Telling the Story of America to Americans

Our American Stories was launched in Oxford, Mississippi, in 2016. Two years later, WHO Newsradio 1040 in Des Moines began broadcasting the nonprofit program from 10 p.m. to midnight.

I wasn’t happy at first because it was replacing a program that I liked to listen to. 

But this new program promised stories, with no politics. Hmm, I had to give it a listen. I was a fan from the very first broadcast.

Then I heard, “Send a picture and a paragraph and we’ll put your story on the air.”

I didn’t quite believe them but I pitched my first story, about the one central Iowa family who lost three sons during WWII. They asked me to record it for them!

I panicked. I contacted WHO’s Program Director about how to accomplish that. Download an app, he said. So I downloaded my first app, perched on a stool in my closet (to muffle sounds), and managed to record the story. It was fun, but fibromyalgia also made it exhausting.

On September 10, 2018, Program Director Mike sent a note that “Family Sends Five Sons to War” would be aired that evening. I sure enjoyed feedback from WHO-Radio listeners.

My second story was broadcast that November, about how surprised I was to learn my Uncle Don was WWII hero. I struggled so much with with fibro in those days, so I only recorded one for them in all of 2019, about “Reconciling Dad,” which I always enjoy sharing around Fathers Day.

In 2020, Montie Montgomery, then an intern a OAS, produced six of them. Working with this young man has been a delight!

In 2021, Montie, Lee Habeeb (the founder and host of the program), and another producer came to Iowa and held an Our Iowa Stories evening. By then, I’d recorded four more stories.

After Montie graduated from college, he was hired by OAS. Now Senior Producer, he has made the rest of my stories sound good. They send me a recorder which I fill with stories and ship back to them.

And, my word, Montie asked for more. And my voice is still old and gravely. hmmm

You can listen to the stories on this nonprofit through iHeart and other podcasts. I’m blessed to get to listen on WHO-Radio every evening, and with reruns on the weekends, and to get to be part of this incredible tapestry of positive stories.

“Our American Stories tells stories that aren’t being told. Positive stories about generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love. Stories about the past and present. And stories about ordinary Americans who do extraordinary things each and every day. Stories from our listeners about their lives. And their history. In that pursuit, we hope we’ll be a place where listeners can refresh their spirit, and be inspired by our stories.”