41 episodes
Late Night History Late Night History
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- History
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4.9 • 28 Ratings
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The Late Night History podcast is hosted by writer and oral historian Matt Fratus. Join Matt in his quest to uncover history told through the unmatched experiences and unequaled expertise of his world-class guests. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/late-night-history/support
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Episode 39: Mac Caltrider
Tonight's guest is Mac Caltrider, the author of Double Knot, a war memoir in seven essays. Mac shares with us his life story, including culture associated with Baltimore, Maryland; two deployments to Afghanistan as a Marine; working as a patrol cop during tumultuous times; and his career in journalism. All of which is connected in Double Knot.
Episode 39 highlights:
1). Plug Uglies — a now closed Irish pub in Baltimore, Maryland, named after old-timey firefighter gangs that used to start fires and get into street fights.
2). Family lineage in the US military.
3). Mac’s passion for books from an early age, which would prove useful as a writer and journalist years later.
4). Awesome history associated with Mac’s unit, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines (2/8), which includes a tale about the first ever Medal of Honor recipient’s action captured on video (many confuse Air Force CCT John Chapman’s action in Afghanistan as the first).
5). The humorous tales of the wiggling hedgehog and “the smoking crab” in Afghanistan (YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1bEDH4bwHI).
6). Double Knot (YouTube link: https://youtu.be/UP2dlTmig8Y)
7). Coffee or Die magazine and honored by the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation.
8). Pipes & Pages — Where Mac pairs books others should read with a tobacco pipe (https://www.instagram.com/pipes_and_pages/?hl=en).
Buy Double Knot on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Double-Knot-Mac-Caltrider/dp/B0CYX1RB6G) OR at veteran-owned publisher Dead Reckoning Collective (https://deadreckoningco.com/collections/books/products/book-double-knot).
Join 13K followers of Late Night History on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latenighthistory/
10% Discount Code using MATTFRATUS at HR4K’s store. HR4K is a UK lifestyle brand founded by British SAS veteran, friend, and guest of the show (Episode 7) Ben Garwood. Follow the link here: https://www.hr4k.uk/?ref=MATTFRATUS
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Episode 38: Mike Vining
In Episode 8, Mike discussed his life story, including all of the major Delta Force operations that he participated in. Tonight for Episode 38, Mike shares with us the history of the Bomb Disposal/Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) across all service branches between World War II and the Gulf War. Additional topics covered below.
Episode 38 highlights:
1). Controversy regarding Draper Kauffman “The Father of Navy EOD” and his first Navy Cross award.
2). Lesser known service of the Army Combat Engineers alongside the Naval Combat Demolition Units on D-Day
3). Mike’s EOD experiences in Vietnam/Cambodia
4). History of the Tunnel Rats, including Mike’s experiences doing similar work, which crawled into small tunnels armed with only flashlights, pistols, and in Mike’s case, explosives.
5). OSS Deer Team in Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh’s relationship with the US in World War II
6). Delta Force EOD (which we also covered in Episode 8)
7). First Saturday in May is National EOD Day, which remembers the names on the EOD Memorial Wall
8). Mike’s uniform donated to the Ordnance Museum Fort Lee (Fort Greg Adams) in VA and various Museums-talk
9). Bunker Busters, Nukes, the Cheeseburger Bombs
YouTube Video: Delta Force Legend Mike Vining Discusses Tunnel Rat Missions
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Episode 37: Andrew Sullivan
Tonight's guest is Andrew "Sully" Sullivan, a former Navy SEAL Senior Chief (2002-2020), and the founder of the Community First Project, a non-profit that provides law enforcement officers the fundamentals to a tactical response to an active shooter or critical incident like an act of terror.
Some history highlights from this episode include SEAL training, humanity in war, the comedies that shaped the SEALs' vocabulary during the GWOT, pre-mission rituals, the connection between the US military and law enforcement, and so much more.
Join 13K others who follow Late Night History on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latenighthistory/
Follow Sully on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sully_c1p/
Follow the Community First Project on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/community_first_project/
Please subscribe if you liked the show.
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Episode 36: Eddie Ray (Part 2)
The Late Night History podcast is hosted by writer and oral historian Matt Fratus. Join Matt in this special, two-part episode featuring Ret. Marine Col. Eddie Ray, one of only two Navy Cross recipients from the Gulf War.
In part 2, listen to Eddie share his Navy Cross action from his perspective. Later in the episode, Eddie discusses what it was like to serve as a Battalion Commander under Gen. Mattis in the '03 Iraq invasion and some lessons learned returning to Iraq a decade after the Gulf War. Towards the end, Eddie reflects upon his legacy in the Marines and his thoughts about the future of armor in warfare with the prevalence of drones.
This link is for other podcast platforms: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/late-night-history
Join 13K followers of Late Night History on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latenighthistory/
Support the show on Patreon so this one-man show can continue producing content with world-class guests like Eddie Ray: https://www.patreon.com/LateNightHistory
If you do not have a Patreon account, please donate to the show through Listener Support: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/late-night-history/support
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/late-night-history/support -
Episode 36: Eddie Ray (Part 1)
The Late Night History podcast is hosted by writer and oral historian Matt Fratus. Join Matt in this special, two-part episode featuring Ret. Marine Col. Eddie Ray, one of only two Navy Cross recipients from the Gulf War.
In part 1, we delve into Eddie’s unique life journey leading to the Gulf War. From his formative years in LA to his stint as a college football player at the University of Washington alongside the future NFL Hall of Fame QB Warren Moon to his early days as an enlisted Marine and junior officer, we uncover the intriguing chapters of Eddie’s life.
The episode is packed with a lot of exciting history and lessons learned. Notably, a training mission that went awry and how Eddie established himself as a leader. Additionally, Eddie shares how he became involved with the Marines Light Armored Vehicles. At the time, the assignment was considered “The Kiss of Death” for an officer’s career, mainly because nobody understood how to operate the unproven LAVs.
Of course, that reputation would change under Eddie, where he combined football-inspired plays with military tactics for the battlefield. But you’ll hear all about that in Part 2.
This link is for other podcast platforms: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/late-night-history
Join 13K followers of Late Night History on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latenighthistory/
Support the show on Patreon so this one-man show can continue producing content with world-class guests like Eddie Ray: https://www.patreon.com/LateNightHistory
If you do not have a Patreon account, please donate to the show through Listener Support: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/late-night-history/support
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/late-night-history/support -
Season 4 (2024) Teaser | 15 Episodes
The Late Night History podcast was created by writer and oral historian Matt Fratus in 2021. Each year (or season), Matt releases a new batch of episodes starring world-class guests who share their life story. In each episode we cover fascinating historical topics as we leverage each guest's experience and expertise.
This short video is an announcement featuring an update on new guests and new content for 2024.
Listen to the Late Night History podcast on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/late-night-history/id1553678075
This link is for other podcast platforms: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/late-night-history
Join 13K followers of Late Night History on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latenighthistory/
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/late-night-history/support
Customer Reviews
A masterclass in storytelling with an authentic history flavor
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you're tired of scrolling through an endless barrage of the same old podcasts, The Late Night History podcast is a breath of fresh, historically insightful air. In a landscape where educational content can often be dry and academic to the point of being unlistenable, this podcast defies the odds, combining impeccable research with entertaining delivery in a way that keeps you coming back for more.
What sets The Late Night History podcast apart from the crowd is its knack for presenting stories that are both captivating and historically significant. The episodes, being short, pack an impressive punch; they are like historical espresso shots that wake you up to the richness of the past. They manage to condense complex topics into digestible narratives without ever diluting the facts or skimping on context. In a word, it's fascinating.
Matt Fratus as a host is engaging and does a fantastic job of bringing history to life with their wit, enthusiasm, and authentic curiosity. Each episode feels like you're sitting down for a chat with a knowledgeable friend, rather than being lectured at by a stuffy professor. They have this uncanny ability to dive into topics that you never thought you'd find interesting, and leave you eagerly Googling for more information as soon as the episode ends.
It's no wonder that there have been attempts by others to replicate the magic that The Late Night History podcast brings to the table. But alas, like historical events themselves, some things just can't be duplicated. Others may try to imitate, but this podcast remains peerless in its field, retaining an authenticity that is unmistakably unique.
If you've yet to experience the joy that is The Late Night History podcast, I'd highly recommend that you dive in. It's an enchanting blend of storytelling and fact, creating a deeply satisfying and enlightening experience that enriches your understanding of the world. The late nights you'll spend captivated by these history stories will be sleep well sacrificed.
Happy listening!
Target! Cease fire.
This hits a first round kill shot every single time! Short, concise, entertaining, interesting and easy to listen to, it’s perfect for the ADD history geek who is multitasking while listening! You rock!!
Great podcast!
Great mix of interesting topics, history and humor!