The married enlisted airmen who lived on base lived in a condo type set up with their family. The site of Wurtsmith Air Force Base is located 2 miles Northwest of Oscoda, Michigan, about 150 miles North of Detroit. On June 30, , 1993 the 379th Bomb Wing was disbanded and Wurtsmith Air Force Base was closed. to the proper paperwork being completed to allow the missions to continue. 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 . By Steve Elliott 502nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs. 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. 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 . [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]. It was renamed Camp Skeel in 1924, for the World War I Pilot Captain Burt E. Skeel, and was used as an aerial gunnery range and for winter maneuvers 1924 through 1944 by the 1st Pursuit . Only afterthe plains were airborne would the crew be notified if it was a drill or not. The Air Force . Located in Oscoda, Michigan this base is positioned no more than two miles off the shore of Lake Huron. By comparing the concentrations of known fluorosurfactants with the total organofluorine, less than 10% of the fluorosurfactants were identified in half of the samples. Senators Gary Peters (MI) and Debbie Stabenow (MI) and U.S. ROME, N.Y. -- There was nothing small-scale about Griffiss Air Force Base in the 1990s. 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. The single enlisted airmen who lived on base were housed in barracks. In 1932, Capt. Airplane nosed over when landing gear tire casing failed, locking the right wheel. 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. PFOA exposure is also shown to be associated with increased risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children between ages 12-15. Dover Air Force base, Delaware. The Air Force says, Any aircraft before 1961, weve abandoned it.. [1] As soon as the wheels touched down the clock would be reset and they could be sent out on another assignment. 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. 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. We thought that was kind of unbelievable.. This man later took the proposal to build a gunnery range to the people of Oscoda. 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. Its poor high-altitude performance was a result of a critical decision to remove the turbo-supercharger. In fact the only time B-52s would travel was for training missions, or actually delivering ordinance to its target. The 5,223-acre Wurtsmith Air Force Base (Wurtsmith AFB) is located on the northeastern part of Michigan's lower peninsula. [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 judgement flies in the face provided by the federal ATSDR and the National Institute of Health. [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]. They want the site to remain a memorial divers can visit. The base was first named after Capt. What they had was a one-seat warplane piloted by 2nd Lt. Frank H. Moody, of Los Angeles. At this time Wurtsmith Air Force Base was still part of theStrategic Air Commands bomber fleet. Now I see this years later. Because of this KC-135 squadrons would routinely fly 175 day assignments and return to their home base. [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. U.S. Air Force should abide by state of Michigan's PFAS Standards, state must hold Air Force accountable. The landing gear was changed from rubber-block shock absorbers inside the fuselage to oleo-and-spring units mounted in the outer forward strut. The good speed of the P-6E was counterbalanced by some unsatisfacory handling characteristics which made it sluggish in response to controls. 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 . How is it that these large and respected scientific organizations can continue to be ignored in the face of statistically overwhelming data and human impacts. 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. 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. 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. Wurtsmith Air Force Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force base in Iosco County, Michigan.It operated from 1923 until decommissioned in 1993. Most individuals are not educated on what the base did before and after World War II, what is currently happening at this . It was also possible for these missions to originate in the United States. As seenin the picture of the runways, there is a Christmas tree coming off of thebeginning of the runway with a building next to it. See: Organochlorine Pesticides Levels at George AFB Family Housing, CERCLA 120(h) Quitclaim Deed Restrictions for the George AFB Family Housing, Organochlorine Pesticide Contamination at George AFB Schools, Terri Crooks won her VA C&P Claim for service connected injury for her exposure to chlordane and other organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), Frank Vera www.BaseFamilyHousing.Info PO Box 1313 Jamestown, CA, 95327-1313 Phone: 209-782-4541, Copyright 2020 - BaseFamilyHousing.Info. 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. TCE in another well on Jet Street near the present day Wurtsmith AFB museum was 1,739-ppb. Veteran Compensation Programs. Aircraft was at Camp Skeel, Oscoda Michigan for Aerial Gunnery training. I saw a big splash, and then the plane went out of sight.. As an officer Mr. Norton had to sit in on Court-Martials. My first assignment as a Nuclear Weapons specialist was at wurtsmith where we deployed the AGM 69A SRAM missile system. The brown tint is (mostly) caused by scale build up in the pipes being knocked loose. 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 . March 7, 1942: The first class of Tuskegee Airmen graduate from U.S. Army Air Force Tuskegee Army Air Field, Alabama. 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. [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. 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. Veteran Compensation Programs (www.veteranprograms.com) does NOT represent or warrant, and makes no claims, promises or guarantees about, the usefulness, completeness, adequacy or accuracy of any information, posts, surveys, topics, comments, blogs or responses contained in or linked to this website, or the competency, qualifications or identity of any person providing information or making a post, survey, topic, comment, blog or response contained in or linked to this website. .. did this bill die in the committee s? 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. Maximum speed was 178 mph at sea level, 171 mph at 10,000 feet. There is an ongoing project to decontaminate the area. The "Red Tail" P-51 Mustangs flown by the Tuskeegee Airmen []. Although in the past the Wurtsmith Air Force Base was extremely successful there are some prevalent issues with it today. 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. The Losinskis havent abandoned their quest to bring this long-forgotten chapter in the history of World War II to light. 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. 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. They resumed the investigation last spring. Because of the economic impact of Wurtsmith Air Force Base the community was generally supportive of the airmen, and the base itself. Wurtsmith AFB has a better paper trail showing irrefutable evidence of contamination of the base drinking water with Trichloroethelene (TCE) first discovered in 1977 as a result of a complaint from a base housing resident. 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. She also has many other irregular health problems including bone death, fibromyalgia, irregular heartbeat, gastrointestinal problems, and underdeveloped reproductive organs. One of the unfortunate risks in flying is a crash. Download Images of Wurtsmith air force base - Free for commercial use, no attribution required. This cycle was from Wednesday to Wednesday. As previously stated, there is a museum open to the public which has artifacts and information on the bases history. [1] The KC-135s had many more opportunities to travel because they would fly in support of any craft capable of refueling in flight. It is one of the most famous bases located in our state. These high levels of PFOA elevate the risks of kidney cancer, mesothelioma, and diabetes. 70-77 lived on base housing with family, flight line assistant supervisor. I remember getting a letter of counseling when I wanted to object as a warning what could happen. These planes arrived at dawn on the first day of the Gulf War. Published August 24, 2021 at 4:15 PM EDT. [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. He was training with fellow pilots out of what was then Selfridge Field when his plane crashed. 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. [5] However, the B-52H aircraft maintained nuclear alert at Wurtsmith, Air Force Base. One specific and important waterway being affected by these pollutants is the Au Sable River. This cycle was from Wednesday to Wednesday. [1] On the first Wednesday thefresh flight crew would relive the current flight crew in the bunkers. The former Wurtsmith Air Force Base (WAFB), located in Oscoda, Iosco County, MI operated from 1924 to 1993. https://www.oscairport.com/index.php/available-properties/, https://www.oscairport.com/index.php/development-site/, https://www.afhistory.org/wp-content/uploads/APH-Winter2016.pdf, http://www.armytimes.com/story/news/2014/07/30/divers-find-wreckage-of-world-war-ii-era-plane/13354373/, https://wurtsmithairmuseum.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Air-Refueling-Squadron-_-Real-People-_-George-Schlatter720p.mp4. The letter never said what I was objecting to, but that I was refusing to for a lawful order. It excelled in low-altitude ground support as a well-built and reliable aircraft capable of absorbing quite a bit of battle damage. [1] On May 9th 1961 the first B-52 landed in Wurtsmith Air Force Basesignifying the re-designation to a Strategic Air Command Base. 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). USVCP Staff Writers . 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. [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. [1] Wurtsmith Air Force Base was 2nd Lt. Nortons firstpermanent duty station in the United States Air Force.[1]. 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. Someone who works in a place that uses these chemicals and is exposed to them can have up to 100 parts per million, or 0.01%, in their blood. Photos of P-47s flown by French Pilots at Oscoda. Drinking Water At Wurtsmith AFB Contaminted. 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. According to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, the private well located across the road from Oscoda High School tested about the 70 parts-per-trillion advisory level that was established for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctyl sulfonate (PFOS). At this time, the camp was renamed and the airfield was under III Fighter Command jurisdiction. This is an evolving issue with many moving parts. The single officers who lived on base lived in a dorm type building. The base is influential in Michigan, as well as the United States military history. [1] This includes on base housing, a daycare center for children, a doctor's office, a . These mission were into Iraq. [THE FLINT JOURNAL VIA AP] This is heinous, and my heart goes out to so many. Their children developed asthma, spinal defects and thyroid problems. The base came to be because of chance. Call 205.328.9200 Claim Application. [1] This was further broken down by marital status. Weve done quite a bit of documenting and measuring, David Losinski said. Wurtsmith Air Force Base is said to have originally started with a fishing trip between two men. [5] The 379th flew with a Triangle K tail flash to continue the, tradition from their World War II counterparts. After being relieved, the flight crew had until the following Monday morningoff. to share information regarding health issues, and probable chemical exposure via base water sources. 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. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Report also stated that the Oscoda Michigan gunnery field was very rough and sandy and notoriously hard on wheels, landing gears etc. Only after, the plains were airborne would the crew be notified if it was a drill or not.[1]. [1] There are many different ways that PFOA and PFOS can affect the human body. Mrs. Cecil V. Fowler saw the crash, according to the Times Herald article. The 379th Bomb Wing moved to Wurtsmith Air Force Base in June of19661. However, the drawdown was fairly rapid after that and they were quickly replaced by P-38s, P-47s and P-51s. The armament of the P-1 was a pair of 0.30 cal machine guns mounted in the upper fuselage decking inside the V-cylinder blocks and synchronized to fire through the propeller arc. These chemicals have been shown to cause problems with thyroid, liver, kidney, reproduction, and other health problems. [4] On August 1st 1958 the 4026th Strategic Wing was formed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base. 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. A ground-water divide cuts diagonally across the Base from northwest to sou On May 9, 1961, the base took delivery of its first new Boeing B-52 H Stratofortress, The State of Michigan. . 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.