Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, before becoming television’s legendary Marshal Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke, James Arness was a towering young infantryman fighting through some of the fiercest combat of World War II. Wounded during the brutal fighting at Battle of Anzio, Arness nearly lost his leg and spent almost a year recovering in military hospitals before earning a Bronze Star Medal and a Purple Heart.

In this installment of our ongoing Hollywood Goes to War series, historian Roger McGrath shares the remarkable story of how the future TV icon went from Army rifleman to Hollywood actor, working alongside John Wayne before becoming the unforgettable face of Gunsmoke. 

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On this episode of Our American Stories, minister, newspaper editor, and abolitionist Elijah Lovejoy believed the Bible demanded opposition to slavery, and he was unwilling to stay silent about it. Through his anti-slavery newspaper, Lovejoy condemned slavery’s brutality, defended freedom of the press, and challenged a nation increasingly divided over one of its greatest injustices.

In this installment of 100 Bible Verses That Made America, historian and bestselling author Robert J. Morgan shares the story of the fiery preacher whose printing presses were repeatedly destroyed by mobs before he became the first martyr of America’s abolition movement.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, on November 5, 2021, a funeral service was held for Colin Powell at Washington National Cathedral. Powell died at age 84 from complications related to COVID-19 while undergoing treatment for cancer. In this moving tribute, his son, Michael Powell, shares heartfelt reflections on his father’s life, character, and legacy.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick entered the NFL as the No. 1 overall draft pick and quickly became one of football’s biggest stars, redefining the quarterback position with his speed, athleticism, and electrifying style of play. But after his involvement in a dogfighting operation led to prison time and public disgrace, Vick was forced to confront the choices that had derailed his life.

In this candid testimony recorded at Oakwood University Church in 2016, Vick reflects on his rise from poverty to NFL stardom, his fall from grace, and the lessons, patience, and faith that helped him rebuild his life and seek redemption.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Ian Rowe grew up in a Jamaican immigrant family that believed deeply in education, hard work, and the promise of America. So when his Queens junior high school rapidly became all black after white families pulled their children out, his parents assumed the better opportunity lay elsewhere.

But twelve-year-old Ian disagreed, and refused to accept the idea that a school automatically became worse simply because the white students had left. For our series with Philanthropy Roundtable, Ian shares the story of his radical decision that shaped and transformed his life for the better.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Nile Kinnick transformed a struggling Iowa Hawkeyes football program through sheer grit, leadership, and one extraordinary season that earned him college football’s highest honor, the Heisman Trophy. But after becoming one of the biggest stars in American sports, Kinnick turned away from professional football, pursued law, and ultimately answered the call to serve during World War II, where he would pay the ultimate sacrifice.

Scott Siepker, AKA “Iowa Nice Guy” and the creator of Kinnick: The Documentary, shares the remarkable story of the namesake of Kinnick Stadium, whose brief life left a lasting mark on college football, Iowa, and the country he ultimately died serving. Even Ronald Reagan once said Kinnick possessed the kind of character that could have made him president.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Colonel David Hackworth was a soldier’s soldier. He fought in the Korean War, commanded troops in the Vietnam War, and earned more than 90 awards for valor, making him one of the most decorated military figures in American history. But his legacy extends beyond medals and citations. In Vietnam, Hackworth became known for his bold leadership, unconventional tactics, and outspoken criticism of military bureaucracy. Years later, some of his real-life exploits would help inspire characters and dialogue in Hollywood films, including Apocalypse Now, but Hackworth’s war was no movie. Major General James “Mook” Mukoyama shares the story of the man, the myth, and the legend himself.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, retired U.S. Navy Captain Mike McDaniel takes us back to the day he was a third-grade boy sitting on his bed when his mother told him his father had been shot down during the Vietnam War. His father was Eugene “Red” McDaniel, the famed Navy pilot who disappeared on his 81st combat mission and would spend nearly six years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam.

Mike reflects on what it meant to grow up as the son of a missing serviceman and how his family endured the harrowing ordeal together, sustained by a deep faith and the hope that his father would one day come home.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Tim Harford, author of the bestselling book Fifty Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy, shares the stories behind three transformative innovations: concrete, the LLC (limited liability company), and the index fund. From the concrete that built our cities, to the LLC that revolutionized business ownership, to the index fund that reshaped investing, these inventions changed the way we build, do business, and grow our wealth today.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, George Washington is correctly remembered as America’s first real president, but under the nation’s original government, another man held the title years earlier: John Hanson. Historian, bestselling author, and Our American Stories regular contributor Christopher Klein shares the surprising story of the forgotten Maryland statesman some historians consider America’s first president under the Articles of Confederation

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