Covering every hamlet and precinct in America, big and small, the stories span arts and sports, business and history, innovation and adventure, generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love, past and present. In short, Our American Stories tells the story of America to Americans.
About Lee Habeeb
Lee Habeeb co-founded Laura Ingraham’s national radio show in 2001, moved to Salem Media Group in 2008 as Vice President of Content overseeing their nationally syndicated lineup, and launched Our American Stories in 2016. He is a University of Virginia School of Law graduate, and writes a weekly column for Newsweek.
For more information, please visit ouramericanstories.com.
How One Company Helped an Employee Find Her Calling
The Night 2 H-Bombs Fell on North Carolina (Told By the Man Who Dismantled Them)
On this episode of Our American Stories, in January 1961, a B-52 Stratofortress crash near Goldsboro sent two massive hydrogen bombs falling to the ground just days after John F. Kennedy took office. But much of what happened that day remained hidden from the public for decades.
Earl Smith, the young Air Force bomb disposal technician sent to the scene, shares what he saw on the night of the Goldsboro nuclear bomb accident.
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The Boston Marathon Did Not Want Women Running in 1967. Kathrine Switzer Ran Anyway
On this episode of Our American Stories, The Boston Marathon had never officially allowed a woman to compete when Kathrine Switzer pinned on her bib number in 1967 and stepped to the starting line. Just minutes into the race, an angry official stormed toward her and tried to rip her out of the pack in front of reporters and spectators. Switzer herself joins us to share how she kept running through the chaos and how that moment helped change the future of women’s sports.
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William Faulkner Turned His Mississippi Hometown Into Literary History
On this episode of Our American Stories, William Faulkner spent most of his life in Oxford, where he wrote novels focused on the people, conflicts, and tensions of the modern South. The town around him became the basis for Yoknapatawpha County, the fictional setting that would define much of his work and help establish his place in American literature. Some locals did not always appreciate it, after all, their stories sometimes found their way into Faulkner’s fiction, for better or worse.
Rachel Hudson of Rowan Oak shares how Faulkner wrote about Mississippi in a way that unsettled local readers and helped change the direction of Southern literature.
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How a Log Cabin Helped Spark the Great Awakening in Early America
On this episode of Our American Stories, in the early 1700s, a small log cabin in Pennsylvania became the center of a growing religious movement in the American colonies. Built by Presbyterian minister William Tennent, a devoted pastor and educator, the humble school, later known as the “Log College,” trained a handful of young men who would go on to lead revivals across the colonies and help shape early American Christianity during the Great Awakening.
Robert Morgan, author of 100 Bible Verses That Made America, shares how the Bible influenced early American history, the Great Awakening, and the spirit that helped lead toward the American Revolution.
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From Montserrat to America: Patrice Onwuka’s Story of Opportunity
On this episode of Our American Stories, Patrice Onwuka was born on the Caribbean island of Montserrat before her family immigrated legally to the United States in search of greater opportunity. After arriving in a rough neighborhood outside Boston during the 1980s, Onwuka watched her parents work exhausting jobs, sacrifice endlessly for their children, and slowly build a new life from scratch.
Years later, the little girl who grew up watching political commentary shows with her parents became one of the voices she once saw on television. Onwuka shares her story of immigration, hard work, education, and the American Dream.
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Brett Favre’s Tribute to His Father
On this episode of Our American Stories, NFL legend Brett Favre reflects on one of the most emotional games of his career. After the passing of his father, Irvin Favre, in December 2003, Brett took the field and threw for 399 yards and four touchdowns in a memorable Monday Night Football victory over the Oakland Raiders. During his 2016 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction speech, he shared the story of that unforgettable tribute to his dad.
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The USS Enterprise Coffee Disaster
On this episode of Our American Stories, Americans drink millions of cups of coffee every day, and the United States Armed Forces have long depended on it too. Our regular contributor out of Colorado, Richard Muniz, traces the history of coffee in America through wartime stories before sharing a hilarious tale from the USS Enterprise (CVN-65), where one sailor’s attempt to make the greatest cup of coffee on the ship went spectacularly wrong.
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The Cuban Immigrant Behind the Famous Coors Light Silver Bullet Can
On this episode of Our American Stories, after fleeing Cuba as a young man during the rise of Fidel Castro, Marc Barrios arrived in America searching for a fresh start. Years later, while working in advertising for Coors Brewing Company, he helped create the now-famous Coors Light Silver Bullet can.
Barrios shares the story of starting a new life in the United States and eventually making his mark on the American advertising industry
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The Olympic Marathon Where Drinking Water Was Banned
On this episode of Our American Stories, the 1904 Summer Olympics marathon in St. Louis looked nothing like the race we know today. Runners competed through brutal heat on dusty roads while cars drove alongside them, kicking dirt into the air. Water stations were scarce because many officials believed drinking water during a race was dangerous. One runner hitched a ride in a car. Another survived on raw eggs, brandy, and rat poison used as a stimulant. Susan Brownell, author of The Anthropology of Sport, shares the story of the disastrous and bizarre 1904 Olympic marathon.
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