StoryCorps
StoryCorps is an independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives.
Robert Stokely and his son, Michael, who died on deployment in Iraq in 2005.
Dad Follows The Moon To Find Military Son's Resting Place
Robert Stokely couldn't sleep while his son was in Iraq with the National Guard. In 2005, Michael Stokely was killed by a roadside bomb. A few years later, Robert headed to Iraq himself, to find the spot where his son had died.
Adrian Hawkins (left) with his foster father, Horace Atwater Jr., at a visit to StoryCorps in Atlanta. Horace took in Adrian when he was 14 years old.
A Second Chance For A Father And Foster Son
As a young father, Horace Atwater Jr. grappled with a drug addiction. I "lost everything," he says, including his wife and two sons. Years later, he took in Adrian, who at 14 had already experienced plenty of his own hard times.
Shengqiao Chen spent two and a half years at York County prison while his asylum case was pending. He has been living in the United States for longer than he lived in China, and has no immediate family left in his native Fujian Province. Few people call him by his Chinese given name any longer — his wife and children know him only as Sean.
Finding An Anchor For A Life Set Adrift By A Shipwreck
Shengqiao Chen and Zehao Zhou met 20 years ago after a ship that was smuggling Chinese immigrants into the U.S. ran aground just outside New York City.
Cherishing The Gift Of Friendship Through A Cancer Bout()
May 31, 2013 In 2004, Peter Obetz was in the middle of a divorce when he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. He says the news was not only a wake-up call for him to change his life, but it also brought him closer to his friend Jeff Jarrett. He's been cancer-free since 2009.
Sole Survivor: Iraq Rescue Mission Ended In Tragedy()
May 25, 2013 In our latest installment of the StoryCorps Military Voices Initiative, we hear from Lance Cpl. Travis Williams. In 2005, while serving in Iraq, Williams lost his 12-man squad lost his squad to an IED. He was the only survivor.
Military Moms: A Bond Born From Shared Loss()
May 24, 2013 Two mothers whose sons were killed during the first Gulf War talk about how they became friends after their sons died. The past 22 years would have been tough without the friendship, because, as one tells the other, "what's in our hearts we share."
A Gift Of Life And Friendship After A Family's Loss()
May 17, 2013 In February 2007, Rick Bounds was diagnosed with a serious liver disease and given eight months to live.
Preserving The Motherhood Advice And Memories Of A Mom()
May 10, 2013 When Rebecca Posamentier was pregnant with her first child, she visited StoryCorps with her mother, Carol Kirsch. The soon-to-be mother tried to glean all she could about parenting from her own mother, before it was too late.
After Years Of Hiding, 'Walking In Love' As Transgender()
May 3, 2013 For decades, Alexis Martinez, born Arthur, had to mask her transgender identity by "being as macho as I could be." But in a visit to StoryCorps, she tells her daughter how, with her family's acceptance, she's finally been able to live as a woman full-time.
From Poor Beginnings To A Wealth Of Knowledge ()
April 26, 2013 Herman Blake and his six siblings struggled so much during the '40s that one brother decided to drop out of school and help support the family. A friend of the family stepped in and made sure that didn't happen, despite her own meager means. That sacrifice taught the Blake children the value of an education.
Losing A Leg, But Gaining A Sense Of Purpose()
April 19, 2013 Jack Richmond was a young father when his leg was crushed in a work accident. Though in denial at first that it would need to be amputated, he quickly realized he could share his experience to help other amputees, as he tells his daughter, Reagan, on a visit to StoryCorps.
A Pianist's Ultimate Sacrifice: Giving It All To Go To War()
April 13, 2013 At 17, Daniel Hodd was starting a promising career as a concert pianist, but he decided to become a Marine instead. Before his second deployment, he broke a finger and was given a choice: Treat it and stay, or cut it off and deploy.
Adoptive Dad Dreamed A Dream That Brought Him A Son()
April 12, 2013 John Curtis never thought he would be able to be a dad. But in 1998 he held his son against his chest. It was "like we fit," he says.
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