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Our American Stories

Arts & Culture Podcasts

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.

Location:

United States

Description:

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.

Language:

English


Episodes
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The Story of the First Man to Die in An Airplane Crash

2/27/2025
On this episode of Our American Stories, becoming masters of the skies has come at a cost. Lt. Thomas E. Selfridge stepped up for service against enemies, nature, and machines as one of the world's first test pilots. Craig Du Mez of the Grateful Nation Project is here to tell the story. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:10:49

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"I Stole Prescriptions—To Cope with the Loss of My Daughter"—A Doctor's Story of Disgrace and Redemption

2/27/2025
On this episode of Our American Stories, when Dr. David Berry lost his newborn daughter, he turned to alcohol—then to coconut-flavored cough syrup—then to stealing prescriptions from the patients he served. He'd soon find himself homeless, divorced, and out of the profession he loved. It took a radical change in his life to turn his fortunes around. Here's Dr. Berry himself with his story. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:19:28

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How I Was Changed by My Short-Term Mission Trip

2/27/2025
On this episode of Our American Stories, regular contributor and OAS listener Stephen Rusiniak has a special story written by his daughter. She shares how helping those in need can help bring a little perspective to our lives. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:07:59

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Jack London's "To Build a Fire"

2/27/2025
On this episode of Our American Stories, Jack London’s most famous works include The Call of the Wild and White Fang, both set in the Klondike Gold Rush, and so is this story. Here to narrate the gripping finale of Jack London’s masterpiece, To Build a Fire, is Roger McGrath. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:30:17

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The Story of How George Strait's "Love Without End, Amen" Came to Be

2/27/2025
On this episode of Our American Stories, songwriter Aaron Barker tells the story of a life-altering event in his life as a father that birthed one of country music's greatest songs. An event that brought him to his knees to pray. And play his guitar. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:07:59

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Thomas Paine: The "First Man" of The Revolution

2/26/2025
On this episode of Our American Stories, Thomas Paine’s powerful words inspired revolution across the world—rallying George Washington’s troops on the battlefield, fueling the French Revolution, and provoking British disdain for America’s fight for independence. In Thomas Paine and the Clarion Call of American Independence, historian Harlow Giles Unger explores the life of the man John Adams called "the first man of the revolution.". Here's the author himself with the story—audio courtesy of the U.S. National Archives. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:30:17

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My Daughter, Out There... On The Beam

2/26/2025
On this episode of Our American Stories, when Stephen Rusiniak became a father of a daughter he had worries, and when she became a high school gymnast, his worries only increased. Here's Stephen to share his story of fatherhood. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:07:59

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Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon

2/26/2025
On this episode of Our American Stories, Johnny Cash is an American original, and this story is an insider’s look at the man whose music sprang from how he lived. Pastor Greg Laurie is here to tell the story from his recent book/documentary, Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:38:16

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My First Job: Being Legendary Comedian Groucho Marx's Assistant

2/25/2025
On this episode of Our American Stories, in college, Steve Stoliar’s dad wanted him to get a job, but Steve didn’t want to work at Taco Bell… so he called up Groucho Marx Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:20:18

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“Long Shot & Loose Cannon” and the Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions (Pt. 13)

2/25/2025
On this episode of Our American Stories, Andrew Thompson shares another slice of his guide to understanding the baffling mini-mysteries of the English language. The book is Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red: The Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions and Fun Phrases. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:09:59

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A Wife’s Heartfelt Letter to Her Husband After Pregnancy Loss

2/25/2025
On this episode of Our American Stories, Megan Bayer shares her touching letter of gratitude and healing to her constant companion through a struggle they will never forget. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:07:59

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How Piggly Wiggly Created the Modern Supermarket

2/25/2025
On this episode of Our American Stories, grabbing a basket while grocery shopping may seem second nature today, but the idea was once groundbreaking. And that was far from the only thing that changed when Piggly Wiggly—the first modern American supermarket—opened over 100 years ago. Mike Freeman is the author of Clarence Saunders & the Founding of Piggly Wiggly: The Rise and Fall of a Memphis Maverick. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:20:18

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Reconnecting with My Long-Lost Father: A Journey of Discovery and Forgiveness After I Presumed Him Dead

2/25/2025
On this episode of Our American Stories, meet Ron Brown, a man who grew up in a rough area of Chicago, was practically abandoned by his father, and would mend their relationship later in life. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:17:58

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The Medal of Honor Recipient Who Crashed His Plane on Purpose to Get To His Downed Wingman

2/24/2025
On this episode of Our American Stories, the Navy commissioned a destroyer on April 1, 2017, and named it after a man who deliberately crash-landed a perfectly good aircraft behind enemy lines. But the man who became the first American serviceman in the Korean War to receive the Medal of Honor—and the man who lent his name to the USS Thomas Hudner had a darn good reason, perhaps the best of reasons. Here’s the History Guy with the story. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:10:49

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Buffalo Bill Cody: A Legend in His Time and Ours

2/24/2025
On this episode of Our American Stories, was "Buffalo Bill" Cody a real-life hero, or was he a fake? Tune in to find out! Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:27:27

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This Day in History: The Unknown Story of the Greatest Sports Moment of the 20th Century—The 1980 Miracle On Ice

2/24/2025
On this episode of Our American Stories, it’s known as the greatest sports moment of the 20th Century. But no matter how familiar you are with the story of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team’s Lake Placid “Miracle on Ice,” you will soon see that this event seems even more unlikely now than it felt decades ago. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:38:16

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Dick Bong, Ace of Aces: The Greatest Fighter Pilot in American History

2/21/2025
On this episode of Our American Stories, Richard “Dick” Bong was a hero in an era of heroes. Here’s the History Guy with the story. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:10:49

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Mr. 60s: A Baby-Boomer’s Story of Trials, Triumphs... and Redemption

2/21/2025
On this episode of Our American Stories, our next story comes to us from a listener in West Virginia. Here’s Joe Quinn with his story Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:19:28

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Two American Heroes—Martin Luther King, Jr. and Booker T. Washington—Who Overcame Injustice With a Zero-Victim Attitude

2/21/2025
On this episode of Our American Stories, James Ward, author of Zero Victim: Overcoming Injustice With A New Attitude, tells the story of two other black men in American history who have inspired his zero victim mentality. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:07:59

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The Billy Graham Story

2/21/2025
On this episode of Our American Stories, Billy Graham took the role of evangelist to a new level, lifting it from the sawdust floors of canvas tents in small-town America to the podiums of packed stadiums in the world’s major cities. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:38:16