A Korean War Veteran Recalls his First Day of Combat
Sergeant Daniel Moon served in two wars: first in WWII when he was just 17, and then again in the Korean War.
Laura Moon and Daniel Moon after their StoryCorps interview in Chelsea, ME at the Togus VA Hospital on September 12, 2023. By Max Jungreis for StoryCorps.
He didn’t see combat during WWII, but his experiences during the Korean War were harrowing. He was a member of Fox Company 19th Infantry Regiment, and he sustained severe injuries during his first battle. He also witnessed the deaths of several fellow soldiers.
Sergeant Daniel Moon (Back row Right) with his Squad members at Camp Crawford, Hokkaido Japan, 1950. Photo courtesy Laura Moon.
He came to StoryCorps with his daughter, Laura Moon, to remember that day.
Top Photo: Daniel Moon in Seoul, Korea 1948
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired September 30th, 2023, on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday.
As Her Memory Dims, One Remarkable Mother Remains A “Beacon of Light”
To mark StoryCorps’ 20th Anniversary we are revisiting classic conversations from the past two decades with updates from the participants.
We end this special series by catching up with one remarkable mother in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Mary Johnson-Roy and her son, Laramiun Byrd. Courtesy of Mary Johnson-Roy.
Mary Johnson-Roy lost her only child, Laramiun Byrd, to gun violence in 1993.
One night while at a party, Laramiun got into a fight with another teenager named Oshea Israel. The fight ended when Oshea shot and killed Laramiun.
A dozen years later, Mary went to the penitentiary to visit the man who murdered her son.
Oshea Israel and Mary Johnson-Roy in 2011 and in 2023. By Gaspar Caro and Brian Mogren for StoryCorps.
Soon after Oshea finished serving a prison sentence for murder, Mary brought him to StoryCorps to talk about their relationship. We’ll also hear from them 12 years later.
Mary founded From Death to Life, an organization to help families who have lost children to gun violence, and has spent decades running support groups. But she’s had to step back a bit from her life’s work, after being diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia, a disease with symptoms similar to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Mary Johnson-Roy and her husband, Ed Roy, in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2023. By Brian Mogren for StoryCorps.
Since her diagnosis in 2021, Mary’s husband, Ed Roy, has been her main caretaker. Ed also had a son who was murdered, in fact that’s how he and Mary met. Here, they share more about Mary’s illness.
Mary’s community is rallying to help cover her medical expenses through a GoFundMe, which can be found here.
Top Photo: Oshea Israel, Mary Johnson-Roy and Ed Roy in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2023. By Brian Mogren for StoryCorps.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired September 29, 2023, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
First story aired on May 20, 2011 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
18 Years After Katrina, A Grocer Rebuilds His Community One Shop at a Time
To mark StoryCorps’ 20th Anniversary we are revisiting classic conversations from the past two decades with updates from the participants.
This story is from New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward. The neighborhood was hit hard by Hurricane Katrina and was slow to recover. Almost 10 years after the storm it still didn’t have a single grocery store.
Lower Ninth Ward resident Burnell Cotlon wanted to change that. He saved money by working at fast food restaurants and dollar stores and used it to buy a dilapidated building on an empty block, and opened a neighborhood grocery.
In 2015 he told his mother, Lillie, how his story started in the days after the flood…
Produce, snacks, and a picture of the building before it was renovated at ‘Burnell’s Lower Ninth Ward Market’, New Orleans, Louisiana. By Ian Spencer Cook for StoryCorps. Photo of original building courtesy of Daniel Schergen, who helped renovate it.
Burnell Cotlon and customers in his store in the Lower Ninth Ward, New Orleans, Louisiana in September, 2023. Courtesy of Burnell Cotlon.
Top Photo: Lillie Cotlon and Burnell Cotlon in front of Burnell’s store, ‘Burnell’s Lower Ninth Ward Market’ in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 19, 2015. By Ian Spencer Cook for StoryCorps.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired September 22nd, 2023, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
First story aired on August 8th, 2015 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
This story is featured in Callings: The Purpose and Passion of Work, a collection that celebrates the passion, determination, and courage it takes to pursue the work we feel called to do from Penguin Books.
A family’s legacy of service, sacrifice, and fatherhood after 9/11
Top photo: Joseph Vigiano and John Vigiano Jr. with their father, John Vigiano Sr. circa 1994. Courtesy of Joseph Vigiano.
We’re celebrating our 20th anniversary by revisiting classic StoryCorps conversations from our first two decades and sharing updates on participants.
(Left) Detective Joseph Vigiano, Firefighter John Vigiano II circa 1996. (Right) Police Officer Joseph Vigiano, Police Officer James Vigiano in April of 2023. Courtesy of Joseph Vigiano.
John Vigiano Sr. came to StoryCorps in 2007 to talk about his sons, Joseph and John Vigiano Jr., who both died in the line of duty during the September 11th attack on the World Trade Center.
Joseph Vigiano with his father and brother, James Vigiano circa 1998. Courtesy of Joseph Vigiano.
In 2023 his grandson, Joseph Vigiano, came to StoryCorps to reflect on fatherhood and his family’s legacy.
Joseph and Kathleen Vigiano circa 1989. Courtesy of Joseph Vigiano.
Jennifer and Joseph Vigiano with their son and Police Commissioner Edward Caban in March of 2023. Courtesy of Joseph Vigiano.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired on September 11, 2009. Rebroadcast with update on September 8, 2023 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
20 Years Later A Couple Reflects On A Tender Moment Captured In The StoryCorps Booth
We’re celebrating our 20th anniversary by revisiting classic StoryCorps conversations from our first two decades – like this one between Debora Brakarz and Mike Wolmetz.
Mike Wolmetz and Debora Brakarz at their wedding celebration in Long Island, NY, on June 19, 2005. Courtesy of Debora and Mike.
Debora was 26 at the time and Mike was 25. They had only been dating for three months when they came to the StoryCorps recording booth in New York’s Grand Central Terminal.
The family at Butler’s Orchard in Germantown, Maryland, on August 8, 2012. Courtesy of Debora and Mike.
Nearly 20 years later, they returned to share an update about love, marriage, and parenthood.
The family during Halloween 2019 (Mike as the anonymous CIA whistleblower, Debora as Sarah Good (one of the first 3 women to be accused in the Salem Witch Trials), Luca as Spiderman Miles Morales, and Iago as DJ Marshmello). Courtesy of Debora and Mike.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired February 14, 2004, on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday.
Joy And Wisdom In A Life With Animals
Christy Stewart always loved animals – but she was only allowed one outdoor cat as a kid. Her mother told her that when she grew up, she could have all the pets she wanted. From the time Glenn Turner met Christy more than 20 years ago it was “animals from the get-go,” he said.
Ben and Natalie Turner with Billy the goat at their home in Atlanta in 2006. Courtesy of Glenn Turner.
Their three children also turned out to be animal lovers, and the family rescued or adopted countless critters over the years. From a wharf rat to a ball python, each brought a unique personality and set of challenges to their home life.
Glenn, Christy, their three children and dog Nemo in 2010. Courtesy of Glenn Turner.
Glenn said Christy’s calm approach to animals taught him the power of treating all creatures with respect.
Top Photo: Glenn Turner and Christy Stewart at their StoryCorps interview in Atlanta, Georgia on April 5, 2016. By Hillery Rink for StoryCorps.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired August 11, 2023 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
“Motherhood Is Not A Solo Journey:” A Daughter Reflects On Her Childhood
Luz Kenyon grew up in Mexico City, Mexico and in the mid 1980s she took a trip to New York City to celebrate her friend’s college graduation. She had no idea she would fall in love with a Jamaican traffic agent on the corner of 42nd street, and never go home.
She came to StoryCorps with her daughter, Anna Paloma Williams, to talk about this unexpected start to their family, and how she navigated raising mixed kids in America.
Top Photo: Anna Paloma Williams and Luz Kenyon at their StoryCorps interview in Columbus, GA on October 30, 2021. By Sarah Padgett for StoryCorps.
Middle Photo: Abuela Lucha, Luz Kenyon and Anna Paloma Williams in Stone Mountain, GA, in the early 1990s. Photo courtesy of the Kenyon family.
Bottom Photo: Luz Kenyon with Anna Paloma Williams and family celebrating abuela Lucha’s 90th birthday in Mexico City in April 2022. She passed away in December 2022. Photo courtesy of the Kenyon family.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired Aug. 4, 2023, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
A Family Built On The Dance Floor: Reflections From A Father And Daughter
The first time Carl Levine did contra dance, a type of folk dance similar to square dancing, he was a college freshman in the 1970s. He didn’t realize, then, the pivotal role that contra would play in his life.
It’s where he met his wife, and the couple raised their daughter, Chloe E.W. Levine, to dance from a young age. Carl and Chloe came to StoryCorps to reflect on a life on the dance floor.
Top Photo: Chloe E.W. Levine and Carl Levine at their StoryCorps interview in New York City on May 5, 2023. By Julia Kirschenbaum for StoryCorps.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired July 21, 2023, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Remembering A Father Who Fought For Fairness
Johnny Itliong grew up in the 1960s, surrounded by the agricultural fields of California.
Aleks Itliong and Johnny Itliong at their StoryCorps interview in Reno, NV on June 28, 2023. By Jerry Spikula for StoryCorps.
His father, Larry Itliong, was migrant worker turned labor organizer, who had come to the United States from the Philippines in 1929. Larry eventually led his fellow Filipino workers to strike for better wages and working conditions.
Known today as the Delano Grape Strike, it lasted five years and was one of the most successful in U.S. history.
Top Photo: Larry Itliong speaks to the United Farm Workers, undated photograph, courtesy of Walter P. Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs, Wayne State University.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired July 14, 2023, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
“He Was There In The Way He Could Be”: A Father Comes To Terms With His Own Dad
Tom Badgett grew up in small-town Tennessee during the 1950s. His father, Jim Patton Badgett was the president of a local bank and pillar of the community.
Tom’s father, James P. Badgett, in his late 50s. Photo courtesy of Tom Badgett.
Despite having a job where he had to be engaging and a good communicator, he was distant at home, which made Tom think hard about what kind of a parent he wanted to be.
He came to StoryCorps with his daughter, Jordan Perelle, to reflect on his complicated relationship with his dad.
Top Photo: Jordan Perelle and Tom Badgett at their StoryCorps interview in Knoxville, Tennessee on October 11, 2010. By Virginia Lora for StoryCorps.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired July 7, 2023, on NPR’s Morning Edition.