[1] This includes on base housing, a daycare center for children, a doctors office, a fully equipped gym, and a store where basic necessities were available, military police, office space, and everything necessary to ensure the planes are fully functioning and ready to fly missions. During the Pacific conflicts personnel and the KC-135Stratotankers were deployed to forward bases in the Pacific to support landoperations. At just after 10 pm on the 30 th October, on-duty personnel at Wurtsmith Air Force Base would report seeing a strange object hovering over the . [1], While these crews were on ready alert they did not have a whole, lot to do. My family lived on this base in 1983 to 1987, are we at risk? Bert E. Skeel in 1924. TCE in another well on Jet Street near the present day Wurtsmith AFB museum was 1,739-ppb. On June 30th, 1993 the 379th Bomb Wing was disbanded and Wurtsmith Air Force Base was closed. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. Their water table has been contaminated with high levels of PFOA because of the leakage of chemicals from Wurtsmith Air Force Base. Having high amounts of this chemical directly underneath their high school could have serious long-term effects on the kids that attend school as well as the faculty. [5] In recent years groundwater contamination has be linked to jet fuel, cleaning agents, and fire suppression agents used at Wurtsmith Air Force Base. Weights were 2450 lb. 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. It excelled in low-altitude ground support as a well-built and reliable aircraft capable of absorbing quite a bit of battle damage. 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. Over the 50 years of operation Wurtsmith Air Force Base had manydifferent missions. The Losinskis are divers David has been diving since 1977; his son, Drew, since 2002 and both are former members of the St. Clair County Dive Team. My mom was recently diagnosed a month ago with colon cancer and skin cancer and still being treated by a dr, my broth had sever ulcers his entire early childhood. Hill Housing area-- Wurtsmith Elementary School, Grissom Elementary School, Wagner Middle School, . [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. This cycle was from Wednesday to Wednesday. Me and Dan drive around base and check out the bunkers that held nuclear weapons during the cold war purposes only, and is not legal advice. High blood serum levels of PFOA are associated with infertility, decreased semen quality, and a higher risk of thyroid disease. This includes extra parts, munitions, fuel, and flight crews. 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 single enlisted airmen who lived on base were housed in barracks. 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. Click on a marker for base information. Like the former Pease Air Force Base in Portsmouth and Newington, the former Michigan base is now a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) site. Im slowly working my way up from 1924 to the present. The Realignment of Griffiss Air Force Base. to share information regarding health issues, and probable chemical exposure via base water sources. In a fly off against the contemporary Boeing P-12B, the P-6E was faster, but the P-12B was more maneuverable. [1] Wurtsmith Air Force Base was 2nd Lt. Nortons first, permanent duty station in the United States Air Force. One of the unfortunate risks in flying is a crash. The P-6 could climb to 10,000 feet in 6.6 min. [5] However, the B-52H aircraft maintained nuclear alert at Wurtsmith, Air Force Base. VA counselor "don't waste your time". A sand and gravel aquifer of glacial origin underlies Wurtsmith Air Force Base in northeastern lower Michigan. Located in Iosco County, Michigan, Wurtsmith Air Force Base operated from 1923 until decommissioned in 1993. [1] Mr. Norton also landedthe first KC-135 in operation Southern Watch. Even studies on fish have been done, where it was found that PFOA is a liver carcinogen in rainbow trout. What's next? 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. The single officers who lived on base lived in a dorm type building. In July 2018 the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), set the table for Congress to consider legislation that would force the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to extend health benefits to base veterans without making them prove their illnesses are linked to chemical exposure. [5] One crew flew 29mission out of Jeddah, setting the record for most missions flew by a bombercrew in theater. The Air Force says, Any aircraft before 1961, weve abandoned it.. [1] The documentary by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Sara Ganim focuses on PFAS contamination at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda, Michigan. My first assignment as a Nuclear Weapons specialist was at wurtsmith where we deployed the AGM 69A SRAM missile system. The pilot apparently noticed it and tried to lift his ship. The P-6 was generally similar to the P-1 in construction and appearance. 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. The average person has around 3 or 4 parts per billion of these chemicals present in their blood. The EPA Superfund Contaminants of Concern Update of June 3, 2016 lists all the same contaminants listed in 38-3307(7)(i) as it relates to USMC Camp Lejeune water contaminants. The base is influential in Michigan, as well as the United States military history. [1] On May 9th 1961 the first B-52 landed in Wurtsmith Air Force Basesignifying the re-designation to a Strategic Air Command Base. Typical occurrences on Wurtsmith Air Force Base included planes flying in and out on missions. [1] Mr. Norton, arrived fresh from navigation school as a 2nd Lieutenant at Wurtsmith Air Force, Base in the fall of 1985. This judgement flies in the face provided by the federal ATSDR and the National Institute of Health. Since 1994, the Wurtsmith Air Museum has upheld the mission of preserving the history of the history of Wurtsmith Air Force Base (an integral part of the US Air Force from 1923 until 1993) and aviation in Northeast Michigan. [5] The 379th flew with a Triangle K tail flash to continue the, tradition from their World War II counterparts. 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. [2] The flight crashed at 2:20PM while returning from K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base in the Upper Peninsula. The B-52 is being serviced under the Strategic Air Command Recovery Oriented Aircraft Maintenance (ROAM) system. I was stationed there 1978 -81 lived on base they never told us about the water being contaminated . These mission were into Iraq. After a trip to the Boneyard in September 2019, hundreds of current and vintage photos are being sorted, scanned and uploaded. 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. Lee N. 2023 Aspyre Media Group, LLC. . This is a very big issue for the people of Oscoda and the surrounding areas for obvious reasons. 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. [1] As tensions increased around the world and the likelihood of an actual mission being flown while on ready alert increased, the week, The typical activities while not on ready alert varied greatly, from person to person. This gave the Army operations the opportunity to begin creating the base we know today. The museum's exhibits are extensive and incredibly high-quality -- including several aircraft that can be examined up . The gunnery range was tasked with training pilots fromSelfridge air base in the challenging maneuvers required to land a DeHavillandbiplane on the frozen lake Van Etten for the young Army Air Corps. These contaminants are harmful to the environment. [1] Wurtsmith Air Force Base was 2nd Lt. Nortons firstpermanent duty station in the United States Air Force.[1]. U.S. This unfortunately happened on October 11. , 1988 when KC-135 crashed with 6 crew members and 10 passengers on board. 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. [6] The 379th Bomb Wing wasdisbanded on June 30th 1993. These bases were, responsible for a housing a Ready Alert Nuclear Strike Force. Once we brought that up and cleaned the tag, we knew it was the 221226 serial number.. 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. My daughter was born at the base hospital. [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. 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, flight crew would spend one week in the bunker and be confined to an undisclosed. PORT HURON, Mich. David and Drew Losinski are struck by the coincidence. 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. Robert Krouse, 12/31/19Stationed at Wurtsmith AFB from 1978 to 1980 and lived in barracks. We knew we had some kind of plane.. If you are interested in any particular aircraft of time period please let me know. I have also read about the PFAS via fire retardant foam. So now what? There were frequently extremely large and loud airplanes taxiing, taking off, and landing in the base. On May 9, 1961, the base took delivery of its first new Boeing B-52 H Stratofortress, The State of Michigan. The 5,223-acre Wurtsmith Air Force Base (Wurtsmith AFB) is located on the northeastern part of Michigans lower peninsula. 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 . Senators Gary Peters (MI) and Debbie Stabenow (MI) and U.S. I still stay in touch with Gary but do not know if he has an e-mail account. The 5,221-acre site is bounded by Van Etten Lake to the north and east . August 8, 2018. 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). The aquifer overlies a thick clay layer at an average depth of 65 feet. The main mission of Oscoda Army Air Field, at the time, was to defend Sault Ste. He said the wreckage from the plane is scattered across the lake bottom. Neither Michigan nor any U.S. officials have conducted a comprehensive study on the contaminants and pollutants under the base. It is perhaps the best-known of all the between wars Army pursuits. The good speed of the P-6E was counterbalanced by some unsatisfacory handling characteristics which made it sluggish in response to controls. 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 would result in a large amount of paperwork and extra expenses for the Air Force. [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]. Most Air Corps/Force types used Oscoda at one time or another. Although in the past the Wurtsmith Air Force Base was extremely successful there are some prevalent issues with it today. The P-47D, in general service by the spring of 1944, had a maximum speed of 440 miles (700 km) per hour and a ceiling of 40,000 feet (12,200 meters). March 7, 1942: The first class of Tuskegee Airmen graduate from U.S. Army Air Force Tuskegee Army Air Field, Alabama. It was formed on 1 August 1961 to merge the 3908th Strategic Standardization Group for SAC aircrew evaluation with the 1st Radar Bomb Scoring Group that had originated from the 263rd Army Air Force Base Unit which transferred from 15th AF to directly under Strategic Air Command c. During those efforts, they noted several areas they wanted to investigate, including one about four miles north of the Blue Water Bridge. [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. [ 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 . 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 . In 1977 the 379th Bomb Wing upgraded the B-52H fleet to B-52G, During the Gulf War B-52s from Wurtsmith Air Force Base were flown. There is an ongoing project to decontaminate the area. I have had sever kidney problems since 1983 that carried on into my mid teens. 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. 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. distance from the bunker. This air field was in dire need of a gunnery range because they being forced out of their gunnery range on Lake St. Clair. As soon as an assignment went over 180 days it was considered a permanent change in duty station. If your base is not on the map or list above, this does not mean you were not exposed to PFAS chemicals from firefighting foam. In addition, it would facilitate the installation of nose cannon since the armament could be mounted near the centerline, minimizing the effects of recoil forces. [5] The B-52s did not get to travel nearly as much as the KC-135s. It was also possible for these missions to originate in the United States. Stay tuned for further developments. There is a lot of open runways still today that can be rented out for a multitude of events. The M&FRC is located at 1550 Wurtsmith St . 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. http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2016/06/wurtsmith_veterans_health.html, http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2016/11/13/deq-we-dont-yet-know-full-extent-wurtsmith-air-base-contamination/93242484/, https://www.publicintegrity.org/2017/08/18/21105/military-bases-contamination-will-affect-water-generations, http://www.wurtsmithairmuseum.org/Wurtsmith_AFB/wurtsmith_afb.html, Military History of the Upper Great Lakes. Located in Oscoda, Michigan this base is positioned no more than two miles off the shore of Lake Huron. It had a commissary, a gas station, a hospital, housing, a bowling alley," said veteran Michael Grogan. We came across the gauge cluster, which had the radio call tag, David Losinski said. A new report compiled by a local group, Need Our Water (NOW) and the National Wildlife Federation . Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Mich., served primarily as a combat crew and bomber training base throughout its 70-year history. The brown tint is (mostly) caused by scale build up in the pipes being knocked loose. [1], While Wurtsmith Air Force Base was its own little town, it was segregated by officers and enlisted. Deliveries of the first P-6s were late, the first example not appearing until October 1929. After being relieved, the flight crew had until the following Monday morningoff. 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. Why are you focusing only on chlordane and other organochlorine pesticide (OCP) contamination at the Family Housing? 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. The majority of married enlisted and officers preferred to live on base because of the free daycare for children. Any one else from 84-89 have issues? It remained named Camp Skeel until 1942 when it was renamed Oscoda Army Air Field (WAFB.net). To all who are interested in the Camp Skeel/Oscoda AAF/Wurtsmith AFB History. I saw a big splash, and then the plane went out of sight.. [1] The KC-135s had many more opportunities to travel because they would fly in support of any craft capable of refueling in flight. The "Red Tail" P-51 Mustangs flown by the Tuskeegee Airmen []. The married officers lived in a standalone house with their family. The P-47 Thunderbolt fighter and fighter-bomber was used by the Allied air forces during World War II. My ex wife has thyroid disease and auto immune disease. Mr. Norton remarked that they were flying the wings off of the planes. He brought this idea to the attention of his squadron commander Major Carl Spaatz. It still haunts me today that we had to do that and were told to just follow orders. Wurtsmith got its start in 1923 as Loud-Reames Aviation Field, a soft-surface landing site for Arm Air Corps aircraft from Selfridge Field. Welcome to The WAFB Historical Site dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of Wurtsmith Air Force Base and the units assigned there. This is extremely important because harsh chemicals can negatively impact the future of children and infants as well as the elderly. Wurtsmith Air Force Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force base in Iosco County, Michigan.It operated from 1923 until decommissioned in 1993. [1] On the first Wednesday the, fresh flight crew would relive the current flight crew in the bunkers. 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 . [1], When the Gulf War started in 1990, the 379th Bomber Wing sent B-52s as well as their accompanying KC-135s into the Middle East. It had everything in it. Aircraft upper wing, left lower wing, rudder and propeller damaged. (Superstorm) Sandy came along (in October) and moved things around, David Losinski said. While the vast majority of personnel on Wurtsmith AirForce Base were not part of a flight crew rotating through ready alert, theirrespective jobs all served to ensure those planes could take off at a momentsnotice. Im using a combination of several source materials to tell the history of the area. [1] As soon as the wheels touched down the clock would be reset and they could be sent out on another assignment. 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. But these days, the county is becoming a haven for retired people such as the Kuhlmans . [3], www.nytimes.com/1988/10/12/us/six-are-killed-in-crash-of-an-air-force-tanker.html, www.wurtsmithairmuseum.org/Wurtsmith_AFB/wurtsmith_afb.html, www.strategic-air-command.com/bases/Wurtsmith_AFB.htm, www.strategic-air-command.com/wings/0379bw.htm, http://ss.sites.mtu.edu/mhugl/2015/10/11/wurtsmith-air-force-base/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wurtsmith_Air_Force_Base. 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. [1] This includes on base housing, a daycare center for children, a doctor's office, a . Survived stage 3 oral cancer and per medical review, origin unknown since I have never smoked. The base came to be because of chance. Veteran Compensation Programs (veteranprograms.com) assumes NO liability, and expressly disclaims any and all responsibility, for the content of all posts, surveys, topics, comments, blogs or responses. Dallas Naval base, Texas. 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. 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). [1] This tight knit community was not confined to just the Air Force Base, but extended into the community as well. Published August 24, 2021 at 4:15 PM EDT. The Airacobra reached its peak usage in the USAAF in early 1944, with over 2100 in service. still rejects and "nexus" to the toxic chemicals on the base. This article is from 2018.. I was stationed there 1988-1992. With that being said, these chemicals are going to be reaching a lot more people than just the Oscoda residents. At this time Wurtsmith Air Force Base was still part of theStrategic Air Commands bomber fleet. The site of Wurtsmith Air Force Base is located 2 miles Northwest of Oscoda, Michigan, about 150 miles North of Detroit. [1], The northern tier Strategic Air Command Ready Alert Strike Force bases were considered less than desirable duty stations for one main reason. U.S. Air Force should abide by state of Michigan's PFAS Standards, state must hold Air Force accountable. My symptoms looking back were insidious with weakness and muscle fasciculations. This resulted in KC-135 squadrons spending a greater amount of time on temporary duty assignments than other squadrons from Wurtsmith Air Force Base. Beginning in July 1944, the P-47 Thunderbolt was used extensively to train Free French Air Force pilots at Oscoda Army Air Field (AAF). The human-made chemicals are in your blood, your clothes, your cosmetics. 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. 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. This happened a couple weeks before the IOC which is in the wing,ahistorical records on microfilm. [5] The 379th Bomb Wing immediately continued the 4026thStrategic Wing operations and training. Because of the restriction of being close to the Christmas tree they, resorted to playing cards, working out, reading, and sleeping while they were, not conducting recurrent training to stay up to date and proficient on their, equipment. The Wurtsmith base closed in 1991, sending the Harrises to Plattsburgh, N.Y., where friends and neighbors remembered the boys as Scouts and Little Leaguers, and their parents as being involved in . During the Gulf War these planes were run practically 24/7, landing only to swap flight crews to meet the flight crew rest requirements. She also has many other irregular health problems including bone death, fibromyalgia, irregular heartbeat, gastrointestinal problems, and underdeveloped reproductive organs. In 1932, Capt. Engine not damaged. The state says, We dont have jurisdiction over that; its the Air Force, Losinski said. We offer visitors three hangars full of military (all branches) and aviation history, static aircraft displays, artifacts, equipment and lots of WAFB memorabilia. This lead to Wurtsmith transferring to Air Combat Command control, and then on June 30th 1993, Wurtsmith Air Force Base closed. In 2016, residents near Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Michigan discovered that the water they drank, bathed in, swam in, and fished in was contaminated with jet fuel, cancer-causing chlorinated . The married enlisted airmen who lived on base lived in a condo type set up with their family. Drinking Water At Wurtsmith AFB Contaminted. These chemicals have been shown to cause problems with thyroid, liver, kidney, reproduction, and other health problems. /. Comprehensive Base Plan, Department of the Air Force, Directorate of Engineering and Services DCS/PRE - Washington DC 1 April 1970 (revised 12 July 1978) . Service ceiling 27,200 feet, and range was 260 miles. The base became a permanent installation on January 1, 1951, when the U. S. Air Force designated it as a fighter training base for the Air Defense command. Timothy Marcum, 1/15/2071-73 camp lejeune nc bad water va in redding pretends they know nothing about having problems. The study doesn't estimate past concentrations or exposure dosage and was released with . These Air Force bases were remote. The Lackland Air Force Base Education Center is located at 1550 Wurtsmith Street, Suite 5. . One of these places included directly underneath the Oscoda high school. 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.