This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human. Liberty has never been just a word to we Americans. It has guided every one of our endeavors for the past 250 years, and now it takes form in a new way. The 2026 Semi-Quincentennial Coin and Metal Program from the United States Mint.
It celebrates the founding ideals that have long shaped our coinage. Available one year only, this historic collection features new coin designs, limited edition releases, and reissues. Shop new official coins at usmint.gov forward slash semi-q. That's usmint.gov/slash S-E-M-I-Q. This July 4th, come celebrate at America's Block Party, hosted by America 250.
America's Block Party is a can't-miss 4th of July concert happening at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Experience music performances from major artists, patriotic tributes, and the kickoff to Giving Forth, helping to make July 4th the largest day of giving in American history. It's more than just fireworks. Learn more about this landmark celebration at America250.org. I turned off news altogether.
I hate to say it, but I don't trust much of anything. It's the rage bait. It feels like it's trying to divide people. If we got clear facts, maybe we could calm down a little. NBC News brings you clear reporting.
Let's meet at the facts. Let's move forward from there. NBC News reporting for America. What's up y'all? Summer's got a different temper.
Everything's a little looser, brighter. One plan turns into another. You hear something, you stay a little longer.
Next thing you know, you're somewhere you didn't plan to be. It's those in between moments. That's where the ideas hit. conversations stretch out, little memories sneak up on you.
Sometimes it's just about what's in your hand. that color. That chill. a new tropical butterfly refresher from Starbucks. guava and passion fruit flavors with mango pineapple flavored pearls.
Yeah. That feels like summer before you even taste it. Funny how one small stop becomes the best part of the day. Start your summer rhythm. with Starbucks.
Try the new Tropical Butterfly Refresher from Starbucks. When you own your own business, you own every decision. Catch the red eye or take the 6 a.m. Make a new hire or promote internally. Celebrate a win with the toast at the gate or unwind at the lounge.
Mm-hmm. Big props to this team.
Some decisions are a win-win, like earning 8x points on Chase Travel, Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business, the business card that gives back all you put in. Visit chase.com/slash reserve business to learn more. Cards issued by J.P. Morton Chase Bank and any member of the IC subject to credit approval terms apply. This is Lee Habib, and this is Our American Stories, the show where America is the star and the American people.
Today you're going to hear from Sally Grove. She'll be sharing with us a story she wrote called How I came to know my father. I was 20 years old, fresh out of college. and in my first year of teaching. It was a difficult first year.
Why did college prepare me so little for my own classroom? Finally a break, a time to breathe. I went home for Thanksgiving. There I talk with my dad about my living situation and my finances. both in dire straits.
I lived in a basement apartment with a bathroom that leaked water into the kitchen. and the landlord who lived richly didn't care about the problems of his tenants, even as they lived in his own basement. Car payments. Dad had warned me not to buy a new car. Not one to listen, I've bought a new Honda Civic.
and was now living the consequences. I loved my shiny red car, but the car payments on an $8,000 per year teaching salary were a killer. On Thanksgiving Day, 1977, My father invited me to move back home to relieve the pressure. I could save some money and And have some support from my family as I got my feet wet teaching and paying my new expenses. I cried that Thanksgiving, and gave Dad a big hug and kiss.
telling him how grateful I was and how much I loved him. A day later, while sifting through a trunk in my family's unfinished basement. I found a small stenographer's note book. Its brown cover was worn and well travelled, with edges frayed. I opened the note book very slowly and deliberately.
Its contents were gradually revealed like the plot of a mystery novel. the practised and perfect handwriting came into focus. and I knew this writing to be my dad's. On April 15th. nineteen forty three I took my examination for the US Army.
It was on this day that I ate my first sandwich consisting of bologna. Was that my father? I had never seen him eat a bologna sandwich. in fact, I know his menu by heart. Vegetables consisted of peas, corn, and baked beans, and any kind of potato.
meats were always dry and overcooked. These were his meals, and thus ours. Friday night was always tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. These are the foods that Dad liked, the foods mom cooked for him, and the foods that we all ate and loved. We ate like our dad, all six of us.
much to my mother's chagrin. The morning of April twenty second. My last day home. I went up Carroll Creek. and caught seven beautiful trout.
My last as a civilian. When I was small, our family would visit Poppy and Frederick. I used to stare at the stuffed fish that adorned the dark, dusty, shadowed walls in his house. The fish hung as a testament to his youth and his sense of adventure. My grandfather was a fisherman, and he taught my father to fish.
I have a great picture of my Tad standing with a fist full of fish fanned out for the photographer's film. Was this a picture of Dad on the day my grandfather caught the big one? Our train ride took us through western Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama. We arrived at our new station. Mark McClellan.
A merry, tired bunch of rookies. I got along very well eating most everything we got for meals. although not liking it very much. His first big adventure via train, how exciting With six kids, our family's adventures now consisted of camping in western Maryland or a week in Ocean City. We rode bikes each morning on the boardwalk and had breakfast at Happy Jack's Pancake House.
At least in Ocean City, Dad ate what he wanted. I took the Air Cadet exam the twelfth week of basing. The passing raid for the cadet exam is 83. and I made a hundred per cent, the third highest grade. On february 16th, 1944 I made my first flight of the school.
and by March 11th I had completed 10 hours of flying. I really loved flying. Wow, 21 years old and learning to fly. I didn't know dad had ever phon planes. Why didn't he tell us?
I remember when we were little Dad took us to a penny a pound day at the local airport. For a penny a pound we could go on an airplane ride. I remember being frightened at not wanting to go. Dad convinced me it would be okay. and once we were in the air I couldn't get enough of flying.
the houses and streets looked like a miniature Christmas village below. No wonder Dad loved flying. Arrived at Santa Ana Army Air Base. on the 23rd. after a very exciting trip across the US.
Bye first. after taking the test for three straight days, I was a classified pilot. But then Then tragedy came. An order from Washington calling back all cadets who were former Ground Force students. And so my dreams of flying were crushed.
On April 1st, 1944, by a single piece of paper.
Well, I guess that's why my father didn't tell us. His dreams of becoming a pilot were shattered. What other dreams did my father have for his life? Most of what I know of Dad revolves around the time he spent with his family. Were we a part of his life dream?
And you've been listening to Sally Grove. And she's talking to us about how she came to know her father. And it came when she decided to move back in with her family to try and get herself settled as a young teacher. and trying to make ends meet. She finds a trunk and a notebook.
and the writing well, it was all her dad's. his handwriting. I never knew he could fly, she said when she found out he'd learned to pilot planes at the age of 21. Why didn't he tell us? Well, we're going to find out the answer to that question and so much more.
Sally Grove's story continues. Her father's story continues. Here on Our American Stories. Lee Habib here, the host of Our American Stories. Every day on this show, we're bringing inspiring stories from across this great country.
Stories from our big cities and small towns. But we truly can't do this show without you. Our stories are free to listen to, but they're not free to make. If you love what you hear, go to ouramericanstories.com and click the donate button. Give a little, give a lot.
Go to ouramericanstories.com and give. Liberty has never been just a word to we Americans. It has guided every one of our endeavors for the past 250 years. And now it takes form in a new way. The 2026 Semi-Quincentennial Coin and Metal Program from the United States Mint.
It celebrates the founding ideals that have long shaped our coinage. Available one year only, this historic collection features new coin designs, limited edition releases, and reissues. Shop new official coins at usmint.gov forward slash semi-q. That's usmint.gov/slash S-E-M-I-Q. This July 4th, come celebrate at America's Block Party, hosted by America 250.
America's Block Party is a camp-miss 4th of July concert happening at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Experience music performances from major artists, patriotic tributes, and the kickoff to Giving Forth, helping to make July 4th the largest day of giving in American history. It's more than just fireworks. Learn more about this landmark celebration at America250.org. With my mom and dad living in Orange County, when we bring my five and seven year old to visit, we are sometimes in for a two-hour drive that could feel like 10.
Oh, as an avid camper, I know all about this. We'll pack up the RV and know this is either going to be the trip of a lifetime or a complete disaster. Which is why we load up the iPads with Lingo Kids before we even pull out of the driveway. It's what dreams are made of. Lingo Kids keeps kids engaged and quiet with over 4,000 interactive games, songs, and shows that kids simply cannot get enough of.
You can pack whatever you think you'll need, but Lingo Kids is the only entertainment you'll need for a stress-free car ride. Or really, any ride. Plane, train, hovercraft, whatever. Download LingoKids for free today. Or unlock even more amazing content with LingoKids Plus.
Choose the yearly plan and save up to 60%. Search Lingo Kids in the App Store or Google Play. Lingo Kids: Everything Kids Love. Most dog food brands don't really want you seeing how their food is made. Just Food for Dogs is the opposite.
They actually invite you in. You can walk into any of their kitchens and see real human-grade ingredients like chicken, beef, carrots, and peas being prepared right in front of you. It's real food made in real kitchens. Nothing is hidden behind labels. And that kind of transparency says a lot.
Nothing to hide, everything to love. Go to justfoodfordogs.com and get 50% off your first order. Let's talk about modern home shopping. It's sort of become a fun side hobby, right? Scrolling listings at night, dreaming about kitchens you've never seen or backyards you haven't even stepped foot in, all from the comfort of pretty much anywhere.
Redfin knows a lot of people like you want to own, but are stuck in this browsing mode loop. That's where Redfin flips the script. With listings that update within minutes and tours you can book right from the Redfin app, you can see your dream home the moment it appears.
Now, liking a listing is easy, but actually landing it, that's where Redfin comes in. Redfin has over 2,200 agents with local expertise. And Redfin agents close twice as many deals as other agents. That means they want to help you win, not just Windows Shop. Redfin is built to help you go from just looking to wait, this could actually be home.
So become the newest neighbor on the block. Visit Redfin.com to start finding and start owning. That's redfin.com. And we return to Our American Stories and to Sally Grove, sharing the story of finding her father's war diary and learning so much about him. that she did not know.
Let's pick up. where we last left off. January 11th. We left the good old tariff armor of the USA for Europe. January 21st, 1945.
We landed at Le Havre, France. We had a cold reception on landing. the temperature was below zero. We rode sixty miles in open trucks to Camp Lucky Strike, the coldest ride of my life. We arrived at camp at two AM frozen stiff.
Our night was far from over yet, as we had to pitch tents in the snow. And when we finally did get to bed, They were too cold to sleep. I took U.S. history in high school, and I guess I should have known that dad fought in World War II. Still, Dad never talked about the war.
The camp of former German airfields with a large concrete runway was infested with mines and booby traps. We trained in snow. and then knead deep mud for about a month. making very hard marches. During that time, My feet were frozen so badly.
that I couldn't wear shoes for several days.
Well, studying history is nothing like reading a journal from World War II. They didn't talk about the cold and the suffering the soldiers went through in our textbook. Feet frozen so badly that you couldn't wear shoes. Thankfully that is a cold I have never known. On March 25th, we moved up to the west bank of the Rhine.
We arrived at 8 p.m. Eight. and at ten thirty PM With but two hours' sleep, we started our assault crossing. For hours our artillery had been hammering the east bank and now the forest was a blazing inferno. Our company crept down twisting trails, to the river's edge.
As we reached the riverbank, we were fired upon by a hail of machine guns and twenty millimeters. which pinned us to the ground for half an hour. the railroad station to our front. was ablaze as a result of the firing. The second platoon tried to launch several boats, but was mowed down before they could load them.
Finally, in desperation, Captain Brown asked for a boatload of volunteers. to try and make it across. Our whole squad stepped forward. My dad was a part of the assault on the Rhine. We learned so little about World War II in my history class.
We learned almost nothing about the Holocaust or how the United States declared neutrality at the start of World War II in Europe. What we did learn was about troop movements. My limited memory tells me that the assault on the Rhine was a big deal. It precipitated the beginning of the end. We got out only about thirty yards before they spotted our boat.
Everything broke loose at us. But we kept going. Halfway across. And by this time, about two blocks downstream, we again received heavy fire, but again Punel through it. Finally.
We were about forty yards from the Jerry side, right opposite. A high wall. on which the machine guns were mounted. This time the jug heads had our range and were peppering the boats.
So we decided to swim for it. stripping off all equipment but our guns. We know Volverborn. I was in midair when I felt it. a hot sear in my shoulder.
I found that I could not use my left arm. but I managed to swim with one arm to shore. I was the only one of the seven in our boat that was hit. As we hit the sandy beach, they resumed firing on us. and the engineer on our boat with us was hit.
and fell at the water's edge. The rest of us took cover at the base of a wall about twenty five to thirty feet high. I've seen that scar on my dad's shoulder since I was a kid. the scar is as much a part of Dad as the dimple on his chin or his chipped front tooth. I knew his tooth broke during a childhood flight over the handlebars of his bike.
and Mom always said Dad's stimples made him look like Robert Mitchum, a movie star from their generation. but the scar on his shoulder. I knew nothing about the event that had caused it until now. The engineer was in terrible agony. and laid groaning and praying in a blood chilling voice.
and could not go to his aid. as the Jerries kept showering the area with lead. A little later, however, we crept over to him. But it was too late. A bullet had hit his spine.
and he was dead. Dad saw a friend and a colleague die. I can't imagine my father enduring such a tragic loss. Did a soldier's training prepare them to go on when they'd lost a friend? We made our way back to the safety of the wall as shells were hitting directly out.
from us in the water about twenty yards away. We were pinned down between two lines of fire. one from the Jerry's and one from the US troops. This sounds like a scene from an old war movie. Pain I don't know why, but one of my first impulses was to spit.
Let's see if my lung was hit. Which I guess it was not. as I did not spit blood. I could see the bullet holes in my jacket right at the point where the sleeve and the shoulder seam is. but could not find where the bullet left.
Although my chest at the heart area was very sore and full of blood, as well as swollen. My whole shirt was blood soaked. and I feared I might bleed to death. although the blood did not now seem to be running from the wound. We lay very still along the wall.
the hobnail boots and jerry sounded. just above the wall. and we could hear them loading their machine guns. and talking in low voices. My arm was stiff.
and throbbing now like an engine. This wasn't an old John Wayne War movie. This battle was real, and my dad was the main character. How frightening it must have been for him. bleeding and in pain.
waiting, not knowing what would happen next. The design of his future was out of his hands. Where I lay. There were two more of my buddies, so I crawled back along the wall, trying to locate the rest. but could not do so.
The Jerry's must have heard me, for just then a pebble dropped from the wall about ten feet away. I realized that it might not be a stone after all. I hugged the ground as tightly as I could. pushing my body against it. I also, in that split second, turned my face against the wall.
Then It happened. A blinding flash and a deafening noise. I could neither see nor hear. Dirt flew all over me. A grenade had taken my father's sight and his hearing.
a dark veil hanging over his bright blue eyes. how it must have magnified his fear I felt my face, for I was sure it must be bleeding. But then my sight returned, and gradually my hearing. although my ears kept Ringing. I looked at my buddy in front of me and his head was smeared with blood.
as well as his foot and legs. I shook him, thinking he was dead. But He moved. Then Another grenade, not quite as close, hit the ground. A blinding flash and blast followed, however, it did not touch us.
Concern for others, even in the face of adversity, does not surprise me. Although my family didn't have much growing up, we never did without, thanks to my father. Dad had just three suits, one one for winter, one for summer, and one to wear when the in season suit was getting cleaned. His children, on the other hand, went shopping each September for new school clothes, and each spring we shined in our new Easter outfits. I knew then.
then they would keep grenading us. till we were dead or came out. I never prayed so hard. and so desperately in my life. I know that anyone no matter what he is feeling.
But in the same situation, whatever. Deny God. I have never known a more loving man than my father, so I am not surprised that he professes his belief in God. still, he never talked to us about his faith. And we're listening to Sally Grove tell the story of her father's service in World War II.
service he didn't share with his family. but that she found out about stumbling upon a notebook. A memoir when we come back. More of Sally Grove's story of her father. Here on Our American Stories.
Liberty has never been just a word to we Americans. It has guided every one of our endeavors for the past 250 years, and now it takes form in a new way. The 2026 Semi-Quincentennial Coin and Metal Program from the United States Mint. It celebrates the founding ideals that have long shaped our coinage. Available one year only, this historic collection features new coin designs, limited edition releases, and reissues.
Shop new official coins at usmint.gov forward slash semi-q. That's usmint.gov/slash S-E-M-I-Q. This July 4th, come celebrate at America's Block Party, hosted by America 250. America's Block Party is a can't-miss 4th of July concert happening at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Experience music performances from major artists, patriotic tributes, and the kickoff to Giving Forth, helping to make July 4th the largest day of giving in American history.
It's more than just fireworks. Learn more about this landmark celebration at America250.org. Mom, can I have Lingo Kids? Saf! Lingo Kids, please!
When did we become the Lingo Kids house? No idea. Last week it was dinosaurs. This week it was. Lingo Kids.
Why Lingo Kids? Because it's the best thing ever. You can play games with astronauts, wild animals, and superheroes. With more than 4,000 interactive games, songs, and shows, Lingo Kids is the number one entertainment platform for young kids.
So, no dinosaurs? And dinosaurs. And our kids. Everything kids love. Download it for free.
Most dog food brands don't really want you seeing how their food is made. Just Food for Dogs is the opposite. They actually invite you in. You can walk into any of their kitchens and see real human-grade ingredients like chicken, beef, carrots, and peas being prepared right in front of you. It's real food made in real kitchens.
Nothing is hidden behind labels. And that kind of transparency says a lot. Nothing to hide, everything to love. Go to justfoodfordogs.com and get 50% off your first order. Let's talk about modern home shopping.
It's sort of become a fun side hobby, right? Scrolling listings at night, dreaming about kitchens you've never seen or backyards you haven't even stepped foot in, all from the comfort of pretty much anywhere. Redfin knows a lot of people like you want to own, but are stuck in this browsing mode loop. That's where Redfin flips the script. With listings that update within minutes and tours you can book right from the Redfin app, you can see your dream home the moment it appears.
Now, liking a listing is easy, but actually landing it, that's where Redfin comes in. Redfin has over 2,200 agents with local expertise. And Redfin agents close twice as many deals as other agents. That means they want to help you win, not just Windows Shop. Redfin is built to help you go from just looking to wait, this could actually be home.
So become the newest neighbor on the block. Visit Redfin.com to start finding and start owning. That's redfin.com. And we're back with our American stories and the story of Sally Grove's father and how Sally came to discover his life through reading his war diary. When we last left off, she was reading about her father hiding out in World War II from the Jerrys.
In those few minutes, which seemed a year. I saw visions of my favorite fishing places and hunting territory. saw them clearly as if I were there. I pictured mom. Dad.
No one in the family. as well as all my friends who I was sure I would never see again. My Dad's sister, Aunt Kitty, told me that Dad was her best friend. They were the closest in age of all their siblings and played together as children. They fished in Carroll Creek and rode their bikes through the streets of Frederick.
I once read a letter that Dad wrote to his father. He signed his letter, Love your fishing buddy, Tommy. Again, a grenade dropped within twenty feet, and I pressed into the earth. A voice spoke. Um broken English.
Hello boys Come out. We know you are there. I scarcely breathe. For each breath Soundin'. like a bellows.
At least in my ears. I was soaked to the skin in blood and water and was shaking like a leaf in the wind. I thought of my first aid kit with its sulpha drug to keep my wound from infection. Yet I dared not move. for every move.
brought a grenade. The waiting must have been torture. Dad knew that the Germans were close and they had his life in their hands. Night started to fade. Empty boats floated by.
Then we heard footsteps. on the beach. The Jerries were afraid to come down in the darkness for fear of ambush. They had waited until they had light enough to see. and not investigated.
Me. or prisoners. I can't imagine Dad's fear when he heard footsteps approaching. The soldier became a prisoner. At least the constant fear of uncertainty and falling grenades was now over.
We hadn't lain under the wall from twelve Fill daylight. four and a half hours of terrible uncertainty. Awaiting death. Or capture. or possibly help.
How did we not know this? Dad relinquished one state of uncertainty for another. Perhaps being a prisoner of war was better than laying in wait for an unknown fate. We were searched and stripped of all equipment but our clothes. Even our first aid pouches were taken, as well as our cigarettes.
water. rations, and anything that Jerrys decided they wanted. I refused to give up my paybook and finally they agreed to let me have it. I then tried to get the other fellows' books back. And they would not allow this.
Why was his paybook so important? What did it mean to a soldier? Certainly a soldier got paid whether they presented a pay book or not. Thankfully, by the time I knew my dad, he had given up cigarettes for a pipe. I know that pipes are bad for you, but to this day pipe smoke makes me think of my father.
We had four gardens for the eight of us. and we were forced to carry a fifty pound box with us. We climbed up a steep, rocky ridge. just before the sun peeped over the horizon. The going was...
Rough. Those hills were hundreds of feet high and very steep. Our artillery had begun firing again and we were in constant danger from our own shells. We were really scared. And I never thought.
we wouldn't make it through there alive. I'd seldom seen my father show role emotion. Except, that is, when Dad made a decision to reverse a doctor's recommendation for our family. I was ten when my brother Craig was born. We didn't know it for several years, but Craig's brain had been damaged during the birth process.
Craig was developmentally disabled. The doctors told my parents that Craig and our family would fare best if Craig moved into a group home. Unfamiliar with the plight ahead, my parents followed the doctor's recommendation and placed Craig in Kemporn home. Our family wasn't allowed to see Craig for a month. When we finally visited it was raining.
Song Sung Blue played on the radio. My family's hearts mirrored the rain as we visited with Craig. My father decided that doctors do not know best. Craig came home with us that very day and my family never looked back. A cold March rain came to add to our discomfort.
My arm was now stiff. But the boying had stopped. My buddy's head and leg were giving him plenty of trouble. We had to slow the pace. and take turns helping him along.
We often went through the forests, on trails and dirt roads, tanks and guns concealed in the forest, We were constantly wet and chilled. Our guard stopped at a house in the next town. and ate, while our stomachs just growled with hunger. And 4 p.m. and came to a little German town.
and sat down while the guards talked to a German captain. We had been walking since five AM. And we were a tired and hungry bunch of Joe's. Dad had been going for at least 20 hours straight. I doubt anything that life dealt my father after the war could compare with what he had experienced in Germany.
No wonder my Dad was always grateful for the small things in life. He taught us all to stop and savour the view. To hear the calls of Bob White's and Whipper Wills echoing in the air at sunset. and to know that in our family we were rich beyond money. One at a time.
into the house. The Jerry's captain interrogated us. I was next to be questioned, and was glad my time had come. for the uncertainty of waiting was terrible. I went into the room.
and the officer behind a large desk asked, What's your name? I answered with my name. Rank. and serial number. He then asked my outfit.
I wouldn't answer.
So he told me the answer. the division and also the regiment I was from. I was not surprised that he knew the division. But I was given a great surprise when he also named the regiment. I still cannot understand how he found out unless he forced one of the other fellows to talk.
Lunch I doubt. Or found the answer on a letter or paper of some kind someone was carrying. He then asked whether we were Panzer's troop. fliers or infantry. and I guessed then that he didn't know much about our outfit.
I refused to tell him and he got very mad. and threatened to hit me unless I talked. He even drew back his arm in a motion to strike me. but it turned out that he did not strike. I was very mad when he threatened me, and I'm sure that if he had struck me I would have gone over the desk after him and killed him, for I know I could not.
I've taken a slap. without fighting back. It is good that he didn't. or I surely would have been killed. if I had dangled with him.
I can't even imagine my dad having the thought of killing someone. He was the gentlest soul I've ever known. And you're listening to Sally Grove tell the story of her father. And along the way, some dramatic readings from that memoir, from that book. about the war, his war diaries essentially.
How did we not know all of this? She said about her dad. Perhaps being a prisoner of war was better than being in battle. in an unknown state. No wonder my dad was excited by the little things in his life.
Having gone through what he went through. When we come back, more of this remarkable story, Sally Grove's story of her father here. on Our American Stories. Liberty has never been just a word to we Americans. It has guided every one of our endeavors for the past 250 years.
And now it takes form in a new way. The 2026 Semi-Quincentennial Coin and Metal Program from the United States Mint. It celebrates the founding ideals that have long shaped our coinage. Available one year only, this historic collection features new coin designs, limited edition releases, and reissues. Shop new official coins at usmint.gov forward slash semi-q.
That's usmint.gov/slash S-E-M-I-Q. This July 4th, come celebrate at America's Block Party, hosted by America 250. America's Block Party is a can't-miss 4th of July concert happening at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Experience music performances from major artists, patriotic tributes, and the kickoff to Giving Forth, helping to make July 4th the largest day of giving in American history. It's more than just fireworks.
Learn more about this landmark celebration at America250.org. With my mom and dad living in Orange County, when we bring my five and seven year old to visit, we are sometimes in for a two-hour drive that could feel like 10. No, as an avid camper, I know all about this. We'll pack up the RV and know this is either going to be the trip of a lifetime or a complete disaster. Which is why we load up the iPads with Lingo Kids before we even pull out of the driveway.
It's what dreams are made of. Lingo Kids keeps kids engaged and quiet with over 4,000 interactive games, songs, and shows that kids simply cannot get enough of. You can pack whatever you think you'll need, but Lingo Kids is the only entertainment you'll need for a stress-free car ride. Or really, any ride. Plane, train, hovercraft, whatever.
Download Lingo Kids for free today. Or unlock even more amazing content with Lingo Kids Plus. Choose the yearly plan and save up to 60%. Search Lingo Kids in the App Store or Google Play. Lingo Kids: Everything Kids Love.
Most dog food brands don't really want you seeing how their food is made. Just Food for Dogs is the opposite. They actually invite you in. You can walk into any of their kitchens and see real human-grade ingredients like chicken, beef, carrots, and peas being prepared right in front of you. It's real food made in real kitchens.
Nothing is hidden behind labels. And that kind of transparency says a lot. Nothing to hide, everything to love. Go to justfoodfordogs.com and get 50% off your first order. Let's talk about modern home shopping.
It's sort of become a fun side hobby, right? Scrolling listings at night, dreaming about kitchens you've never seen, or backyards you haven't even stepped foot in. all from the comfort of pretty much anywhere. Redfin knows a lot of people like you want to own, but are stuck in this browsing mode loop. That's where Redfin flips the script.
With listings that update within minutes and tours you can book right from the Redfin app, you can see your dream home the moment it appears.
Now, liking a listing is easy, but actually landing it, that's where Redfin comes in. Redfin has over 2,200 agents with local expertise. And Redfin agents close twice as many deals as other agents. That means they want to help you win, not just Windows Shop. Redfin is built to help you go from just looking to wait, this could actually be home.
So become the newest neighbor on the block. Visit Redfin.com to start finding and start owning. That's redfin.com. And we return to Our American Stories in the final portion of Sally Grove's story: the story of how she came to know her father. through discovering his diary from his time serving in World War two.
When we last left off, she was reading about her father being interrogated by the Jerry's captain. Let's pick up with the rest of the story. After he had finished questioning all of us. He said that since we would not talk, We would have nothing to eat. until we decided to talk.
We waited for about two hours in the rain and cold March wind, On the garns eight. and we looked on with watering mouths and hungry eyes. Finally we were told to go in the house. we were brought in a small bowl of golden potatoes. about one apiece.
But they vanished in a flash. serving only to sharpen our hunger. Gosh, Dad hadn't eaten since eight PM the night before. He'd gone 24 hours without food. About half an hour later, the three of us that were wounded were told that a truck was waiting to take us to a hospital.
and the rest would march on to the concentration camp. I almost wished to go on to the concentration camp. rather than split up. with the rest of the fellows, but I would not have been allowed.
So we parted our little group, that had been through so much together. What would have happened had he gone to the concentration camp? Would things have turned out differently? Thank God his life took the turns it did, or I would not be here to tell you my father's story. It was dark.
And we rode for ages in the small truck. and went through countless towns. Finally, about eleven thirty PM, we were taken into a large German house. Which was being used? We gave our name, rank, and serial number to a Jerry orderly.
At a desk. and then sat down among half a dozen wounded Jerries to wait our turn with the doctor. I was taken into a room equipped for operating. Our radio is playing an American song. The first American song I had heard For months.
A beautiful young blondhaired girl was helping the doctor. He told me it was his daughter. I laid on a table and was stripped to the waist. then strap down hand and foot. The doctor drew out a large scalpel and laughed.
as he drew it across my throat and I motioned to cut it. If he had not been laughing. I would have been very much afraid. But I knew it was a joke.
So I laughed back. My father had a great sense of humor, a gift he gave us all. We still laugh when we think about my dad learning to play tennis. for all our lives my father came home from work and changed from his suit into blue jeans. Blue jeans were his primary play clothes.
So when Dad played tennis, he played in jeans. That was fine in cool weather, but when the mercury skyrocketed, along with my dad's passion for tennis, The problem had to be fixed. For Father's Day my siblings and I bought dad tennis shorts. my father appeared in the hallway to show them to us. The boxers were hanging inches below the shorts.
That being a time before it was chic to have boxers showing beneath shorts. The whole family dissolved into laughter. Dad not only graduated to shorts that summer, but was introduced to briefs as well. The doctor said. Don't feel so good now, do you?
He told me in broken English that he had studied medicine in Chicago. Mm, I felt a little better. Sadly, this is where Dad's war diary stopped. He didn't explain how long he was held captive. When he was liberated from the Germans, where he recuperated from his wounds, or when he returned to the States.
Thankfully, my father had lived through these horrendous events and lived to write a part of his story. Slowly, after reading the last page, I closed the stenographer's notebook. My dad was a writer. This was my father, but outside the lens of my experience. Were his memories too horrible to speak?
Did Dad write this journal to have an outlet to express his feelings? hoping that in the writing of the words the horror would be erased from his memory? My mind's camera had always framed a gentle, quiet man. the man I had known, came home each afternoon by 4.30. He took a nap, his eyes closing and his body surrendering to a fast, deep sleep, the very moment his head made contact with the mattress on my parents' carved pineapple post bed.
As kids, we rushed to see Dad when he came home. If we were two seconds late, our sharing had to wait until dinner at five. I clutched the notebook to my chest. my heart racing as I slowly ascended the stairs.
Now that I knew all of this, I couldn't pretend that I didn't know. Standing on the landing, images of my dad were whirling in my brain and in my heart. The camera lens had changed from close up to wide angle. or how to change for wide angle to close up. My vision included a man who had suffered greatly and had put this pain behind him.
Choosing to live. I opened the door and found various members of my family sitting around our house. I relaxed my grip on the notebook. looked at my mom and each of my siblings. knowing that I knew what they did not.
I don't remember how it happened that day. but I shared dad's notebook with my family. Ooh. You see, my father died when I was twenty. the day after Thanksgiving.
He had gone hunting, fell out of a tree stand, and hit his head. They tell us he died instantly. I remember vividly, too vividly, the night that my father's station wagon, along with another car, pulled into the driveway and my Aunt Kitty got out and walked to the door. I assumed that Dad had finally gotten his deer. When in anticipation I opened the door to my aunt and uncle, I knew I was wrong.
their faces said everything. I don't know how I held it together that night. I told my aunt I would tell my mother when she returned home from her quick grocery run.
Somehow my family made it through that night. and the days and nights that followed. The next day, the day after my father died. I would descend the stairs to the basement. I would go through my father's belongings, wanting so much to touch him.
to hear him. to know he was there. I would open a trunk and find a small stenographer's note book. its brown cover worn, well travelled, its edges frayed. My father's war diary.
I would learn things about my father that I had never thought to ask.
Some questions to this day remain unanswered. Still, the journal provided me with a glimpse into a man I didn't know. And this is how I came to know my father. And a terrific job on the production. by Madison Derricott, and a special thanks to Sally Grove.
sharing her father's story. And in a very real sense Her own story.
So often we learn much more about our parents as we get older, not just through experience. walking through their shoes as we raise children of our own. but often discovering things about them. that they didn't share in that generation of parents.
Well, they weren't big sharers. They were trying to protect us in the end from the things they'd gone through, and that's what her dad was doing for his daughter, for his family. He'd survived the mess, the carnage, the chaos. Why impose that on anyone? Moreover, So many of those World War Two vets well, they had a place to go called the American Legion.
And the VFW halls, and that's where they could go and share the stories of loss, of grief. Of what?
So many called the terrors. And I think it helped them all get along doing it this way, moving forward in life while periodically getting together with comrades and sharing that camaraderie. I think it's what our Iraq veterans and our Afghanistan veterans did not have. that our World War two veterans did. The scars on my dead shoulder.
She had never understood. where they came from. I'd seen them all my life, but knew nothing about the event. that caused that scar. Until the diary.
It didn't explain how long he was held captive, his diary. and how he would return to the States.
So there was still some unfinished business.
So mystery. By the way, there's not always anything wrong. with having some of that mystery. My father suffered greatly, and chose to put that suffering behind him. and move on.
He died when she was twenty years old. Deer hunting. Imagine this. Getting through World War II. and dying falling out of a deer stand.
I don't know how I held it together that night. But the next day I would descend down to the basement. and touch the things that were a part of his life. A beautiful story. The story of Sally Grove's father.
And in the end, Sally Grove herself. Here. on our American stories. Liberty has never been just a word to we Americans. It has guided every one of our endeavors for the past 250 years, and now it takes form in a new way.
The 2026 Semi-Quincentennial Coin and Metal Program from the United States Mint. It celebrates. The founding ideals that have long shaped our coinage. Available one year only, this historic collection features new coin designs, limited edition releases, and reissues. Shop new official coins at usmint.gov forward slash semi-q.
That's usmint.gov/slash S-E-M-I-Q. This July 4th, come celebrate at America's Block Party, hosted by America 250. America's Block Party is a can't-miss 4th of July concert happening at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Experience music performances from major artists, patriotic tributes, and the kickoff to Giving Forth, helping to make July 4th the largest day of giving in American history. It's more than just fireworks.
Learn more about this landmark celebration at America250.org. With my mom and dad living in Orange County, when we bring my five and seven year old to visit, we are sometimes in for a two-hour drive that could feel like 10. Oh, as an avid camper, I know all about this. We'll pack up the RV and know this is either going to be the trip of a lifetime or a complete disaster. Which is why we load up the iPads with Lingo Kids before we even pull out of the driveway.
It's what dreams are made of. Lingo Kids keeps kids engaged and quiet with over 4,000 interactive games, songs, and shows that kids simply cannot get enough of. You can pack whatever you think you'll need, but Lingo Kids is the only entertainment you'll need for a stress-free car ride. Or really, any ride. Plane, train, hovercraft, whatever.
Download LingoKids for free today. Or unlock even more amazing content with LingoKids Plus. Choose the yearly plan and save up to 60%. Search Lingo Kids in the App Store or Google Play. Lingo Kids: Everything Kids Love.
This is Bethany Frankl from Just Be with Bethany Frankl. Let me be blunt, most dog food is junk. It just is. And I'm not feeding junk to biggie and smalls. That is why they eat just food for dogs.
It's real, 100% human-grade food with ingredients I actually recognize, not mystery pellets pretending to be healthy. And once I switched, the difference was obvious. Better digestion, better skin, more energy, dogs who actually feel good instead of just surviving dinner. Here's the thing. Do you care about quality?
You make an intentional choice to be healthy.
So why are you gambling with your dog's health?
So let's think about our furry babies. Go to justfoodfordogs.com right now and get 50% off your first box. No code. Just try it. Because once you see the difference, you're not going back.
I'm U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. We all get distracted when we drive, but how we handle these distractions can be a matter of life or death. Please put your phones on silent and take a mental note to focus on driving. Fade 4 by Nitza.
