The USS Lexington, The Naval Juggernaut, The Shocking Story Behind the Diamond Engagement Ring and How Piggly Wiggly Created the Modern Supermarket

On this episode of Our American Stories, regular contributor, Anne Clare, tells the story of a unique aircraft carrier, the USS Lexington. Tom Zoellner purchased a diamond engagement ring and proposed. His girlfriend said, "yes" and then, suddenly, walked out of his life making Tom the owner of a used engagement ring. Instead of hitting the self-help shelves of his local bookstore, he hit the road to discover the true worth of this shining gem and then wrote The Heartless Stone. Mike Freeman, author of Clarence Saunders & the Founding of Piggly Wiggly: The Rise and Fall of a Memphis Maverick, tells us how Clarence Saunders revolutionized the way people shopped by developing “self-service” grocery shopping. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)   Time Codes: 00:00 - The USS Lexington, The Naval Juggernaut 10:00 - The Shocking Story Behind the Diamond Engagement Ring 23:00 - How Piggly Wiggly Created the Modern SupermarketSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.