It was the worst Marine-on-Marine friendly fire incident in modern history. But it's not in the history books. An explosion in Fallujah, Iraq left three dead, a dozen wounded, and – for high-ranking officials – a dilemma. So, why were the families of the deceased lied to? Why did the reports mysteriously disappear? And why do survivors still have to wonder about what happened on the worst day of their lives? Taking Cover, an NPR investigative series from the Embedded podcast, isn't just a show about unraveling blue-on-blue tragedy during the Iraq war. It's about what happens when we send our young to war. It's a story of betrayal, brotherhood, and what's owed – to families, the wounded and to the American public.
Listen to 'We Keep Us Safe' on NPR's Embedded podcast
Hosts Sydney Brownstone and Will James investigate the unsolved death of Antonio Mays Jr. during the CHOP protests, uncovering new evidence in this interview.
31 Oct 2024
A Good Guy from NPR's Embedded
New from NPR's Embedded: Marine Sgt. Joshua Abate was in the middle of a routine polygraph test to receive top-secret clearance when he made an extraordinary admission: He had followed the crowd that broke into the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. This admission leads to a different kind of January 6 story. Abate says he's not an insurrectionist. So why did it take him so long to talk openly about that day? This is episode 1 of a two-part series. To hear the final episode, head to NPR's Embedded podcast. (https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510311/embedded)
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22 Dec 2023
Accountability
In this Taking Cover update, a U.S. senator wants answers from the Marines about what went wrong - and we meet an Army soldier still serving on active duty who's been denied the truth about his war wounds. To listen to this series sponsor-free and support NPR, sign up for Embedded+ in Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/embedded/id6443991144) or plus.npr.org (http://plus.npr.org).
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4 May 2023
The Gulf School
Tom and Graham meet Shihab's brother in Baghdad — but he's wary. They also visit Fallujah, to find the schoolhouse and talk with people who were on the other side of the occupation. Then, finally... back to Camp Pendleton.
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27 Apr 2023
Cover-Up
The team turns to Pat Tillman's family for help. Duncan Hunter the elder, and the younger, respond to NPR's questions... kind of. A breakthrough in the search for the interpreter has Tom and Graham planning a trip back to where it all began.
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20 Apr 2023
Up the Chain
Tom and Graham work their way up the chain of command, looking for someone — anyone — who can explain how and why this incident was buried. One general claims he can't recall the incident. Another talks with the team at the Pentagon, then changes his story about Duncan Hunter's involvement.
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13 Apr 2023
Finding David
As Tom and Graham work to track down the men in the courtyard, one of the wounded Marines has long remained elusive. His former comrades wonder if he's even still alive. Eventually, with help from Carlos, the team finds David. His chilling story reflects the lingering wounds of war.
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6 Apr 2023
JAGMAN
Hoping to get their hands on the official investigation, the NPR team flies to Tucson. But problems begin shortly after arrival. The widow of a man who died in the explosion wants to know why the Marine Corps lied to her. Tom and Graham want to know why the recommended punishments were overturned. The team finally confirms a crucial detail from the original tip.
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30 Mar 2023
Stand-To
The wounded are evacuated. The battle subsides. Now the men of Echo 2/1 begin to wonder: What happened? The Marine Corps says "no records exist" but Tom and Graham find testimony before an obscure Congressional subcommittee that says otherwise. The team also finds that promises made — to Congress, to the families of the dead and to wounded Marines — have been broken. And, they hear from one man who knows exactly what happened in the courtyard of that schoolhouse — but they still have to wonder, why was this covered up?
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16 Mar 2023
Danger Close
NPR's Pentagon Correspondent, Tom Bowman, receives a shocking tip from a trusted source: A deadly explosion during the Iraq War was an accident—friendly fire, covered up by the Marine Corps—and the son of a powerful politician may have been involved.
He partners with an old pal, Graham Smith, to investigate, and they discover the truth is even worse than the tipster realized. After dozens of interviews, the team patches together the story of the First Battle of Fallujah — the days and hours before the explosion — from the men who were there.
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13 Mar 2023
Introducing: Taking Cover
Hosted by NPR's Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman and Graham Smith of the Investigations unit, Taking Cover isn't just a show about the worst Marine-on-Marine friendly fire incident in modern history. It's a story of betrayal, brotherhood, and what's owed—to families, the wounded, and to the American public—when we send our young to war. Coming everywhere March 23.
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Inside a recent episode
Listen to 'We Keep Us Safe' on NPR's Embedded podcast
Published 21 Jul 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] There's several hundred people being completely peaceful. It's like a block party. They set up tents. There was free food, a mutual aid station, a stage for speeches and music. It evolved into this community. They called it CHOP. The Capitol Hill organized protest. a place with no police. It was their attempt to build a better world. For a moment there, it was utopia. But protesters feared an attack from right-wing activists. Taking my group down around City Hall to monitor the group of the Proud Boys. Some protesters appointed themselves chop security, began walking around in tactical gear, carrying guns. […]
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