I never drive around Fort Chaffee without thinking about its rich history. From German prisoners in World War II to refugees from Southeast Asia following the Vietnam War and Cuban refugees in 1980, it has played a role in Arkansas history for more than eight decades.
atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - The bombing of Nagasaki: By the morning of August 9, 1945, Soviet troops had invaded Manchuria and Sakhalin Island, but there was still no word from the Japanese government regarding surrender. At 3:47 am the B-29 Bockscar took off from Tinian. The aircraft was piloted by Maj. Charles Sweeney, with Capt. Kermit Beahan serving as bombardier and Manhattan Project veteran Comdr. Frederick Ashworth in the role of weaponeer. Their payload was Fat Man, the plutonium-fueled implosion device similar to the bomb detonated at the Trinity test. Unlike Little Boy, Fat Man was fully assembled when it was loaded onto Bockscar, and shortly after takeoff
T he new Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts is receiving rave reviews across the country. Forbes described it as "America s most inviting art museum." In the process, the place where it s housed Little Rock s MacArthur Park is welcoming visitors who otherwise wouldn t have set foot in this part of town.