Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the winter of 1777, the Continental Army arrived at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, hungry, freezing, and unsure if the Revolution would survive. Disease spread through the camp, morale collapsed, and even George Washington wondered how much longer his soldiers could endure. Then came a Prussian officer named Baron Friedrich von Steuben, a man with no English but a gift for turning chaos into order. His relentless drills, translated by aides as he barked commands across the snow, reshaped a band of volunteers into a real army. By the spring thaw, Washington’s men were transformed into disciplined and unified soldiers ready to fight the British on equal terms. Historians Bob Drury and Tom Clavin revisit this turning point in the American Revolutionary War, when perseverance and training at Valley Forge became the foundation of American independence. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the 36th episode of our Story of America series, Hillsdale College professor and author of Land of Hope, Bill McClay, explores one of the turning points in American history: the moment the American frontier finally closed. For generations, the pioneers of the Westward Expansion had defined what it meant to be American. They built homesteads, followed old trails west, and carried with them the restless belief known as Manifest Destiny. By the end of the nineteenth century, that era had vanished. The vast wilderness that once promised endless renewal was now parceled, fenced, and settled. McClay reflects on what was gained through western settlement—and what was lost. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the early days of the American War for Independence, Major General Benedict Arnold was one of the Revolution’s brightest stars. His victories at Fort Ticonderoga and Saratoga made him one of the most admired American Revolutionary War leaders of his time. Yet the same ambition that drove his heroism would also lead to his downfall. Feeling overlooked and underpaid, Arnold made a secret pact with the British, trading loyalty for money and rank. His name became a permanent shorthand for betrayal, but the truth of his story reveals a man torn between duty, pride, and disappointment. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, from card tables to golf courses, Titanic Thompson made a career out of winning bets nobody else could. Often called the greatest cheat of all time, he lived a life as daring as any gambling movie. The History Guy joins us to explain how his name became synonymous with risk, deception, and the thrill of the game. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, before Neil Armstrong ever stepped on the Moon, the Apollo 8 crew made history. More than one billion people listened as Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders took turns reciting the story of creation from the Bible. It was the first time human beings had traveled that far from home—and the first time they had seen the whole planet suspended in darkness. Robert J. Morgan, author of 100 Bible Verses That Made America, shares the story of one of the most powerful broadcasts in history. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Richard "Dick" Bong was a farm boy who learned to fly and never stopped pushing the limits of what a pilot could do. Flying the P-38 Lightning, he downed forty enemy aircraft, making him the nation’s Ace of Aces and one of the most decorated WWII aviators in history. Yet behind the record was a quiet Midwestern pilot who wrote letters home, worried about his friends, and carried the weight of fame he never sought. The History Guy shares the story of how Major Richard Bong rose from his rural Wisconsin roots to the national hero we all know today. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, before haunted houses filled October nights, Halloween in America was a mess. In the early twentieth century, it was less about candy and costumes and more about broken fences, stolen gates, and angry neighbors. Communities were desperate for order, and their answer came from an unexpected place. Schools, churches, and civic clubs began creating haunted attractions: small events meant to channel mischief into something creative. Author Lisa Morton, whose Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween remains a definitive account, traces how those first haunted houses grew into the elaborate haunted attractions we know today. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Tommy DeCarlo’s story feels like a lost lyric from a Boston song. He worked at Home Depot by day and sang their music at night, never expecting anyone to hear him beyond a few friends. Then a homemade recording traveled farther than he ever could have planned. The surviving members of Boston, led by guitarist and founder Tom Scholz, invited him to join the band that had sold more than 75 million albums worldwide. In time, DeCarlo stepped onto the same stages where Brad Delp once sang "Don’t Look Back" and "Smokin’". Greg Hengler tells the story of a lifelong fan who went from customer service to concert stages, finding himself inside the very sound that shaped his youth. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, long before D-Day, another battle was already being fought high above Europe. The late, great Stephen Ambrose brings us into that world, where bomber crews crossed the Channel in formation and hoped to see England again by nightfall. Through his eyes, we see the exhaustion of the men who flew, the calculations of the commanders who sent them, and the gradual rise of an air strategy that helped turn the tide of the war. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, he was one of the Civil War’s most gifted commanders—and one of its most enigmatic. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson moved through history like a myth in motion: calm in combat, withdrawn in peace, and utterly sure of his faith. Yet behind the reputation was a man wrestling with illness, loneliness, and an almost obsessive sense of duty. This episode revisits Jackson’s life through the eyes of those who knew him, the soldiers who followed him, and the historians who have spent decades trying to understand him. His story, like the war itself, refuses to rest easily. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Milton Nadler grew up fast. The day after Pearl Harbor, his paper route turned into a rush of headlines about war. Within a few short years, he was living those headlines himself. During the Battle of the Bulge, Milton found himself surrounded, outnumbered, and facing death in the frozen forests of Europe. What happened next defied every expectation. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, listener and Our American Stories regular contributor, Brent Timmons, tells the story of spending time with his Uncle Bud in the final days of his life—and the life lessons he learned from him before he passed. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in a Colorado mining town torn apart by violence and lawlessness, a man named Willie Kennard rode in to restore order. He was Black, he was new to town, and he was willing to take on a job no one else would. What followed turned him into a frontier legend. Armed with quiet confidence and a strong sense of right and wrong, Kennard faced down gunmen, earned the respect of miners, and kept peace in a place that didn’t expect it from him. Our American Stories regular contributor Richard Muniz joins us to tell the story. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, when the HMS Birkenhead struck rocks off the coast of South Africa in 1852, chaos should have followed. Instead, what happened that night became one of history’s clearest displays of courage and order in the face of disaster. With lifeboats too few for the hundreds aboard, British soldiers stood their ground so that women and children could be saved. Their calm obedience became known as the Birkenhead Drill: a model of discipline that would inspire generations and set the standard for what it means to put others first. The History Guy shares the story. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Jedediah Smith’s story reads like the birth of the American West itself: bold, unforgiving, and full of faith. In an age when few dared to leave the safety of the frontier, he ventured across mountains and deserts no American had ever seen. He charted new routes to the Pacific, endured attacks and near starvation, and still pressed forward. His journals and maps became blueprints for westward expansion, turning one man’s determination into a nation’s destiny. Here to tell the story is Roger McGrath. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Greg Hall wasn’t looking for fame when Chile’s government asked for help rescuing 33 trapped miners. A businessman and Catholic deacon from Texas, he simply believed he could make a difference. Over 69 tense days, Hall and his team drilled through solid rock to reach the men the world feared were lost. He later said it was God who guided every turn of the drill. While the film The 33 told the story, Hall’s name was left out, which suited him just fine. For him, the miracle wasn’t the credit. It was that all 33 men saw daylight again. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, before Devon Westhill became the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, he learned the meaning of perseverance from the woman who raised him. His mother faced poverty, long hours, and the weight of raising a family on her own in rural Florida. Yet through every setback, she refused to let her children see defeat. Her story is one of grit and grace of a mother who built stability out of scarcity and taught her children that success isn’t handed down; it’s earned, day by day. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Bob McLalan’s son told him he wanted to become a Green Beret, the words carried a weight that lingered. There was courage in the choice, but also risk. Every parent hopes their child finds purpose, yet few are ready for the moment that purpose calls them away. In this story, Bob shares how his son’s decision shaped their family’s understanding of duty, love, and the quiet bravery it takes to let someone follow a dream that could cost everything. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Nancy Kelsey left Missouri with her husband in 1841, she had no map, no guide, and no reason to believe she’d ever see home again. She was young, pregnant, and part of the first wagon train attempting to cross into California. The trail stretched endlessly, marked by hunger, broken wagons, and the quiet fear of being lost for good. Still, Nancy kept going. When she finally reached the Sacramento Valley, barefoot and exhausted, she became the first American woman to complete the journey. Nancy and her family would later play a crucial role in Californian and American history, becoming the first wave of a great tide that would transform a nation. Our regular contributor, Roger McGrath, shares the story. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Dr. E. Wesley Ely of Vanderbilt University Medical Center shares deeply meaningful experiences—both medical and spiritual—from a patient’s suddenly shortened final days. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.