, and divorced young. Out of necessity, she went on to create a revolutionary hair care product that transformed her life and helped make her one of the first self-made female millionaires in American history.A'lelia Bundles, Walker’s great-great-great-granddaughter and author of On Her Own Ground, shares the remarkable story of entrepreneurship, resilience, and legacy behind one of the most influential businesswomen in American history. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On this episode of Our American Stories, in his 1939 State of the Union address, President Franklin D. Roosevelt warned that attacks on religion often appear alongside attacks on democracy itself.Speaking at a time when authoritarian regimes were rising overseas, Roosevelt argued that freedom of religion and political liberty were closely connected. Our American Stories’ own Lee Habeeb shares the story behind this powerful presidential address and the warning FDR delivered about threats to free societies. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On this episode of Our American Stories, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated around the world with shamrocks, green clothing, and parades, but the real Saint Patrick lived a life far removed from the holiday that grew up around his name.As a teenager, Patrick was captured and taken to Ireland as a slave. Years later, he returned to the same land, this time as a Christian missionary determined to share his faith with the Irish people. Our own Greg Hengler tells the astonishing tale of the man behind the holiday. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On this episode of Our American Stories, John Bryan spent decades in the business world leading the Sara Lee Corporation and helping shape one of America’s most recognizable food brands. His leadership also left a mark on Chicago, where he helped bring the vision of Millennium Park to life.But before the boardrooms and public projects, John Bryan was simply an older brother. George Bryan joins us to pay tribute to his brother, John. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On this episode of Our American Stories, for thirty-seven years, no horse won the Triple Crown. Then, in 2015, American Pharoah finally broke the drought and gave horse racing one of its biggest moments in a generation.For former media executive Gary Ginsberg, that win brought back something more personal. Watching the Triple Crown races returned him to the Sundays he spent at the track with his father, where the horses, the racing form, and the rhythm of the day became part of their relationship. Here's Gary with his moving story. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On this episode of Our American Stories, few public figures captured the American mood quite like Will Rogers. Raised in "Indian Territory" and shaped by the traditions of the American West, he first gained attention as a rope-twirling performer in vaudeville. From there his career expanded rapidly. Rogers became a film star, newspaper columnist, and radio personality whose observations about politics and everyday life were quoted across the country.Tad Jones, director of the Will Rogers Memorial, shares the story of the man often called America’s cowboy philosopher, along with historic audio from Lux Radio Theater. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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McCullough is ignorant: Hitler didn't call his followers "Nazis" (He called them "SOCIALISTS" by the very word). He is ignorant of discoveries by Historian Dr. Rex Curry: Hitler's flag symbol represented "S means SOCIALIST" (& Hitler didn't call it a swastika); Hitler's socialist salute came from the USA socialist Francis Bellamy. Soviet socialism joined German socialism to start WW2 into Poland & onward. Stop misgendering Hitler. Don't repeat modern socialist lies.
saw something about this podcast via a video on my Facebook and thought it looked intriguing
Nice storu
Amazing Ms Lamar
this is the first hit for conservative alt. to /morning edition/ is there such a show? mix of daily news weather and human interest, well produced, and with different ideología?
I love to hear the stories they are uplifting and informative thanks for all the work you guys do
I can't get these episodes to open.