WALNUT RIDGE, Ark. (FOX13) – By Earle Farrell
The hey days for Walnut Ridge, Ark., were during World War II, when thousands of young men learned to fly at an airbase just outside town.
Since then, it has been like a lot rural communities across America, a place where families raise kids and people worked hard, go to church and live their lives without too much excitement.
But, on a September night in 1964, something happened that no one in Walnut Ridge could have ever imagined.
“It started at the place called The Polar Freeze, like a dairy bar, which is still there, still serves BBQ and still has the same owner,” recalls resident Charles Snapp. “Jack (Allison) saw the plane circling and it was a clear night. It was in a slow flight.”