Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, Colin Powell was a four-star general, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Secretary of State. But behind the titles was a man defined by humility, discipline, humor, and deep loyalty to those around him. Leslie Lautenslager, who worked alongside Powell for more than 25 years, shares personal stories that reveal the man few saw publicly, from his quiet acts of kindness to the values that guided his life and leadership. Reading from her book, My Time with General Colin Powell, she gives an intimate portrait of the man behind the stars. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Antonin Scalia could not have disagreed more about the Constitution, yet they shared a deep and lasting friendship. Speaking at the dedication of the Antonin Scalia Law School, Justice Kagan reflects on Scalia’s influence on American law, his love of ideas and students, and the personal bond they formed across sharp ideological divides. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, he played villains, soldiers, and tough guys on screen, but Sterling Hayden lived an even more dangerous life off camera. Best remembered as Captain McCluskey in The Godfather and General Jack Ripper in Dr. Strangelove, Hayden walked away from Hollywood during World War II to serve as a Marine officer and covert operative with the OSS. As part of our ongoing Hollywood Goes to War series, historian Roger McGrath shares the remarkable story of how one of Hollywood’s biggest stars became a real-life spy, running weapons, rescuing downed airmen, and risking his life behind enemy lines. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, for nearly fifty years, Josephine Marcus Earp stood beside one of the most famous lawmen of the Old West. But she was more than Wyatt Earp’s wife. She helped shape how his story would be told. Historian Ann Kirschner, author of Lady at the O.K. Corral, shares the story of a Jewish immigrant who chased adventure across the frontier and worked quietly to turn Wyatt Earp into a national legend. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Tom Morton always felt called to serve, but the path there was anything but straight. After trying college twice and walking away both times, he made a decision that put him on a bus to Parris Island and onto the yellow footprints of Marine Corps boot camp.Our American Stories listener Tom Morton takes us inside the physical and mental grind of Marine training, from relentless discipline and sleep deprivation to the final crucible that strips recruits down and rebuilds them as something new. What begins as a search for purpose becomes a hard-earned transformation, culminating in the moment he received the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor and learned it wasn't just a piece of metal, but a way of life. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, after the French and Indian War, Britain emerged victorious, but deeply in debt. Parliament believed the colonies should help pay the bill. Many colonists believed that demand crossed a line.In Episode 4 of our ongoing Story of America Series, Hillsdale College professor Bill McClay, author of Land of Hope, explains how new taxes, imperial control, and growing resentment collided with powerful cultural forces already at work in the colonies. The Great Awakening emphasized individual conscience. The Enlightenment elevated reason and self-rule. Together, they reshaped how Americans saw authority, liberty, and themselves. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, during the Civil War, Boston’s Fort Warren held more than 2,000 Confederate prisoners of war. Unlike many prison camps of the era, it was not a place of cruelty or mass death. That was largely due to its commander, Union Colonel Justin Dimick. A career Army officer with deep Christian convictions, Dimick insisted that prisoners be treated with dignity, even after losing his only son in battle. Under his command, only thirteen Confederate prisoners died at Fort Warren, a fraction of the mortality rate elsewhere.Historian Christopher Klein tells the largely forgotten story of a Union officer who proved that mercy and humanity could endure even in the midst of war. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Brent Evanoff thought he had life figured out until one phone call changed everything. He learned he had a son he never knew, conceived during his time in the Army and now serving overseas in the U.S. Navy.What followed was more than a reunion. A journey through Southeast Asia brought a family together, led Brent deep into the jungles of Vietnam, and set the stage for an unexpected act of healing when he returned a long-lost dog tag to a fellow American veteran. A story of fatherhood, service, and the surprising ways life can come full circle. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, long before texts, emails, or instant messaging, Abraham Lincoln found a new way to lead a nation at war. By embracing the telegraph, Lincoln became the first “wired” president, using near real-time communication to track battles, direct generals, issue orders, and project presidential authority in ways no American leader ever had before. He spent countless hours in the War Department’s Telegraph Office, reading dispatches from the front, firing off brief, decisive replies, and even sleeping there during critical moments of the Civil War.Historian and Our American Stories regular contributor Christopher Klein tells how Lincoln’s fascination with technology and mastery of concise communication reshaped the presidency, strengthened the Union war effort, and helped change the course of American history. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Greg Giltner spent nearly three decades with the Oklahoma City Police Department and later served as a police chaplain. His role was not to preach or persuade, but to show up. On the worst days of an officer’s life, and on the worst day in Oklahoma City’s history.Giltner shares how a mentor known simply as Chaplain Poe taught him that real ministry often means silence, presence, and compassion. From officer-involved shootings to line-of-duty losses, and from personal grief to the aftermath of the bombing at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, this is the story of what it means to serve those who serve, and why sometimes just being there is everything. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.