ARKANSAS, USA — In 1980, former military barracks located in a rural Arkansas community were opened to thousands of Cubans fleeing Fidel Castro's communist rule. Some were there for years. In recently uncovered archival footage, 5NEWS stitches the story of how language barriers, cultural differences, and fears of the unknown nearly led to Fort Chaffee's undoing.
In an hour-long documentary, 5NEWS Anchor Jo Ellison chronologically takes us back to the Arkansas River Valley in 1980 through the eyes of those who were there: A Cuban refugee, an attorney who defended refugees in court, a former 5NEWS reporter who covered it all, and more.
Chaffee in Crisis will air for the first time on 5NEWS (CBS Channel 5) on Saturday, Aug. 3 at noon.
Viewers who can't catch the documentary on air can watch the full documentary on 5+, a completely free streaming app you can download on your smart TV via Roku, Fire TV, or Apple TV.
Chaffee in Crisis is scheduled to play on 5+ on both Saturday and Sunday at noon and 7 p.m.
Do you have a smart TV, but not sure how to download 5+? Here's how:
How To Download the 5+ app:
- On your smart TV, navigate to the app store
- Search "5NEWS" or "KFSM"
- Hit "download" once you see the 5+ logo:
