Sam's First Blood

From spaghetti and meatballs to General Tso's chicken, many dishes Americans associate with international cuisine were actually invented in the US of A!

Samuel Sandoval, one of the last original Navajo Code Talkers, recalls enlisting in the Marines at 18 to help create an unbreakable code. Using their sacred, unwritten language, he and his brothers-in-arms forged a secret weapon that never fell to the enemy.

Historian Zonnie Gorman shares the legacy of the Navajo Code Talkers, including her father, Carl. These heroes used their native language to help secure every major Pacific battle. As Major Connor noted, without them, Iwo Jima would never have been taken.

Opal Lee, the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” recalls the 1939 mob that burned her family’s home. Decades later, her 1,400-mile walk helped lead to Juneteenth becoming a federal holiday.