It was September 1980, and we were in the height of tensions with the Soviet Union. What many didn’t know is that across the state of Arkansas, a number of underground missile silos were armed with some of the most powerful nuclear warheads imaginable.
In fact, some have said that this missile in particular was 600 times more powerful than the bombs the United States dropped on Hiroshima.
In Damascus, a routine inspection of the Titan II turned deadly when a dropped part caused a fuel leak that would eventually cause the missile to explode. One person was killed.
Earlier this week, a documentary called Command and Control debuted on PBS, within complete interviews and recreations of what happened during that incident. It is a fascinating look at what could have been one of the worst moments in the history of our state - and nation. The film was written and produced by Eric Schlosser, who you may not now. You do however, know his father-in-law Robert Redford.
The film debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier in the year.
Interviews include many of the crew that worked that night, and people from around the area including Sid King, the longtime Clinton, Arkansas radio station owner who was the first media member to arrive on the scene.
You can watch the entire documentary by clicking on the video player above.
Grant Merrill
Grant Merrill is the Publisher of InsideFortSmith.Com, and owner of parent company Great Plains Digital Media. Prior to jumping into the digital world, he was a longtime sports talk show host on stations across Arkansas. E-Mail: grant@greatplainsdigital.com
