Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, The Traveling Wilburys formed almost by accident. When George Harrison needed a B-side, he called Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, and Jeff Lynne, and together they recorded “Handle With Care.” The chemistry was instant, and within months, they became a band the world couldn’t ignore. Their blend of humor, heart, and melody carried through every track, especially “End of the Line.” Our own Greg Hengler shares how these musicians balanced fame with friendship and created music that still feels effortless. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, every tow truck on the road carries the legacy of one inventor. In Chattanooga, mechanic Ernest Holmes transformed the simple problem of how to lift a stranded car into the first tow truck. Using his own Cadillac, he built a wrecker strong enough to pull vehicles from ditches and reliable enough to serve the growing number of motorists across America. That invention became the foundation of the towing industry, shaping everything from heavy-duty recovery trucks to modern roadside assistance. What began in a Tennessee garage now supports drivers nationwide and stands as a quiet symbol of American engineering and service. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, at thirty-eight, Tim Hennessey looked like the picture of health. He lifted weights, played racquetball, and kept a busy schedule. But inside, his body was breaking down. Chronic pain, migraines, and high blood pressure left him desperate for answers. A doctor diagnosed an autoimmune condition and prescribed medication for life, but one look at the side effects made Tim pause. Instead, he chose to start over. Here’s Tim with the story of how he turned his life around—and how he’s feeling better than ever almost two decades later. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, sculptor Sabin Howard has spent years shaping the story of World War I in bronze. His National World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C. captures the quiet strength of soldiers, nurses, and families who carried the weight of the Great War. Rather than focusing on battlefields or weapons, his work centers on the people who lived through them and the humanity that endured. Through his words and his art, Howard gives form to sacrifice. Hear stories of a lost generation from the sculptor whose memorial to them will soon show this reality to visitors in Washington, D.C. Here's Sabin with the story of how his masterpiece came to be. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Pat Summitt built a dynasty at the University of Tennessee one season at a time. Her players feared her stare as much as they trusted her guidance, and together they set a new standard for excellence in college basketball. Eight national championships and more than a thousand wins made her the most successful coach in NCAA history, but her greatest achievement was how she elevated the women who played for her. Our own Greg Hengler revisits the story of a coach whose toughness was matched only by her loyalty. From the early days of the Lady Vols to her final game on the sidelines, Pat Summitt’s legacy lives on in every athlete who learned that greatness begins with discipline and ends with heart. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, for Steve Stoliar, working for Dick Cavett meant crossing paths with some of Hollywood’s most legendary names. But nothing compared to the weekend he spent in the company of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. They were both older at that point, long past the silver screen, yet their presence carried the same quiet command that had once filled theaters. Over those forty-eight hours, Steve watched how two very different men moved through the world they had shaped. Astaire carried an air of precision and grace, while Kelly brought warmth and strength to everything he did. Together, they represented two halves of the same art form, and for a brief moment, Steve saw what made them timeless. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, at the turn of the twentieth century, the United States stood at a crossroads. A nation once defined by independence and internal expansion—from “sea to shining sea”—began to face the pull of empire. Territories overseas raised questions about the very ideals we claimed to uphold. Could a republic built on liberty hold colonies of its own? In the 37th episode of our ongoing Story of America series, Dr. Bill McClay, author of Land of Hope, explores how America’s ideals collided with the realities of global power. Through “The March of the Flag,” he traces the moment the country began to look outward and the truth that expansion was never just a European idea. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, asbestos began as a miracle. It could resist heat and strengthen concrete, and it seemed to promise safety in every home and factory it touched. For decades, people believed it was the key to a safer modern world. Then the coughing started, and the walls themselves became a threat. The History Guy shares the story of asbestos from its first mining to its slow discovery as a killer hidden in plain sight. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, before Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy, D-Day was a plan held together by men and machines working in silence. Few have told that story better than historian Stephen Ambrose. Drawing from years of research and interviews, Ambrose brought to life the people who turned one of history’s most complex operations into a triumph of courage and coordination. In this episode, we feature Stephen Ambrose in his own words, sharing how D-Day took shape: from the first sketches of landing craft to the final hours before dawn on June 6, 1944. Our thanks to the estate of Stephen E. Ambrose for allowing us access to this remarkable audio. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, during the Great Depression, millions of Americans faced hunger, unemployment, and poverty. Families across the United States found inventive ways to survive when jobs disappeared and banks failed. In Iowa, one family turned to canning corn, repairing old shoes, and biking from farm to farm to kill sparrows, a job that paid just enough to get by. Our regular contributor Joy Neal Kidney shares a Depression-era story passed down through her family, offering a glimpse into what life was like in the 1930s. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 2011, Chad and Jess Schumacher were working for a growing tech company outside Chicago. They had a new home, a baby on the way, and steady careers that seemed secure. Then the company failed. Within months, their savings were gone, and the life they had planned slipped out of reach. Chad’s father had recently retired and started woodworking with a friend from Vietnam. When his father invited him down to the garage, Chad went. They spent the afternoon turning wood into pens—talking little, working quietly. It was the first calm he had felt in months. That moment stayed with him. Chad kept making pens, and each one sold helped them hold on a little longer. Allegory Handcrafted Goods was born there—a small shop that kept growing even as the family faced illness and loss. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, for more than forty years, Pat Boone stood as one of America’s most enduring entertainers. His smooth voice carried songs like “Love Letters in the Sand” and “April Love,” and his reputation for clean-cut wholesomeness made him a symbol of the nation’s musical past. But in 1997, Boone did something that stunned both fans and critics: he appeared at the American Music Awards dressed in black leather and released In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy—a collection of heavy metal covers sung in his unmistakable crooner style. What began as a lighthearted experiment became one of the most talked-about moments of his career. The album mixed humor with genuine musical craftsmanship, turning metal classics into swing arrangements and reminding audiences that reinvention is its own form of artistry. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippines during World War II, a group of American nurses found themselves caught in the fighting on Bataan. Evacuation was still possible, but they chose to stay. In makeshift hospitals carved out of the jungle, they cared for wounded soldiers through heat, bombardment, and disease. Supplies disappeared. Food ran out. Still, they worked—often through the night—using what little they had to keep their patients alive. Our regular contributor Anne Clare tells the story through one of those nurses, whose strength carried her through surrender and years of captivity. Together, they became known as the Angels of Bataan. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, most food critics chase Michelin stars or fine dining, but Tyler Groenendal is chasing something crispier. From diners in small towns to highly rated restaurants in America’s biggest food cities, this Michigan native has spent years traveling the country reviewing one thing: onion rings. What started as a quirky side gig has grown into a devoted following and a deeper appreciation for the people behind America’s best comfort food. Join us as Tyler shares what makes a good onion ring and why some of the best dishes come from unexpected places. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the spring of 1860, Abraham Lincoln was hardly a national name. He’d lost two Senate races and was known mostly as a sharp debater from the Midwest. Yet within weeks, this unlikely candidate from Illinois captured the Republican nomination—and soon after, the presidency. What happened in those few extraordinary days at the convention in Chicago changed the course of American history. Gary Ecelbarger, author of The Great Comeback, shares the story. We want to thank the U.S. National Archives for allowing us access to this audio. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, every day, we trust our lives to a few thin lines of paint. But the open road used to be the Wild West for most motorists. Drivers relied on instinct to stay in their lanes—and many didn’t. Accidents piled up until one motorist decided to paint a line down the middle of a Michigan road. That single act gave birth to the modern centerline—the thin stripe that turned chaos into order. Over time, it evolved into the pavement markings and road striping systems that shape how traffic moves today. Here’s our regular contributor, The History Guy, with the story. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, they were Americans by birth but treated as outsiders when the war began. After Pearl Harbor, many Japanese Americans were sent to camps under suspicion of aiding the enemy. Yet from those same camps came volunteers who joined the U.S. Army, determined to prove their loyalty. Known as the Nisei, these second-generation Japanese Americans fought in Europe’s bloodiest battles and helped redefine what it meant to be American. Major General James Mukoyama, the first Asian American to command a U.S. Army division, shares the story of these remarkable men in his memoir Faith, Family & Flag: Memoirs of an Unlikely American Samurai Crusader. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the dark months after Pearl Harbor, the United States launched the Doolittle Raid, a daring strike on Tokyo meant to lift American spirits. Among the men who volunteered was Jacob DeShazer, a young bombardier whose life would take a turn few could imagine. Captured and imprisoned in a Japanese POW camp, he endured starvation, torture, and isolation. Yet years later, the man who once bombed Japan returned not as a soldier, but as a missionary. His journey from vengeance to mercy changed lives on both sides of the Pacific. Told by his daughter, Carol Aiko DeShazer Dixon, author of Return of the Raider: A Doolittle Raider’s Story of War & Forgiveness, this is the story of how a World War II American soldier found peace after unimaginable suffering. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this first episode of our new series, Sunday Mornings with Big Mitch, we meet Mitch — a man serving life in the Alabama State prison system for taking another man’s life, a crime for which he takes full responsibility. Each Sunday, Our American Stories host Lee Habeeb talks with Mitch over the phone about life, faith, and redemption behind bars. In this opening conversation, Mitch shares where he came from, how he grew up, and what those first days in prison were like. What begins as a story of punishment becomes one of transformation — and the freedom he’s found through his Christian faith. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, long before Heinz Ketchup became a fixture in American kitchens, Henry John Heinz was a young entrepreneur selling bottled horseradish from his mother’s garden in Pittsburgh. He believed that honesty and quality could build a brand, and he lived by the motto, “To do a common thing uncommonly well brings success.” As his brand grew, his glass bottles set a new standard for purity while the Heinz 57 varieties became a household phrase. Guided by his belief that good business begins with good character, H.J. Heinz turned an everyday product into a legacy that still endures more than a century later. Our own Greg Hengler shares the story of this American original. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.