These, planes would regularly fly missions from Wurtsmith Air Force Base during the, The 379th Bomb Wing moved to Wurtsmith Air Force Base in June of, 19661. [1] This was followed by one and a half weeks of normal day to day activitiesuntil the flight crew relieved crew on ready alert in the bunkers.[1]. Before we move on to that, however, it is very much worth examining a very similar incident that occurred over Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Michigan on 30 th October. [4] Its mission was to, maintain half of the fleet on a 15 minute alert, meaning the plane could be in, the air in 15 minutes, to reduce vulnerability to a Soviet preemptive missile, strike. WAFB closed in 1993 and is gradually being turned over to the Oscoda Airport Authority for reuse as an industrial park and airfield (EPA 2012). History Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan, served primarily as a combat crew and bomber training base throughout its 70-year history. [2] Another unfortunate occurrence that Happened more than it should have were Court-Martials. This cycle was from Wednesday to Wednesday. [2] The flight crashed at 2:20PM while returning from K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base in the Upper Peninsula. [4] On August 1st 1958 the 4026th Strategic Wing was formed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base. Mr. Norton remarked that they were flying the wings off of the planes. The 4026th was a SAC Major Command controlled (MAJCON) wing that had been organized on 1 August 1958. My family lived on this base in 1983 to 1987, are we at risk? Maximum speed was 178 mph at sea level, 171 mph at 10,000 feet. The airplane operated on a flight from Oscoda Wurtsmith Airport, MI to Oscoda-Wurtsmith AFB, MI (OSC). From: Members of the ground crew move a maintenance cart into position next to a B-52 Stratofortress aircraft parked on the flight line. This article is from 2018.. Why are you focusing only on chlordane and other organochlorine pesticide (OCP) contamination at the Family Housing? It had everything in it. The Realignment of Griffiss Air Force Base. However, the P-6 differed from the P-1 in having its fuselage rounded out to match the fatter engine cowling required by the Conqueror engine. Thisflight crew would spend one week in the bunker and be confined to an undiscloseddistance from the bunker. still rejects and "nexus" to the toxic chemicals on the base. Then everything happened so fast it seems unbelievable. [4] In the lateryears of World War II Wurtsmith Air Force Base was used as a fighter-interceptor training base and housed the 332d fighter group, which was part of the famous Tuskegee Airmen. It remained named Camp Skeel until 1942 when it was renamed Oscoda Army Air Field (WAFB.net). Me and Dan drive around base and check out the bunkers that held nuclear weapons during the cold war I have also read about the PFAS via fire retardant foam. The Strategic Air Command activated a wing there on August 1, 1958. This meant that Wurtsmith Air Force Base was essentially a self-contained airport with all of the necessities to support a full community on Base. Many tests have been done to see the extent to which the contamination is harming the citizens residing in the area. [5] The 379th flew with a Triangle K tail flash to continue thetradition from their World War II counterparts. [1], These KC-135s were necessary because the B-52 could not take off with both a, full load of ordnance and a full tank of gas.[1]. Poison Spring: The Secret History of Pollution and the EPA. [1] Wurtsmith Air Force Base was 2nd Lt. Nortons firstpermanent duty station in the United States Air Force.[1]. All four of the the guys that were in that flight were from Tuskegee, Losinksi said. Deliveries of the first P-6s were late, the first example not appearing until October 1929. This is heinous, and my heart goes out to so many. A sand and gravel aquifer of glacial origin underlies Wurtsmith Air Force Base in northeastern lower Michigan. This year, we went out diving, and we could see these points of interest from the surface, Losinski said. City Picto Map, Clark Air Base / Angeles City. After a devastating fire in Oscoda which cleared over 600 buildings, the remaining citizens heard about the proposal to clear an area for the base. This is a very big issue for the people of Oscoda and the surrounding areas for obvious reasons. The 379th Bomb Wing moved to Wurtsmith Air Force Base in June of19661. Therefore, regardless of the location of cancer in your body, we strongly encourage you to contact our law firm if you spent time at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, either as a veteran or as a family member of one, to recover the financial compensation you are entitled to. The Air Force knew that due to the method used to apply the pesticide, the building design flaw, that a completed exposure pathway (CEP) existed at a large percentage of its tenantable/habitual . [4] On August 1st 1958 the 4026th Strategic Wing was formed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base. "Keeping Wurtsmith AFB and Aviation History of NE MI Alive" Opens on Armed Forces Day in May, hosts a Welcome Home. I was stationed there from 11/84-1989. Paul B. Wurtsmith Air Force Base closed in 1993, dealing a sharp blow to the economy of rural Iosco County. During the Gulf War these planes were run practically 24/7, landing only to swap flight crews to meet the flight crew rest requirements. In 1932, Capt. There are many historical planes you can visit as well as other interesting pieces of history that the public may view. As soon as an assignment went over 180 days it was considered a permanent change in duty station. As an officer Mr. Norton had to sit in on Court-Martials. I recall we lost a tanker on touch and goes which had to be extinguished with a massive amount of this chemical. I lived in base housing, I want to say 8607H Ohio from 82-84. Wurtsmith Air Force Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force base in northeastern Iosco County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the time, it was considered a vital Air Defense Command base and was equipped and manned with interceptor aircraft capable of flying over the North Pole into the Soviet Union. USVCP Not A U.S. Government Publication. Today the Wurtsmith district is integral to the community's economic potential. [1], As new technologies and mission goals evolved with time the need for the Strategic Air Commands need for the northern tier became obsolete. These are simply the specific . [1] This meant that they could be flying a mission supporting a fighter squadron in Iraq, then be redirected to refuel a bomber squadron over Saudi Arabia, then fly back to Spain to land. All the artifacts that were taken off were replaced in their original position and original situation except for the tag we cleaned up, he said. On May 9, 1961, the base took delivery of its first new Boeing B-52 H Stratofortress, The State of Michigan. As long as these assignments were under 180 days they were considered Temporary Duty Assignments. For example a KC-135 could take off from Wurtsmith Air Force Base, fly across the Pacific Ocean, land in Spain, have the flight crew be relieved by a fresh crew, fly into theater, complete the mission and return to Spain, where the original crew would be rested and ready to fly the KC-135 back to Wurtsmith Air Force Base. People who are exposed every day for an extended period of time are the ones who start to see real problems, some of which I mentioned above. [ July 4, 2018 ] Grissom Air Force Base, ID Air Force [ May 28, 2018 ] March Air Force Base, CA Air Force [ February 17, 2018 ] Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Navy [ November 5, 2017 ] Fort William D. Davis , Panama Army [ August 28, 2017 ] Naval Air Station Alameda, CA Navy [ March 19, 2016 ] Wurtsmith Air Force Base, MI Air Force [ June 2 . Only afterthe plains were airborne would the crew be notified if it was a drill or not. Posts and surveys made on this website are opinions or suggestions of users of this website and are not representations, opinions or suggestions of U.S. At Oscoda Army Air Field, from the Group Historian: Over the sandy pine shores of Lake Huron, pilots of the 332nd Fighter Group polished up their flight and gunnery tactics for threat inevitable test of their skill and courage which will eventually lead them to pursuit and battle in the skies of Europe and Asia. By the end of November 1943 all training for the 332nd had been completed at Oscoda and the Group departed for overseas. My daughter was born at the base hospital. The views and opinions expressed in this website/articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency of the U.S. government, We are the men and women of the U.S. Military, Wurtsmith AFB is a Superfund Site. Click on a marker for base information. ROME, N.Y. -- There was nothing small-scale about Griffiss Air Force Base in the 1990s. The 5,223-acre Wurtsmith Air Force Base (Wurtsmith AFB) is located on the northeastern part of Michigans lower peninsula. The brown tint is (mostly) caused by scale build up in the pipes being knocked loose. Off Base Housing. Cindi developed hypertension and Lawrence diagnosed with lung disease. The EPA began requiring public water systems to monitor for PFOA and PFOS in 2012, but even today there is no federal drinking water standards for PFOA or PFOS. [1] On the first Wednesday the, fresh flight crew would relive the current flight crew in the bunkers. The Wurtsmith Air Force Base, created in 1923, played a large role in WWII. 1946. [1], Over the course of Mr. Nortons career as both a KC-135 Navigator, and a DC-10 Pilot, Mr. Norton served as a flight commander, served numerous, deployments during the Gulf War escorting fighter squadrons from the United, States into theater, supporting fighter squadrons and bomber squadrons in, theater, served multiple temporary duty assignments to England, Spain, Saudi, Arabia, Alaska, and other Air Force Bases around the globe. A ground-water divide cuts diagonally across the Base from northwest to sou The 5,221-acre site is bounded by Van Etten Lake to the north and east . While the vast majority of personnel on Wurtsmith Air, Force Base were not part of a flight crew rotating through ready alert, their, respective jobs all served to ensure those planes could take off at a moments, notice. My husband and our two children lived there from 1985-1993 I have a nerve problem my daughter has autoimmune (MS) youngest daughter has kidney problems. [1] The KC-135s had many more opportunities to travel because they would fly in support of any craft capable of refueling in flight. We make no endorsements or recommendations of any VSO, attorney, law firm, claims specialists or organization working with veterans on their service-connected claim(s). At the start of 1985, Wurtsmith maintained an $80 million annual payroll with 3,600 military and civilian personnel. to share information regarding health issues, and probable chemical exposure via base water sources. Tests in Michigan near the former Wurtsmith Air Force base have found PFOS in groundwater at levels as high as 42,000 ppt. [4] Its mission was tomaintain half of the fleet on a 15 minute alert, meaning the plane could be inthe air in 15 minutes, to reduce vulnerability to a Soviet preemptive missilestrike. [5] The B-52s did not get to travel nearly as much as the KC-135s. I was shocked when we drove to a wooded area not far from bomber alert pad and WSA up the road of the k9 area where a bull dozed had dug a large trench and we were ordered to dump the shit. [4] In the later, years of World War II Wurtsmith Air Force Base was used as a fighter-interceptor training base and housed the 332d fighter group, which was part of the famous Tuskegee Airmen. The P-6 Hawk (1932-1937) Aircraft was @ Oscoda. He was training with fellow pilots out of what was then Selfridge Field when his plane crashed. Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport became a public airport in 1993. [1] While this was a relatively boring week, it was extremely stressfulbecause no one knew when the alarm would sound, but more importantly no oneknew if it would be a drill or not. [1] While this was a relatively boring week, it was extremely stressful, because no one knew when the alarm would sound, but more importantly no one, knew if it would be a drill or not. Wurtsmith Air Force Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force base in Iosco County, Michigan.It operated from 1923 until decommissioned in 1993. After being relieved, the flight crew had until the following Monday morning, off. Student projects from Michigan Tech's SS3505 Military History of the United States, on the people, places, and objects involving our military history in the upper Great Lakes region. [1] Mr. Norton, arrived fresh from navigation school as a 2nd Lieutenant at Wurtsmith Air Force, Base in the fall of 1985. Investigation determined a defective tire caused the accident. I kept up with all this for a while then gave up. This bunker compound housed, the flight crews on ready alert, the three B-52 bombers ready to take off at a, moments notice, and the accompanying KC-135s ready to top off the B-52s after takeoff. Most individuals are not educated on what the base did before and after World War II, what is currently happening at this . The last was delivered in December 1930. The former Wurtsmith Air Force Base (WAFB), located in Oscoda, Iosco County, MI operated from 1924 to 1993. Engine not damaged. Their water table has been contaminated with high levels of PFOA because of the leakage of chemicals from Wurtsmith Air Force Base. They want the site to remain a memorial divers can visit. The intent is to create a self-help registry for those who were harmed by the extremely toxic organochlorine pesticide contamination detected at Military Family Housing. I was stationed there 1988-1992. Aircraft rolled 630 feet before nosing over. Veterans of the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda from the 1970s, and their families who lived with them on the base, face increased risks of leukemia and other harmful effects from prolonged exposures to toxic volatile organic compounds that were in the now-shuttered base's water supply at the time, a federal health agency has found. Drinking water laced with high levels of poisonous chemicals may be to blame for cancer and other chronic disease among veterans and families who lived at Wurtsmith Air Force Base in northern Michigan, according to a new federal health report draft. 1970 - The Air Force knew that some of the Webb Air Force Base Family Housing units, located in Big Spring Texas, were contaminated with and the occupants exposed to a large quantity of chlordane. I was born on base November 1978, and lived on base with my mom, brother born 1989 on base, and my dad, a civil engineer stationed on base until oct 1982. Wurtsmith Air Force Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force base that was closed by the 1991 Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC 2) and is a proposed EPA Superfund site. The P-6 could climb to 10,000 feet in 6.6 min. Only after, the plains were airborne would the crew be notified if it was a drill or not.[1]. The Losinskis said they want to preserve the site for people to dive on. Kelly mentioned she'd been thinking about getting . [1] Mr. Norton also landed. During the Cold War, the base became part of Strategic Air Command. Theyve seen lots of things underwater, but the story of the P-39 fighter lost just off the Port Huron beachfront touched them. In 1955 Wurtsmith Air Force Base became an official permanent post in the United States Air Force, which meant that many new services were implemented on base. Members of the Tuskegee Airmen, trained at Oscoda for several weeks and stayed on the base. They took a photo on April 11, from the surface of Lake Huron, of the wing of a Wold War II-era fighter plane that crashed during a training exercise, killing its pilot. . "The Department of Defense is evaluating [cleanup standards], and we take our lead from what the Department of Defense says," said Stephen TerMaath, who leads the Air Force division in charge of Wurtsmith cleanup. Marie and the straights of Mackinac. [1], As new technologies and mission goals evolved with time the need for the Strategic Air Commands need for the northern tier became obsolete. Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda Township, Mich. U.S. Department of Defense In Oscoda, authorities tracked the contamination of Van Etten Lake to Wurtsmith Air Force Base , which closed in 1993. As seen, in the picture of the runways, there is a Christmas tree coming off of the, beginning of the runway with a building next to it. Veteran Compensation Programs (www.veteranprograms.com) does not monitor, pre-screen or moderate posts, surveys, topics, comments, blogs or responses. On January 18, 1994 it was listed as a Superfund due to extensive groundwater contamination with heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds, including trichloroethylene, 1,1-dichloroethane, 1,1,1-trichloroethane . Wurtsmith Air Force Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force base that was closed by the 1991 Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC 2) and is a proposed EPA Superfund site. There are a lot of stories to tell. They resumed the investigation last spring. [1]After one week in the bunker on ready alert the flight crew would be relieved. This judgement flies in the face provided by the federal ATSDR and the National Institute of Health. The KC-135s would finish one mission and there would be another one waiting for them as soon as they were available. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. U.S. These bases wereresponsible for a housing a Ready Alert Nuclear Strike Force. [1] On May 9th 1961 the first B-52 landed in Wurtsmith Air Force Base, signifying the re-designation to a Strategic Air Command Base. Bert E. Skeel in 1924. He was stationed at the base. The base was first named after Capt. USVCP Staff Writers . Mr. Norton would occasionally return to fresh fish left by his neighbor on his porch. By comparing the concentrations of known fluorosurfactants with the total organofluorine, less than 10% of the fluorosurfactants were identified in half of the samples. The base was put into a standby status to be there just in case something happened in those areas. [6] The 379th Bomb Wing wasdisbanded on June 30th 1993. This resulted in KC-135 squadrons spending a greater amount of time on temporary duty assignments than other squadrons from Wurtsmith Air Force Base. After all of that great history, the Wurtsmith Air Force Base is still standing as a place that is visited by a plethora of people. These planes arrived at dawn on the first day of the Gulf War. But these days, the county is becoming a haven for retired people such as the Kuhlmans . So now what? He brought this idea to the attention of his squadron commander Major Carl Spaatz. Wurtsmith Air Force base was one of fivenorthern tier bases in the Strategic Air Commands arsenal. There is no amount of PFOA that is officially recognized as harmful. However, many studies have shown otherwise. Typically, brown-ish water occurs when there is large change in pressure/flow in a distribution system. [1], The ready alert flight crews were rotated on a three week cycle. They are surely exposed to this chemical nearly every day, whether it be playing outside on the playground or from being exposed to the chemicals via drinking the water. It was also possible for these missions to originate in the United States. ircraft operated from Oscoda Army Airfield. Hill Housing area-- Wurtsmith Elementary School, Grissom Elementary School, Wagner Middle School, . Major Gary Geiger assigned to the 911TH Safety Office with me back in the late 60's or early 70's was a Navitgator on the B-52's assigned to Westover AFB as he used to tell me when we deployed there do not know if he did time at Wurstmith AFB. [1] This meant that there was always at least threeB-52s armed with nuclear bombs, ready to take off at a moments notice. Heart condition, prostate cancer, diabetic, sometimes confused in making decisions. Fast forward to 1992, with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the US Air Force inactivated Strategic Air Command. [1] This includes on base housing, a daycare center for children, a doctor's office, a . The story stated Moody and three other pilots were taking gunnery practice about three miles north of Port Huron. In addition across the base boundary dirt road was the EOD range where every friday morning we burned and destroyed old munitions and other stuff they needed disposed of. [5] The 379th Bomb Wing immediately continued the 4026th, During the Pacific conflicts personnel and the KC-135, Stratotankers were deployed to forward bases in the Pacific to support land, operations. [1] As soon as the wheels touched down the clock would be reset and they could be sent out on another assignment. [1] This tight knit community was not confined to just the Air Force Base, but extended into the community as well. Comprehensive Base Plan, Department of the Air Force, Directorate of Engineering and Services DCS/PRE - Washington DC 1 April 1970 (revised 12 July 1978) . Wurtsmith Air Force Base. A Brief History of Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan, www.wurtsmithairmuseum.org/Wurtsmith_AFB/wurtsmith_afb.html. In 1979, the state of Michigan sued the Air Force for the contamination. Senators Gary Peters (MI) and Debbie Stabenow (MI) and U.S. My daughter was born there on base in 1987 she has gastric issues, and was born w heart issues. Any one else from 84-89 have issues? Military bases are known for significant staffing turnover. The sources Im using include The Air Force Historical Research Agency (AFRA); Photo collections from Wurtsmith Museum; Photo collections from Selfridge Museum, Selfridge AFB Historical files; and Aircraft Accident Reports. Dover Air Force base, Delaware. The water table is about 10 feet below land surface in the western part of the Base and about 25 feet below land surface in the eastern part. Traci Kroushour, an Oscoda resident until the age of 12, had her uterus removed at the age of 28 and can never have children. Learn how your comment data is processed. The plane was equipped with the cannon and four .50-caliber machine guns two mounted on the wings, two more just behind the propeller and timed to fire through the spinning blades. [1] This meant that there was always at least three, B-52s armed with nuclear bombs, ready to take off at a moments notice. This is a short video about the small museum located at the decommissioned Wurtsmith AFB in Oscoda Mi.http://www.rv-project.com [1] My son, was born on the base, has a malformed aorta and congenital nerve damage hearing loss. Lora Cole, 1/8/20 I am the daughter to a vet that was in this I was a baby at the time. The Losinskis found an account of the crash in the Times Herald. Over the course of Mr. Nortons career as both a KC-135 Navigatorand a DC-10 Pilot, Mr. Norton served as a flight commander, served numerousdeployments during the Gulf War escorting fighter squadrons from the UnitedStates into theater, supporting fighter squadrons and bomber squadrons intheater, served multiple temporary duty assignments to England, Spain, SaudiArabia, Alaska, and other Air Force Bases around the globe. In 1953 it was renamed Wurtsmith Air Force Base after Michigan native, Major General Paul Wurtsmith. Ruben C. Moffat flew a P-6 converted with a supercharged Conqueror engine on a record-breaking flight. It is one of the most famous bases located in our state. This weapon system used some hazardous and a lot of special chemicals to support it. Although in the past the Wurtsmith Air Force Base was extremely successful there are some prevalent issues with it today. Just run the water until it clears up. After a trip to the Boneyard in September 2019, hundreds of current and vintage photos are being sorted, scanned and uploaded. With all of this in a single family, the V.A. Everyone from the mechanics keeping the planes flyable, to the cooks, preparing food for the airmen stationed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, to the, commanders who ensured that everything from the flight schedules being correct. Some areas of the site are still under investigation. In fact the only time B-52s would travel was for training missions, or actually delivering ordinance to its target. We didnt know really what we had.. Over the 50 years of operation Wurtsmith Air Force Base had manydifferent missions. Veteran Compensation Programs. Wurtsmith Air Force base was one of five, northern tier bases in the Strategic Air Commands arsenal. Because of the economic impact of Wurtsmith Air Force Base the community was generally supportive of the airmen, and the base itself. [5] In recent years groundwater contamination has be linked to jet fuel, cleaning agents, and fire suppression agents used at Wurtsmith Air Force Base. Prior to our IOC inspection for the SRAM we were ordered to clean out igloos full of barrels 5gal to 55gal drums,1,000s of gallons which had been ordered by mistake to start the system. Lt. Ennis Whitehead was part of a unit at Selfridge Army Air Field. The ROAM system ensures that aircraft are serviced . Mr. Norton experienced this first hand while being station at Wurtsmith Air Force Base when he had his Squadron Commander help him hang drywall in his house. Had some issue at Loring Maine where I was stationed from 86-88 and nothing.VA is cricket s on this Richard Stanfill, 12/5/21I was stationed there from 1982 to October of 1985 and lost my left kidney to 3rd stage clear cell carcinoma I never smoked or did drugs. Report also stated that the Oscoda Michigan gunnery field was very rough and sandy and notoriously hard on wheels, landing gears etc. Lee N. 2023 Aspyre Media Group, LLC. Now, I have been diagnosed with Stage 5 kidney failure and congestive heart disease, I am currently on dialysis awaiting a kidney transplant. During World War II, P-47 fighters were assigned to Oscoda. Drinking Water At Wurtsmith AFB Contaminted. Two years after release I started to experience very visible loss of musculature and strength. The result was an airplane which had a much deeper and broader fuselage than did the P-1. [4] Over the tenure of the base it was home to an aerial gunnery range, a fighter-interceptor training base and later home to the 379th Bomb Wing as a member of the Strategic Air Command.[4]. It is perhaps the best-known of all the between wars Army pursuits. There were 10 passengers and six crew members on board. Since, 2010 sampling by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and the U.S. Air Force has identified elevated levels of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) contamination in drinking water wells and some locally caught fish and deer. [5] The B-52s did not get to travel nearly as much as the KC-135s. The gunnery range was tasked with training pilots from, Selfridge air base in the challenging maneuvers required to land a DeHavilland, biplane on the frozen lake Van Etten for the young Army Air Corps.
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