Our American Stories

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.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the early years of television, few moments carried more weight than the night journalist Edward R. Murrow confronted Senator Joseph McCarthy. America was deep in the Cold War, and McCarthy’s accusations of communist influence had created an atmosphere of fear that silenced many. Murrow chose to speak anyway. On his CBS program See It Now, he aired McCarthy’s own words, letting the public judge for themselves. It was one of the first times television held political power to account, marking a turning point for both journalism and public trust in the media. Kirk Higgins, Senior Director of Content at the Bill of Rights Institute, brings us the story. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Blair Linne grew up moving from place to place, never staying long enough to unpack completely. Her mother loved her deeply, but without a father, stability was something they could never hold on to. By the time Blair reached adulthood, she had lived in twenty-five homes. What she found along the way was not just struggle, but faith, community, and a new understanding of family. Her story gives voice to the quiet ache of growing up without a father and the strength it takes to build something lasting from the pieces left behind. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Ken Wells always dreamed of flying. When that dream took him to the skies over Vietnam, he knew the risks but never imagined how quickly everything would change. Just two days before his wife, Candy, gave birth to their first child, Ken’s plane was shot down. He spent years in captivity at the infamous Hanoi Hilton, surviving hunger, isolation, and torture. Back home, Candy raised their child alone, clinging to faith and hope that he would return. Together, they tell a story of endurance and of a love that withstood the distance. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, for years, Tasha Layton lived the dream that countless young artists imagine. She toured the world, performed before massive crowds, and sang beside one of the biggest names in pop music. But beneath the lights, she felt a growing emptiness that success couldn’t fill. When she finally stepped away, she didn’t know what would come next, only that she needed to start over. Her path back began quietly, through faith, small moments of honesty, and music that spoke to something deeper than applause. Tasha joins us to tell us her story. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, it’s hard to imagine now, but there was a time when the automobile was hailed as an environmental savior. Cities at the turn of the century were suffocating under the burden of their own success. The horse had built them, but it was also destroying them. Streets were thick with waste, and the air carried the scent of disease. Into that chaos rolled the automobile—a machine that seemed to offer a vision of progress that was clean, modern, and under control. Miles C. Collier, founder of the Revs Institute, shares the story. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.