Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, after World War II airman Danny Wilson fell overseas, his body was buried in France alongside thousands of American soldiers. But that wasn't the end of his story. His niece, Joy Neal Kidney, shares the little-known journey of how her uncle was buried three different times, from a military cemetery in Europe to his final resting place in Iowa.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, few filmmakers embody the American Dream as vividly as Frank Capra. Born in Sicily in 1897, he carried the memory of arriving at New York Harbor and seeing the Statue of Liberty through World War I and into Hollywood's golden age. In films like It's a Wonderful Life, Capra celebrated resilience, community, and the strength of ordinary people.

Our own Lee Habeeb, along with recordings of Capra himself, shares the story of the immigrant boy who rose to direct some of Hollywood's greatest films.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, nearly ninety years after Amelia Earhart disappeared over the Pacific, the fascination surrounding her life has never faded. Yet one of the most revealing clues about who she was isn't found in a cockpit or a flight log. It's a leather coat preserved in a museum in Wyoming.

Our regular contributor Ashley Hlebinsky shares the story behind the jacket and explains how a single artifact can help us better understand the woman behind one of the greatest legends in American history.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, as a teenager, Lindsay Gallant embarked on a wilderness journey with her father, paddling deep into the remote rivers and forests of Canada. What started as a rite of passage ended up becoming much more: a chance to see the natural world through new eyes.

Years later, far removed from the waters of the wilderness, one memory from that trip remains especially vivid. Lindsay still remembers the great flocks of tundra swans that filled the sky and the feeling of wonder they inspired. In this moving reflection from Write Your Story, Change Your Life, she shares a coming-of-age story about family, memory, and how certain moments stay with us long after we've left them behind.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Henry Ford did not invent the automobile, but he changed its place in American life. By making the car affordable and reshaping the factory around speed and precision, he turned a rare machine into something millions of people could own.

Historian Richard Snow, author of The Rise of Henry Ford, shares the spellbinding story of how Ford transformed manufacturing in the United States and Detroit and single-handedly ushered in the modern age.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, every summer, Dennis Peterson and his brother went to work with their father, a self-employed brick mason. As young boys, they hauled bricks, cleaned tools, and worked long days on construction sites. At the time, it felt like hard labor. Looking back, it was something much more valuable. ⁠

Through those hours on the job, Dennis's father taught lessons about the dignity of hard work. Dennis shares a heartfelt tribute to the man who showed him that the true reward of labor wasn't just a paycheck, but also the character built along the way.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, in 2016, entrepreneur Fawn Weaver was struggling through one of the most difficult seasons of her life. A disappointing business venture had left her frustrated, and the sudden death of her beloved niece, Brittany, left her heartbroken. Looking for a distraction while traveling overseas, she stumbled across a newspaper article about a little-known figure in American history: Nathan "Nearest" Green, the formerly enslaved man who taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey.

His story quickly became her obsession. As Weaver dug deeper into the story of Uncle Nearest, she found something she desperately needed: hope. Fawn shares the remarkable story of loss, purpose, and the unlikely chain of events that led her to uncover one of the most important forgotten figures in American whiskey history.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, long before the Civil War, in 1799, the United States was facing one of the greatest political crises in its young history. With tensions rising between the federal government and the states, some feared the nation could fracture or even descend into civil war. George Washington certainly did, and he turned to one man he believed could help prevent it: Patrick Henry.

Historian John Ragosta, a fellow at the International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello, tells the story of Patrick Henry's final public campaign, George Washington's desperate plea for help, and the little-known constitutional crisis that nearly tore the American experiment apart. We'd like to thank the Jack Miller Center for sending us this story.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, when Brian Wilson passed away in 2025, the world lost one of the most important and influential musicians in American history. As the creative genius behind The Beach Boys, Wilson helped redefine popular music through groundbreaking compositions, intricate harmonies, and a body of work that continues to inspire musicians today. Yet for many people, Brian Wilson's story seemed tragic. In the popular imagination, he was an eccentric recluse whose struggles and personal demons led to a breakdown that removed him from touring with the band he helped create and make great.

But David Leaf knew a different side of Brian. For nearly fifty years, he was not only Wilson's biographer and champion, but also his friend. In this moving tribute, originally delivered at Brian Wilson's Celebration of Life, Leaf reflects on the kindness, vulnerability, humor, and musical genius of the man he knew behind the legend, and on a friendship that lasted a lifetime.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, a first job is a rite of passage for many. For Leslie Leyland Fields, it was something more. Hired by a quirky and struggling ice cream shop in New Hampshire, she hoped the job would bring in much-needed money for gas and offer some time away from a difficult home life. Instead, it ended with an experience she never expected: getting fired by her "crazy" manager. At the time, it broke her. After all, she considered herself the "good girl."

Years later, Leslie came to see that the job itself mattered far less than the lessons it left behind. She shares this moving reflection on a pivotal moment in her life, a story that also appears in her book Write Your Story, Change Your Life.

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