Military History of the Upper Great Lakes, Over the 50 years of operation Wurtsmith Air Force Base had many, different missions. 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. Leaking chemical storage tanks and waste disposal operations contaminated soil and groundwater with hazardous chemicals. To gain a measure of the extremely high levels of contaminated drinking water, according to the ATSDR, TCE levels in a well at the corner of Arrow Street and N. Skeel Avenue were as high as 5,173 parts-per-billion (ppb) during 1977, 1978, & 1979 tests, which is more than 1,000 times the EPA's current limit of 5-ppb for TCE in drinking water. Veteran Compensation Programs. A series of stringers were added to the fuselage sides to round out the cross section. For more information regarding services offered by the Lackland Air Force Base Education Center, call 210-671-2895 or DSN 473-2895. . This article is from 2018.. 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. Here is a list of military bases that are known to have had their drinking water contaminated with PFAS chemicals: Alameda Naval base, California. This cycle was from Wednesday to Wednesday. [1] Mr. Norton also landedthe first KC-135 in operation Southern Watch. USVCP Not A U.S. Government Publication. Home Buyers Guide; Find a Real Estate Agent; Price: $299,000. Any one else from 84-89 have issues? My first assignment as a Nuclear Weapons specialist was at wurtsmith where we deployed the AGM 69A SRAM missile system. 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. Even studies on fish have been done, where it was found that PFOA is a liver carcinogen in rainbow trout. 70-77 lived on base housing with family, flight line assistant supervisor. There is a lot of open runways still today that can be rented out for a multitude of events. Most individuals are not educated on what the base did before and after World War II, what is currently happening at this location, or how the historical space is impacting the land and local citizens today. 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. 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. These mission were into Iraq. [1] On the first Wednesday the, fresh flight crew would relive the current flight crew in the bunkers. 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. 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). The base is influential in Michigan, as well as the United States military history. 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). There is an ongoing project to decontaminate the area. [6], During the Gulf War B-52s from Wurtsmith Air Force Base were flownout of Prince Abdullah AB in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 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. Mr. Norton remarked that they were flying the wings off of the planes. After being relieved, the flight crew had until the following Monday morningoff. [4] Enchanted Forest Web Page Design Service. The P-6 could climb to 10,000 feet in 6.6 min. 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. http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2017/04/wurtsmith_pfas_pfc_april_45_me.html. 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. [1] Lester Graham. The 5,223-acre Wurtsmith Air Force Base (Wurtsmith AFB) is located on the northeastern part of Michigan's lower peninsula. To all who are interested in the Camp Skeel/Oscoda AAF/Wurtsmith AFB History. [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. Traci Kroushour, an Oscoda resident until the age of 12, had her uterus removed at the age of 28 and can never have children. Engine not damaged. [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. Welcome to The WAFB Historical Site dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of Wurtsmith Air Force Base and the units assigned there. During the Cold War, the base became part of Strategic Air Command. [5] One crew flew 29mission out of Jeddah, setting the record for most missions flew by a bombercrew in theater. Wurtsmith earned recognition during the war as the leader of the group of pilots using P-40 and P-38 fighter . "Keeping Wurtsmith AFB and Aviation History of NE MI Alive" Opens on Armed Forces Day in May, hosts a Welcome Home. 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. [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]. Stay tuned for further developments. 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. Continued study of ground-water contamination at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan, defined the movement and distribution of volatile organic compounds in the glacial sand and gravel aquifer at known sites of contamination, and has defined new plumes at two other sites. [1] This includes on base housing, a daycare center for children, a doctor's office, a . The presumptive disabilities from contaminated water at Wurtsmith AFB would lead to automatic compensation to potentially thousands of veterans. 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. There is an ongoing project to decontaminate the area. Wurtsmith got its start in 1923 as Loud-Reames Aviation Field, a soft-surface landing site for Arm Air Corps aircraft from Selfridge Field. History Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan, served primarily as a combat crew and bomber training base throughout its 70-year history. What us the compensation for this? Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. [3], [1] Dave Norton, Former United States Air Force Captain, interviewed on 23 OCT 2017, [2] Ap. The 1st Combat Evaluation Group (initially "1CEG", later "1CEVG") was a Strategic Air Command (SAC) unit. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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. Only after, the plains were airborne would the crew be notified if it was a drill or not.[1]. Congress set a May 2022 deadline for the DOD to report on the cleanup status of these bases, the Filthy 50, with extremely high levels of PFAS contamination. Bert E. Skeel was a WWI pilot who died in an air race in Ohio. Facebook: Wurtsmith AFB Water Health Issues via water Created to serve as a reference point for former WAFB residents to share information regarding health issues, and probable chemical exposure via base water sources. These Air Force bases were remote. [1]After one week in the bunker on ready alert the flight crew would be relieved. We offer visitors three hangars full of military (all branches) and aviation history, static aircraft displays, artifacts, equipment and lots of WAFB memorabilia. A sand and gravel aquifer of glacial origin underlies Wurtsmith Air Force Base in northeastern lower Michigan. My symptoms looking back were insidious with weakness and muscle fasciculations. [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. Deliveries of the first P-6s were late, the first example not appearing until October 1929. I like combining historical photographs with the stories behind them. to the proper paperwork being completed to allow the missions to continue. 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. Contaminated water has been shown to be the main way that humans get exposed to this chemical, which is exactly whats going on in Oscoda. Our biodegradation . [5] Wurtsmith AFB, Mich SAC 379th Bomb Wing B-52, www.strategic-air-command.com/bases/Wurtsmith_AFB.htm. There were four planes, and I was watching them from our front window, as I usually do when theyre engaged in gunnery practice. In 1977 the 379th Bomb Wing upgraded the B-52H fleet to B-52Gaircraft. However, the drawdown was fairly rapid after that and they were quickly replaced by P-38s, P-47s and P-51s. They were stationed at the air base from 1986 to 1993. The Strategic Air Command activated a wing there on August 1, 1958. Located in Oscoda, Michigan this base is positioned no more than two miles off the shore of Lake Huron. Dallas Naval base, Texas. 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 . They included chemicals like MEK, PD 680, TRI CHLOROFLOIANS, ACIDS, ALODIANS, ALL KINDS OF PAINTS, SPECIAL MISSILE SKIN REPAIR KITS. We came across the gauge cluster, which had the radio call tag, David Losinski said. 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 . The 700 hp Conqueror engine was exceptionally powerful for its day, but it had many minor and some major faults which needed to be corrected. The M&FRC is located at 1550 Wurtsmith St . The Airacobra reached its peak usage in the USAAF in early 1944, with over 2100 in service. Typical occurrences on Wurtsmith Air Force Base included planes flying in and out on missions. Beginning in July 1944, the P-47 Thunderbolt was used extensively to train Free French Air Force pilots at Oscoda Army Air Field (AAF). I served at Wurtsmith from 1974-1977 my whole family has suffered from various ongoing ailments. In fact the only time B-52s would travel was for training missions, or actually delivering ordinance to its target. 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. 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. Poison Spring: The Secret History of Pollution and the EPA. During World War II, P-47 fighters were assigned to Oscoda. Lee N. 2023 Aspyre Media Group, LLC. [5] Assuming the equipment, personnel and aircraft of the 4026th Strategicwing as it was disbanded. In their letter, the members expressed their concerns that the Air Force's proposed remediation plan . With this long list of negative effects it is clearly a big health issue for local residents. In March of 1943, the Third Air Force reactivated the field for training of black aviators. One specific and important waterway being affected by these pollutants is the Au Sable River. He was training with fellow pilots out of what was then Selfridge Field when his plane crashed. 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 . On June 30th, 1993 the 379th Bomb Wing was disbanded and Wurtsmith Air Force Base was closed. It is one of the most famous bases located in our state. 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 aquifer overlies a thick clay layer at an average depth of 65 feet. 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). Kelly mentioned she'd been thinking about getting . As an officer Mr. Norton had to sit in on Court-Martials. [5] The 379th Bomb Wing immediately continued the 4026thStrategic Wing operations and training. [1] Mr. Nortonarrived fresh from navigation school as a 2nd Lieutenant at Wurtsmith Air ForceBase in the fall of 1985. The ROAM system ensures that aircraft are serviced . Now I see this years later. Click on a marker for base information. [1] As soon as the wheels touched down the clock would be reset and they could be sent out on another assignment. 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. 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. ROME, N.Y. -- There was nothing small-scale about Griffiss Air Force Base in the 1990s. The letter never said what I was objecting to, but that I was refusing to for a lawful order. the first KC-135 in operation Southern Watch. It is one of the most famous bases located in our state. [1] On May 9th 1961 the first B-52 landed in Wurtsmith Air Force Basesignifying the re-designation to a Strategic Air Command Base. 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. 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. Wurtsmith Air Force base (Oscoda), Michigan; PFAS Water Contamination Map . This is an evolving issue with many moving parts. I was stationed there 1978 -81 lived on base they never told us about the water being contaminated . The base came to be because of chance. The married officers lived in a standalone house with their family. Drinking Water At Wurtsmith AFB Contaminted. 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. 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 . Im using a combination of several source materials to tell the history of the area. [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. [5] Assuming the equipment, personnel and aircraft of the 4026th Strategic, wing as it was disbanded. The Allison V-1710-85 liquid-cooled V-12 engine behind the pilots seat drove the propeller by means of a driveshaft mounted under the pilots seat. This is desirable from a strategic standpoint, but for the airmen that served on the bases themselves this meant that they were removed from the vast majority of society. 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. Off Base Housing. 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. [4] On August 1st 1958 the 4026th Strategic Wing was formed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base. He brought this idea to the attention of his squadron commander Major Carl Spaatz. The cockpit was fairly easy to enter and exit, but the doors had a tendency to fly open in midair at high speed if improperly secured. 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. According to the Air Force's account, in October 1977, a Wurtsmith base housing resident complained about a peculiar odor and taste in the drinking water. Their children developed asthma, spinal defects and thyroid problems. It excelled in low-altitude ground support as a well-built and reliable aircraft capable of absorbing quite a bit of battle damage. [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. The P-6 was generally similar to the P-1 in construction and appearance. The landing gear was changed from rubber-block shock absorbers inside the fuselage to oleo-and-spring units mounted in the outer forward strut. We didnt know really what we had.. Wurtsmith Air Force Base. A Brief History of Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan, www.wurtsmithairmuseum.org/Wurtsmith_AFB/wurtsmith_afb.html. It is primarily a large jet airplane salvage, jet engine maintenance and light general aviation . During the Gulf War these planes were run practically 24/7, landing only to swap flight crews to meet the flight crew rest requirements. The history of Oscoda Military Aviation is the same as the History of the Air Force. empty, 3310 lb gross. [1] This meant that there was always at least three, B-52s armed with nuclear bombs, ready to take off at a moments notice. . Wurtsmith AirForce Base was constructed with a runway layout specifically for this. 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. 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. 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. The P-47 Thunderbolt fighter and fighter-bomber was used by the Allied air forces during World War II. I still stay in touch with Gary but do not know if he has an e-mail account. Drinking Water At Wurtsmith AFB Contaminted. Because of this KC-135 squadrons would routinely fly 175 day assignments and return to their home base. Theyve seen lots of things underwater, but the story of the P-39 fighter lost just off the Port Huron beachfront touched them. The Wurtsmith Air Force Base, created in 1923, played a large role in WWII. WAFB began operations in 1923, under the name of Camp Skeel, and was officially named the Wurtsmith Air Force Base in 1953. [1], The ready alert flight crews were rotated on a three week cycle. In 1942, three 5000x150 concrete runways were built. [1] Mr. Norton also landed. The runways were aligned NE/SW, E/W, and NW/SE. Maximum speed was 178 mph at sea level, 171 mph at 10,000 feet. Today the Wurtsmith district is integral to the community's economic potential. It has recently been discovered that that the base has been leaking chemicals into the surrounding waterways. 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. 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. [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. The former base includes 4,626 acres (1,872ha) located approximately two miles west of Lake Huron in the Charter Township of Oscoda, bordered by Van Ettan Lake, the [5] While the 379th, Bomb Wing was stationed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base they were part of the Ready, Alert Nuclear Strike Force. The KC-135s would finish one mission and there would be another one waiting for them as soon as they were available. [2] Another unfortunate occurrence that Happened more than it should have were Court-Martials. Drew said, Dad, thats an airplane., You could see the wings. WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. still rejects and "nexus" to the toxic chemicals on the base. 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. Aircraft upper wing, left lower wing, rudder and propeller damaged. Their water table has been contaminated with high levels of PFOA because of the leakage of chemicals from Wurtsmith 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. 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 the other hand, the rear-mounted engine offered increased maneuverability since the weight of the plane would be near its center of gravity. The site of Wurtsmith Air Force Base is located 2 miles Northwest of Oscoda, Michigan, about 150 miles North of Detroit. 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. Everyone from the mechanics keeping the planes flyable, to the cookspreparing food for the airmen stationed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, to thecommanders who ensured that everything from the flight schedules being correctto the proper paperwork being completed to allow the missions to continue. Report also stated that the Oscoda Michigan gunnery field was very rough and sandy and notoriously hard on wheels, landing gears etc. During the Pacific conflicts personnel and the KC-135Stratotankers were deployed to forward bases in the Pacific to support landoperations. High blood serum levels of PFOA are associated with infertility, decreased semen quality, and a higher risk of thyroid disease. The good speed of the P-6E was counterbalanced by some unsatisfacory handling characteristics which made it sluggish in response to controls. The Bell P-39 Airacobra was not the best fighter aircraft of WWII, but it was the only fighter available in quantity during the first six months of the war.
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