[2] The flight crashed at 2:20PM while returning from K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base in the Upper Peninsula. Click on a marker for base information. 70-77 lived on base housing with family, flight line assistant supervisor. Nothing contained herein should be used as a substitute for the advice of a competent Veteran Service Officer (VSO)in good standing and licensed to practice in your jurisdiction. This bunker compound housedthe flight crews on ready alert, the three B-52 bombers ready to take off at amoments notice, and the accompanying KC-135s ready to top off the B-52s after takeoff. http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2017/04/wurtsmith_pfas_pfc_april_45_me.html. Engine not damaged. In a fly off against the contemporary Boeing P-12B, the P-6E was faster, but the P-12B was more maneuverable. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality released a report Thursday, Aug. 30, concluding that Wurtsmith wells were 'likely impacted' by PFAS contamination between 1978 and 1997, when municipal water from Lake Huron was brought to the base. 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. 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. Representatives Dan Kildee (MI-05) and Elissa Slotkin (MI-08) today urged the U.S. Air Force to take more significant steps to address PFAS contamination around the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base near Oscoda. The 1st Combat Evaluation Group (initially "1CEG", later "1CEVG") was a Strategic Air Command (SAC) unit. [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. USVCP Staff Writers . [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]. There were four planes, and I was watching them from our front window, as I usually do when theyre engaged in gunnery practice. It is one of the most famous bases located in our state. I have also read about the PFAS via fire retardant foam. In addition, the rear fuselage was deepened in order that it could faire cleanly into the bottom of the radiator. Physical Location:4071 East Van Ettan StreetOscoda, Michigan 48750, Mailing Address:PO Box 664Oscoda, Michigan 48750, Tele: (989) 739-7555(Not answered Nov-Apr)Email:email@wurtsmithairmuseum.net, AN ARTIFACT FROM WURTSMITHS COLD WAR PAST HAS RETURNED HOME, There was one final project I wanted to accomplish before departing my assignment as Flight Commander of Aircrew Flight Equipment and SERE at the. 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. This remoteness of Wurtsmith Air Force Base, as well as common brotherhood of being in the United States Air Force resulted in a tight knit community formed by the airmen and their families. Heavily armed with eight wing-mounted 0.50-inch (12.7-mm) machine guns, it could carry a bomb load of as much as 2,500 pounds (1,100 kg) and could carry ten 5-inch (127-mm) rockets beneath the wings. This includes extra parts, munitions, fuel, and flight crews. With that being said, these chemicals are going to be reaching a lot more people than just the Oscoda residents. The main mission of Oscoda Army Air Field, at the time, was to defend Sault Ste. The M&FRC is located at 1550 Wurtsmith St . These Air Force bases were remote. Environmental groups are calling on the Air Force and the State of Michigan to get serious about cleaning up PFAS around the site of the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base. In a nutshell, this is what were trying to do get permission to relocate the parts so they would resemble a plane, David Losinski said. My son, was born on the base, has a malformed aorta and congenital nerve damage hearing loss. 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. Dover Air Force base, Delaware. (Superstorm) Sandy came along (in October) and moved things around, David Losinski said. Military History of the Upper Great Lakes, Over the 50 years of operation Wurtsmith Air Force Base had many, different missions. What they had was a one-seat warplane piloted by 2nd Lt. Frank H. Moody, of Los Angeles. [4] On August 1st 1958 the 4026th Strategic Wing was formed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base. One of the unfortunate risks in flying is a crash. WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Most individuals are not educated on what the base did before and after World War II, what is currently happening at this . It was the most horrible thing I have ever witnessed, she said. 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 . This unfortunately happened on October 11. , 1988 when KC-135 crashed with 6 crew members and 10 passengers on board. March 7, 1942: The first class of Tuskegee Airmen graduate from U.S. Army Air Force Tuskegee Army Air Field, Alabama. There are many different ways that PFOA and PFOS can affect the human body. Welcome to The WAFB Historical Site dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of Wurtsmith Air Force Base and the units assigned there. From humble beginnings in the 1920's as a aircraft gunnery range, to its status as a vital member of our strategic defense, Wurtsmith Air Force Base has distinguished itself as an important part of our country's military history. /. Lora Cole, 1/8/20 I am the daughter to a vet that was in this I was a baby at the time. These are simply the specific . Because of the restriction of being close to the Christmas tree theyresorted to playing cards, working out, reading, and sleeping while they werenot conducting recurrent training to stay up to date and proficient on theirequipment. Because of the economic impact of Wurtsmith Air Force Base the community was generally supportive of the airmen, and the base itself. The 5,223-acre Wurtsmith Air Force Base (Wurtsmith AFB) is located on the northeastern part of Michigans lower peninsula. According to Robert Delaney, a Michigan Department of Environmental Quality specialist, If you pull the water out of the ground in that training area, it still foams, theres so much in there. Since this entire problem stems from the fact that the foam used to extinguish fires on the base is what carried the toxic chemical, that goes to show just how invasive and problematic this contamination can be. Aircraft rolled 630 feet before nosing over. I served at Wurtsmith from 1974-1977 my whole family has suffered from various ongoing ailments. Mrs. Cecil V. Fowler saw the crash, according to the Times Herald article. These organizations primarily fall into seven types of activities: aviation, manufacturing, technology, medical, housing, education, community services and technology. 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. [1] This meant that there was always at least threeB-52s armed with nuclear bombs, ready to take off at a moments notice. The brown tint is (mostly) caused by scale build up in the pipes being knocked loose. The Wurtsmith Air Force Incident. She gave Kelly the rundown of the base. The human-made chemicals are in your blood, your clothes, your cosmetics. Neither Michigan nor any U.S. officials have conducted a comprehensive study on the contaminants and pollutants under the base. At this time, the camp was renamed and the airfield was under III Fighter Command jurisdiction. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas - Announced in late 2021 by the spouse of the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Sharene Brown, it increases focus and attention on the top five quality of life challenges military families face. It has recently been discovered that that the base has been leaking chemicals into the surrounding waterways. Airport History. Theyre looking for other divers who can assist with the effort. Wurtsmith earned recognition during the war as the leader of the group of pilots using P-40 and P-38 fighter . [1]These KC-135s were necessary because the B-52 could not take off with both afull load of ordnance and a full tank of gas. Thisflight crew would spend one week in the bunker and be confined to an undiscloseddistance from the bunker. The former Wurtsmith Air Force Base (WAFB), located in Oscoda, Iosco County, MI operated from 1924 to 1993. [1] This was followed by one and a half weeks of normal day to day activities, until the flight crew relieved crew on ready alert in the bunkers. The Losinskis found an account of the crash in the Times Herald. . Because the Committee on Toxicology (NRC, 1979) concluded that it could not determine a level of exposure to chlordane below which there would be no biologic effect under conditions of prolonged exposure of families in military housing. The pesticide levels and CERCLA 120(h) Deed Restrictions are public information and readily available. Groundwater data collected in 1999 at Wurtsmith Air Force Base (Michigan), Tyndall Air Force Base (Florida) and Naval Air Station Fallon (Nevada), where PFC concentrations ranged from below detection limit to over 14,000 g/L, suggest that any military site where AFFFs have been used is likely to have a dissolved plume containing . "It was a city within a city. I am not a doctor or attorney, and cannot give medical advice or legal advice. This could be from hydrant flushing or a water main break. [1] Wurtsmith Air Force Base was 2nd Lt. Nortons firstpermanent duty station in the United States Air Force.[1]. [1], The ready alert flight crews were rotated on a three week cycle. Weve done quite a bit of documenting and measuring, David Losinski said. Wurtsmith Air Force Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force base in Iosco County, Michigan.It operated from 1923 until decommissioned in 1993. Bert E. Skeel in 1924. Photos of P-47s flown by French Pilots at Oscoda. This is an evolving issue with many moving parts. The pilot apparently noticed it and tried to lift his ship. The state says, We dont have jurisdiction over that; its the Air Force, Losinski said. 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. [THE FLINT JOURNAL VIA AP] Senator Gary Peters (MI), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, today called on the Air Force to expedite PFAS cleanup efforts at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda.In a letter to Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Energy John . The military has not begun cleanups at any of the 50 Department of Defense sites Congress has identified as highly contaminated with the "forever chemicals" known as PFAS - and it could be years before cleanups are complete. This is a short video about the small museum located at the decommissioned Wurtsmith AFB in Oscoda Mi.http://www.rv-project.com During the Cold War, the base became part of Strategic Air Command. Since its establishment in 1923, Wurtsmith played an important role in World War II, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf War, hosting the 134th Army Air Force Base Fighter Unit and 379th Bombardment Wing respectively. Aug 24, 2021. NPL Status: Proposed Street Address: AFBCA/DB, OSCODA, MI 54961 Congressional District: 01 EPA ID: MI5570024278 Population (within 1 mile): 101-1,000 Contaminant Information. [1] At some point over the week an alarm would sound, signaling to the flight crew that the B-52s had to be in the air. Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Mich., served primarily as a combat crew and bomber training base throughout its 70-year history. Today the Wurtsmith district is integral to the community's economic potential. 1944 -- Maj. Gen. Paul B. Wurtsmith, born in Detroit in 1906, led U. S. Army Air Corps training flights to Camp Skeel near Oscoda prior to World War II. More than 40 private businesses and public agencies use the former Air Force facilities and infrastructure, providing more than 1,300 jobs to the area, as well as the conversion of former base housing to 700 privately owned residential homes. [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. [5] The B-52s did not get to travel nearly as much as the KC-135s. When the Gulf War started in 1990, the 379, Bomber Wing sent B-52s as well as their accompanying KC-135s into the Middle East. [1], As new technologies and mission goals evolved with time the need for the Strategic Air Commands need for the northern tier became obsolete. 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. This gave the Army operations the opportunity to begin creating the base we know today. To all who are interested in the Camp Skeel/Oscoda AAF/Wurtsmith AFB History. The Air Force says, Any aircraft before 1961, weve abandoned it.. The base was put into a standby status to be there just in case something happened in those areas. Lt. Ennis Whitehead was part of a unit at Selfridge Army Air Field. The Air Force's decline to commit to Michigan's standards is among a litany of frustrations Oscoda residents say they have . Leaking chemical storage tanks and waste disposal operations contaminated soil and groundwater with hazardous chemicals. Lee N. 2023 Aspyre Media Group, LLC. On National Vietnam War Veterans Day, we recognize the many men and women who served and fought during the difficult conflict, giving them the appreciation they deserve. On June 30, , 1993 the 379th Bomb Wing was disbanded and Wurtsmith Air Force Base was closed. Deliveries of the first P-6s were late, the first example not appearing until October 1929. [1] This includes on base housing, a daycare center for children, a doctor's office, a . The KC-135s would finish one mission and there would be another one waiting for them as soon as they were available. [5] Assuming the equipment, personnel and aircraft of the 4026th Strategic, wing as it was disbanded. There were also problems with the complex nose-mounted reduction gear, which caused reliability problems and resulted in fairly low serviceability rates as compared with other fighters. 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. After being relieved, the flight crew had until the following Monday morning, off. This is heinous, and my heart goes out to so many. U.S. Air Force should abide by state of Michigan's PFAS Standards, state must hold Air Force accountable. While many of the airmen preferred to live on base it was possible for them to buy or rent a house or apartment off post. Wurtsmith Air Force Base is said to have originally started with a fishing trip between two men. View All Homes - Homes for Rent Im using a combination of several source materials to tell the history of the area. [5] Wurtsmith AFB, Mich SAC 379th Bomb Wing B-52, www.strategic-air-command.com/bases/Wurtsmith_AFB.htm. After one week in the bunker on ready alert the flight crew would be relieved. Any one else from 84-89 have issues? 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. State officials' concerns about pollution in the area date back to 2012, when the health department issued a "do not eat" advisory for all fish caught near Wurtsmith Air Force Base. [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. Theyve seen lots of things underwater, but the story of the P-39 fighter lost just off the Port Huron beachfront touched them. Hill Housing area-- Wurtsmith Elementary School, Grissom Elementary School, Wagner Middle School, . A series of stringers were added to the fuselage sides to round out the cross section. [1]After one week in the bunker on ready alert the flight crew would be relieved. What us the compensation for this? Section 107, the written material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed an interest in receiving the included information for educational purposes. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. Ruben C. Moffat flew a P-6 converted with a supercharged Conqueror engine on a record-breaking flight. She has all kinds of problems, my ex died of cancer and I have all kinds of problems. 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. [5] One crew flew 29mission out of Jeddah, setting the record for most missions flew by a bombercrew in theater. During the Pacific conflicts personnel and the KC-135Stratotankers were deployed to forward bases in the Pacific to support landoperations. Weights were 2450 lb. [1], As new technologies and mission goals evolved with time the need for the Strategic Air Commands need for the northern tier became obsolete. The former base includes 4,626 acres (1,872 ha) located approximately two miles west of Lake Huron in the Charter Township of Oscoda, bordered by Van Ettan Lake, the Au . There are many historical planes you can visit as well as other interesting pieces of history that the public may view. In this June 6, 2018 photo, PFAS foam washes up on the shoreline of Van Etten Lake in Oscoda Township, Mich., near Wurtsmith Air Force Base. We didnt know really what we had.. Moodys body was not recovered until it washed ashore in Port Huron on June 4, 1944 two days before D-Day and the invasion of Normandy. The result was an airplane which had a much deeper and broader fuselage than did the P-1. This, flight crew would spend one week in the bunker and be confined to an undisclosed. The average person has around 3 or 4 parts per billion of these chemicals present in their blood. At the time, George was a hub of F-4 Phantom fighter jets and OV-10 Bronco reconnaissance planes. Powerplant: 1 Allison V-1710-85 liquid-cooled V-12, 1,200 hp (895 kW), Maximum speed: 376 mph (605 km/h) (Redline dive speed was 525 mph), Range: 525 miles on internal fuel (840 km). Since its establishment in 1923, Wurtsmith played an important role in World War II, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf War, hosting the 134th Army Air Force Base Fighter Unit and 379th Bombardment Wing respectively. 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. There is a lot of open runways still today that can be rented out for a multitude of events. 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. History. The base is influential in Michigan, as well as the United States military history. The site of Wurtsmith Air Force Base is located 2 miles Northwest of Oscoda, Michigan, about 150 miles North of Detroit. [4] Enchanted Forest Web Page Design Service. [5], Dave Norton resigned his commotion as a United States Air ForceCaptain on May 30th, 1993 exactly 9 years after receiving his commissionas a 2nd Lt. form the United States Air Force Academy. [1] This would result in a large amount of paperwork and extra expenses for the Air Force. The Tuskegee Airmen were African-American members of the 332nd Fighter Group and 477th Bombardment Group of the United States Army Air Force who fought in Europe during World War II. It was also possible for these missions to originate in the United States. With all of this in a single family, the V.A. The 379th was reassigned to Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan without personnel or equipment in January 1961, assuming the aircraft, personnel and equipment of the discontinued 4026th Strategic Wing. During those efforts, they noted several areas they wanted to investigate, including one about four miles north of the Blue Water Bridge. The P-47 Thunderbolt fighter and fighter-bomber was used by the Allied air forces during World War II. Many tests have been done to see the extent to which the contamination is harming the citizens residing in the area. It has been discovered that the chemicals that are impacting the health of these local citizens are chemicals that come from the foam that fire fighters used to put out fires that were on the base. [3] Search Superfund Site Information. EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 28 Dec. 2016, cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/cursites/csitinfo.cfm?id=0503675. There is no amount of PFOA that is officially recognized as harmful. However, many studies have shown otherwise. The majority of married enlisted and officers preferred to live on base because of the free daycare for children. OSCODA, Mich. - Oscoda residents and PFAS activists today held a press conference on the shores of Van Etten Lake to set the record straight on the Air Force's contamination of their community from the former Wurtsmith Air . Like the former Pease Air Force Base in Portsmouth and Newington, the former Michigan base is now a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) site. distance from the bunker. This judgement flies in the face provided by the federal ATSDR and the National Institute of Health. They also were known as the Red Tails because they painted the tails of their aircraft red. There is an ongoing project to decontaminate the area. This building was like the barracks, but each officer had his own room. My wife has breast cancer, and Hashimoto's Disease (auto immune), I had a double mastectomy to remove growths, hormone issues, kidney scaring liver lesions, lumps in both lungs, sleep APNEA, sudden onset Headaches, unexplained stress attacks, to name a few. The base came to be because of chance. [1], While Wurtsmith Air Force Base was its own little town, it was segregated by officers and enlisted. 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. 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. Theseplanes would regularly fly missions from Wurtsmith Air Force Base during thecold war. Timothy Marcum, 1/15/2071-73 camp lejeune nc bad water va in redding pretends they know nothing about having problems. Off Base Housing. He was training with fellow pilots out of what was then Selfridge Field when his plane crashed. The presumptive disabilities from contaminated water at Wurtsmith AFB would lead to automatic compensation to potentially thousands of veterans. I have had many other health issues since and have recently found all of this. They were stationed at the air base from 1986 to 1993. 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. They included chemicals like MEK, PD 680, TRI CHLOROFLOIANS, ACIDS, ALODIANS, ALL KINDS OF PAINTS, SPECIAL MISSILE SKIN REPAIR KITS. In 1953 it was renamed Wurtsmith Air Force Base after Michigan native, Major General Paul Wurtsmith. These planes arrived at dawn on the first day of the Gulf War. City Picto Map, Clark Air Base / Angeles City. 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.
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