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.
Colin Powell Through the Eyes of His Son, Michael Description:
Michael Vick Was the NFL’s Biggest Star. Then He Lost Everything.
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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The Radical Decision That Changed Ian Rowe’s Life: Staying Put
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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Nile Kinnick: The Gridiron Hero Reagan Thought Could Be President
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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The Real Man Behind “I Love the Smell of Napalm in the Morning”
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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When a 3rd Grade Boy Learned His Father Was Missing in Vietnam
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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The LLC, Concrete, and the Index Fund: Fifty Things That Shaped the Modern Economy
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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Was America’s First President Really George Washington?
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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How Do You Eulogize a Daughter Who Never Lived?
On this episode of Our American Stories, Jeremy Lott never got the chance to hear his daughter cry, watch her crawl, or hold her for the life he and his wife had imagined. Diagnosed in the womb with a rare fatal condition, their daughter, Cecelia, was stillborn in July 2017. Yet during her short life before birth, she danced to Irish music, responded to familiar voices, and left an unforgettable mark on the people who loved her.
For our Final Thoughts series, Lott shares the moving eulogy he delivered for his daughter, Cecelia Little Lott, and shares what it means to say goodbye to a child whose life, though brief, profoundly mattered. Originally adapted from an essay published in The Federalist.
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Vince Lombardi: The Coach, the Catholic, and the Man Behind the Legend
On this episode of Our American Stories, Vince Lombardi transformed the Green Bay Packers into a dynasty and helped turn football into a symbol of discipline, leadership, and the American experience. But behind the championships, the famous speeches, and the legendary Green Bay sweep was a far more complicated man shaped by faith, family, ambition, and struggle.
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Maraniss discusses his landmark biography, When Pride Still Mattered, and explores the full life of Vince Lombardi: his Brooklyn upbringing, Catholic faith, coaching philosophy, devotion to excellence, complicated family life, and the leadership style that changed the NFL forever.
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