logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2023
10m 49s

The Unlikely WWII B-24 Combat Pilot-Hero...

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

On this episode of Our American Stories, here’s historian extraordinaire Stephen Ambrose to tell us a very unlikely World War II story about George McGovern, the liberal, antiwar Democratic presidential candidate from South Dakota who was soundly defeated by President Nixon in the 1972 election. This story is from The Wild Blue: The Men and Boys who Flew the B-24s over Germany.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Yesterday
America's First Animal Celebrities: Railroad Dogs
On this episode of Our American Stories, in the late 1800s, stray dogs began hopping aboard America's trains and riding wherever the rails took them. Their adventures soon made the newspapers, and some became celebrities known across the country.Paul Koudounaris, author of Go Wes ... Show More
10m 49s
Yesterday
How a Farm Boy Invented Television
On this episode of Our American Stories, as a teenager growing up on a farm in rural Idaho, Philo Farnsworth had an idea that seemed almost impossible: transmit moving pictures through the air. Before long, he had built the first fully electronic television system and found himse ... Show More
19m 28s
Yesterday
The Native American Chief Who Stood with George Washington
On this episode of Our American Stories, more than 13,000 Native Americans took part in the Revolutionary War, most fighting alongside the British. Daniel Nimham chose a different path. The last sachem of the Wappinger people of New York's Hudson Valley, Nimham joined the America ... Show More
7m 59s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2023
This Was The Strangest Battle of WW2
Towards the end of World War 2, something extremely unusual happened. It was something so strange, and so unheard of that it had only ever happened 1 other time throughout the entire 6 year long war. Let's dive in…   My name is Andy Jiang and I do vigorous, detailed dives into so ... Show More
24m 33s
Jul 2022
Surprising Former Careers of the Famous
Did you know Abraham Lincoln was an infamous, trash-talking wrestler? Ronald Reagan spent his younger years saving people from drowning (and throwing rocks at them) as a lifeguard. And before Norma Jean became the iconic Marilyn Monroe, she built drones during World War II. In to ... Show More
48m 13s
Apr 2019
Elián González
Mike tells Sarah how a 5-year-old kid transformed a city, divided a political party and (maybe) determined a presidential election. Digressions include World War II, Clarence Darrow and something called "Like, News with Skeeter." Both co-hosts conclude that this episode is someho ... Show More
1 h
Mar 2021
Richard Nixon
"A mystery wrapped in an enigma." Episode nine is the first of three that will follow Nixon's rise from his poor Quaker roots in rural California, to the White House and Watergate. The fantastic Dr Rivers Gambrell brings alive Nixon's early career for Tom and Katie: his dream of ... Show More
43m 36s
Sep 2024
SEASON PREMIERE: Nixon Does Whatever It Takes to Win in ’68
September 16, 1968. Richard Nixon isn't exactly seen as a comedian. But tonight, he's trying to change that by appearing on Laugh-In, a TV show similar to Saturday Night Live. Nixon needs every vote he can get in the 1968 election, facing off against Hubert Humphrey, the vice pre ... Show More
34m 59s
Jul 2020
The Bomber Mafia
On the eve of the Second World War, a band of visionaries at Maxwell Air Force Base tried to reimagine modern warfare. They failed. Part one on the extraordinary life of the Air Force General Curtis LeMay. Get Revisionist History updates first by signing up for our newsletter at ... Show More
32m 16s
Sep 2023
Ralph Nader Versus Big Auto
While Ralph Nader may not be everyone's favorite politician, he's responsible for some of the biggest life-saving changes in American government. In today's episode, Ben, Max and Noel explore how young Ralph transformed from an eccentric, hitchhiking student to a national champio ... Show More
43m 47s
Aug 2024
American presidents
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes.It's 50 years since Richard Nixon became the first US president in history to resign, following the Watergate scandal.To mark this anniversary, we're featuring first hand accounts from major moments in US pr ... Show More
51 m
Mar 2023
He May Not Be Perfect, But He's Perfect for DC: The Story of Marion Barry
<p>This week on Historia Obscura: how a once well-respected civil rights leader experienced one of the greatest falls from grace in American political history. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/h ... Show More
18m 21s