Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, on Easter Sunday 1972, 53-year-old Air Force navigator Gene Hambleton was shot out of the sky over Vietnam. He landed wounded and alone in the middle of the North Vietnamese Army's massive Easter Offensive, surrounded by tens of thousands ...  Show more

On this episode of Our American Stories, on Easter Sunday 1972, 53-year-old Air Force navigator Gene Hambleton was shot out of the sky over Vietnam. He landed wounded and alone in the middle of the North Vietnamese Army's massive Easter Offensive, surrounded by tens of thousands ...  Show more

On this episode of Our American Stories, Richard Muniz never imagined himself as a cop. He had a degree in astrophysics and considered himself an intellectual, not the kind of guy who wrestled criminals or rushed toward danger. But when he needed a job, law enforcement unexpected ...  Show more

On this episode of Our American Stories, in November 1913, Great Lakes captains were racing to make their final runs before winter shut down the shipping season. Coal, iron ore, and grain still had to move, and the promise of bonuses gave crews another reason to push their luck. ...  Show more

On this episode of Our American Stories, few figures loomed larger on the seas than Black Sam Bellamy. He was young, charismatic, and ruthless enough to seize more ships and gold than nearly any pirate in history. His black flag struck fear into sailors from the Caribbean to the ...  Show more

On this episode of Our American Stories, as a teenager walking to school in Manhattan, Theodore Schwartz stopped to help a stranger whose car was trapped in the snow. The feeling he got from helping someone who could offer him nothing in return stayed with him. He decided he want ...  Show more