On this episode of Our American Stories, Stephen Ambrose spent his life showing readers that the heart of history lives in the people who shape it. His gift for storytelling made complex events feel personal, and that gift continues to resonate long after his passing in 2002. Thanks to the stewardship of his estate, his work can now be heard here at Our American Stories. In this installment of his D-Day series, Ambrose explores the decisive role General George Patton played in the push across Europe and explains how Patton’s leadership helped turn momentum into victory.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, long before Hollywood gave the Lone Ranger his mask and his horse, the Old West was full of riders and lawmen whose real stories were far more compelling. The History Guy shares the life of Bass Reeves, an African American Deputy U.S. Marshal who kept order across a violent and rapidly changing frontier. His work as a tracker and lawman became part of the folklore that later reached radio, comics, and television.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, when the war in Afghanistan was still unfolding, many Americans only saw brief clips on the news. Peter Braxton lived it at twenty-two years old. His first combat mission came with no slow introduction. He lifted off, crossed into Afghan airspace, and heard the words that still stay with him:

“You are getting shot at.”

His story offers a grounded look at the human side of the Afghanistan war, the stress of long missions, and the weight carried by the United States military members who served there.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, long before the familiar kettles and bell ringers appeared outside stores around Christmastime, The Salvation Army began as a small ministry founded by William and Catherine Booth, two people determined to reach those who had nowhere else to turn. With help from Vision Video and their documentary Our People: The Story of William and Catherine Booth, we look back at the movement’s earliest days and how the Booths shaped The Salvation Army into a global force for relief and spiritual care.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, viewers knew Boss Hogg as the blustering figure in The Dukes of Hazzard, yet the man behind that role, Sorrell Booke, carried a life shaped by intellect, training, and service. Nick Ragone revisits the actor’s work and reveals how much more existed beneath the familiar white suit, the quick temper, and the laughter that filled Hazzard County.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, when you dial 911 in a medical emergency, you are using a system that did not always exist. Identical twins Alfred and Blair Sadler, one a physician and one a lawyer, worked with emergency medical services pioneers to shape modern EMTs, paramedics, and early 911 call centers, so that trained responders could reach people faster and save more lives. Here’s Alfred and Blair Sadler with their story.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, more than three hundred sets of brothers have played Major League Baseball, yet few have left a mark like the DiMaggio brothers. In this segment, author Tom Clavin tells the family story behind Joe DiMaggio, his older brother Vince, and his younger brother Dom DiMaggio, tracing their journey from a fisherman’s household in San Francisco to All-Star outfields in New York and Boston. Along the way, we hear how Joltin Joe built the legendary Joe DiMaggio hit streak, why Dom DiMaggio became a beloved Boston star in his own right, and how the quiet rivalry between the brothers helped shape one of the most famous careers in baseball history.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Henry G. Plitt returned from WWII as a hero to many Americans, and his story carried special meaning for Jewish American soldiers in WWII who understood exactly what he had been fighting against. He was among the first men to land in Holland during Operation Market Garden and had already jumped into Normandy as a parachuting pathfinder. His wartime record became even more significant when he captured Julius Streicher, the founder of Der Stürmer, whose propaganda had fueled anti-Jewish hatred long before the war began.

Here, the late Major Henry G. Plitt reflects on his service. We thank the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection for preserving and sharing this audio.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, before he became Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane on The Dukes of Hazzard, James Best lived a life filled with hardship, discipline, and creativity. Orphaned at three, shaped by his service with the Military Police in wartime Germany, and later admired for his work as the gentle lawman with Flash, the show’s basset hound, he carried a depth that never reached the screen. He appeared years earlier on The Andy Griffith Show as Jim Lindsey, yet it was his later work guiding young actors in Hollywood that revealed the heart of a man who understood struggle, humor, and the art of performance.

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