From KCRW in Santa Monica and PRI, Public Radio International, this is To the Point.

A threat to America from our own nuclear weapons.

Hello again, I'm Aronaldi, and this is To the Point from Public Radio International,

a daily look at the issues Americans care about most. During the Cold War, atomic bombs fell out of the sky over North Carolina. A missile

tipped with a hydrogen bomb blew up in Arkansas. Most Americans never knew about 700 significant incidents

that could have produced historic catastrophes here in the U.S. investigative reporter Eric Schlosser spent five years searching declassified documents

to discover how often dumb luck made the difference.

We'll talk with him.

How much safer are today's weapons systems?

What are the prospects for reducing nuclear arms?

Today's talking point, veterans of war fighting endless battles. First, here's the news.

Listen to KCRW's 24-hour all-news channel, stream BBC World Service, NPR and KCRW programs,

continuous coverage and accessible via our smartphone app or online at kCRW.com.

Support for To The Point comes from the members of KCRW and from the Public Radio International Program Fund.

Hello again, Warren Alney, back with To The Point.

America's nuclear arsenal has been subject to a terrifying number of accidents,

miscalculations, and inexplicable blunders without a

devastating catastrophe so far. We'll talk with investigative reporter Eric Schloser about how

close we've come, how little the public's been told, and whether we're safer now than we

used to be. Our talking point on this Veterans Day, a conversation with David Finkel, whose book

Thank You for Your Service, provides extraordinary access to the thoughts and emotions of Iraq-Vore veterans struggling with PTSD.

First, this story, in the aftermath of Tea Party defeats last week in Virginia and Alabama,

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