December 20, 1975

Operation New Life at Fort Chaffee, located near Fort Smith (Sebastian County), came to an end, with a total of 50,809 Indochinese refugees having been processed. The state of Arkansas had been tapped by the federal government to be one of four main entry points for Indochinese refugees. The presence and availability of the facilities at Fort Chaffee made it an ideal location for processing tens of thousands of Indochinese seeking refuge from their war-torn region.