wurtsmith air force base housing

The 379th Bomb Wing moved to Wurtsmith Air Force Base in June of19661. In 1960 it became part of the Strategic Air Command . In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Service ceiling 27,200 feet, and range was 260 miles. [5] The B-52s did not get to travel nearly as much as the KC-135s. The M&FRC is located at 1550 Wurtsmith St . After all of that great history, the Wurtsmith Air Force Base is still standing as a place that is visited by a plethora of people. Some areas of the site are still under investigation. We didnt know really what we had.. It had everything in it. Many of drums ruptured. If you are interested in any particular aircraft of time period please let me know. This judgement flies in the face provided by the federal ATSDR and the National Institute of Health. Here is a list of military bases that are known to have had their drinking water contaminated with PFAS chemicals: Alameda Naval base, California. What's next? It was also possible for these missions to originate in the United States. Airport History. They have been detected in air, water, soils, sediments, and in rain at levels that would be considered unsafe in drinking . This unfortunately happened on October 11. , 1988 when KC-135 crashed with 6 crew members and 10 passengers on board. History Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan, served primarily as a combat crew and bomber training base throughout its 70-year history. Veteran Compensation Programs. Six Are Killed in Crash Of an Air Force Tanker. The New York Times, The New York Times, 11 Oct. 1988, www.nytimes.com/1988/10/12/us/six-are-killed-in-crash-of-an-air-force-tanker.html. empty, 3310 lb gross. [3], [1] Dave Norton, Former United States Air Force Captain, interviewed on 23 OCT 2017, [2] Ap. The 5,221-acre site is bounded by Van Etten Lake to the north and east . The Wurtsmith Air Force Base, created in 1923, played a large role in WWII. He brought this idea to the attention of his squadron commander Major Carl Spaatz. 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. Neither Michigan nor any U.S. officials have conducted a comprehensive study on the contaminants and pollutants under the base. The aquifer overlies a thick clay layer at an average depth of 65 feet. A sand and gravel aquifer of glacial origin underlies Wurtsmith Air Force Base in northeastern lower Michigan. The single enlisted airmen who lived on base were housed in barracks. [1] The KC-135s had many more opportunities to travel because they would fly in support of any craft capable of refueling in flight. I do hope there is information on Wurtsmith AFB soon. The human-made chemicals are in your blood, your clothes, your cosmetics. Weve done quite a bit of documenting and measuring, David Losinski said. [1], As new technologies and mission goals evolved with time the need for the Strategic Air Commands need for the northern tier became obsolete. 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. 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. [1], The northern tier Strategic Air Command Ready Alert Strike Force bases were considered less than desirable duty stations for one main reason. 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 B-52 is being serviced under the Strategic Air Command Recovery Oriented Aircraft Maintenance (ROAM) system. [1], The usefulness and mission type of the KC-135 in maintaining air superiority, as well as supporting missions originating in the United States meant that they would have longer assignments, as well as much more fluid assignments than other types of squadrons. It still haunts me today that we had to do that and were told to just follow orders. 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. In 1977 the 379th Bomb Wing upgraded the B-52H fleet to B-52Gaircraft. The 5,223-acre Wurtsmith Air Force Base (Wurtsmith AFB) is located on the northeastern part of Michigans lower peninsula. The cockpit canopy offered exceptional all-round visibility for the pilot. It was also possible for these missions to originate in the United States. Even after the base closed in 1993, the base maintained a fire staff for many years. There were four planes, and I was watching them from our front window, as I usually do when theyre engaged in gunnery practice. 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 . Many tests have been done to see the extent to which the contamination is harming the citizens residing in the area. 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. The Air Force says, Any aircraft before 1961, weve abandoned it.. I recall we lost a tanker on touch and goes which had to be extinguished with a massive amount of this chemical. [1], While Wurtsmith Air Force Base was its own little town, it was segregated by officers and enlisted. 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. I served at Wursmith AFB from 1982 to 1989, living in base housing the entire time and drinking the water. There is no amount of PFOA that is officially recognized as harmful. However, many studies have shown otherwise. Aircraft rolled 630 feet before nosing over. It was the most horrible thing I have ever witnessed, she said. 2 talking about this. [1] On the first Wednesday thefresh flight crew would relive the current flight crew in the bunkers. WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. 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. This cycle was from Wednesday to Wednesday. 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. The presumptive disabilities from contaminated water at Wurtsmith AFB would lead to automatic compensation to potentially thousands of veterans. 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. I was born on base November 1978, and lived on base with my mom, brother born 1989 on base, and my dad, a civil engineer stationed on base until oct 1982. [5] However, the B-52H aircraft maintained nuclear alert at Wurtsmith, Air Force Base. I am not a doctor or attorney, and cannot give medical advice or legal advice. The Arrow Street purge system, installed in 1982 to remove contaminants from the Building 43 plume, has lowered concentrations o 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. With that being said, these chemicals are going to be reaching a lot more people than just the Oscoda residents. Ellsworth Air Force base, South Dakota. The KC-135s would finish one mission and there would be another one waiting for them as soon as they were available. Wurtsmith Air Force Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force base in Iosco County, Michigan.It operated from 1923 until decommissioned in 1993. the first KC-135 in operation Southern Watch. This cycle was from Wednesday to Wednesday. The main mission of Oscoda Army Air Field, at the time, was to defend Sault Ste. Drinking Water At Wurtsmith AFB Contaminted. Wurtsmith Air Force Base is said to have originally started with a fishing trip between two men. March 7, 1942: The first class of Tuskegee Airmen graduate from U.S. Army Air Force Tuskegee Army Air Field, Alabama. Wurtsmith Air Force base was one of five, northern tier bases in the Strategic Air Commands arsenal. [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. There are many good photos of P-39s at Selfridge Field (Posted below), but none of P-39s at Oscoda. During the Cold War, the base became part of Strategic Air Command. [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]. The result was an airplane which had a much deeper and broader fuselage than did the P-1. As an officer Mr. Norton had to sit in on Court-Martials. They raised $600 to clear the land, which at the time was plenty for this job. These planes arrived at dawn on the first day of the Gulf War. The gunnery range was tasked with training pilots from, Selfridge air base in the challenging maneuvers required to land a DeHavilland, biplane on the frozen lake Van Etten for the young Army Air Corps. Dallas Naval base, Texas. [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. Timothy Marcum, 1/15/2071-73 camp lejeune nc bad water va in redding pretends they know nothing about having problems. Aircraft upper wing, left lower wing, rudder and propeller damaged. By comparing the concentrations of known fluorosurfactants with the total organofluorine, less than 10% of the fluorosurfactants were identified in half of the samples. At least thirty French piloted P-47 aircraft accidents were reported at Oscoda AAF during the time period 1944-1945 and resulted in at least four pilots killed. Wurtsmith earned recognition during the war as the leader of the group of pilots using P-40 and P-38 fighter . One of these men were named Lt. Ennis Whitehead. 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. Bert E. Skeel was a WWI pilot who died in an air race in Ohio. 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] As soon as the wheels touched down the clock would be reset and they could be sent out on another assignment. [1] U.S. These chemicals have been shown to cause problems with thyroid, liver, kidney, reproduction, and other health problems. [3] Search Superfund Site Information. EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 28 Dec. 2016, cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/cursites/csitinfo.cfm?id=0503675. These bases were, responsible for a housing a Ready Alert Nuclear Strike Force. They resumed the investigation last spring. 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 . The P-6E was quite a good-looking airplane, and became the most famous of the Hawk line of biplane fighters. A series of stringers were added to the fuselage sides to round out the cross section. 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 . 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. 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. These contaminants are harmful to the environment. 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. 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. The P-47 Thunderbolt fighter and fighter-bomber was used by the Allied air forces during World War II. The Au Sable River is an attraction for families all around Michigan. A map of the base locations listed above can be viewed below. Military History of the Upper Great Lakes, Over the 50 years of operation Wurtsmith Air Force Base had many, different missions. I was stationed there 1988-1992. Download Images of Wurtsmith air force base - Free for commercial use, no attribution required. The Air Force knew about the contamination and spent millions since 1977 to try to cover up the problem by adding phosphates to mask the odor of the chemical in the water. 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. A single-seat low-wing fighter developed for the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) by Republic Aviation, it was the largest single-engined piston fighter ever produced. 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. 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. Located in Iosco County, Michigan, Wurtsmith Air Force Base operated from 1923 until decommissioned in 1993. The Wurtsmith Air Force Incident. I like combining historical photographs with the stories behind them. There are many different ways that PFOA and PFOS can affect the human body. I have also read about the PFAS via fire retardant foam. These planes arrived at dawn on the first day of the Gulf War. The Losinskis said they want to preserve the site for people to dive on. Mr. Norton remarked that they were flying the wings off of the planes. 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. [6] The 379th Bomb Wing wasdisbanded on June 30th 1993. 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. By Steve Elliott 502nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs. [5] One crew flew 29mission out of Jeddah, setting the record for most missions flew by a bombercrew in theater. The P-6 was generally similar to the P-1 in construction and appearance. Wurtsmith Air Force base (Oscoda), Michigan; PFAS Water Contamination Map . [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. 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. 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. [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. Airplane nosed over when landing gear tire casing failed, locking the right wheel. There were 10 passengers and six crew members on board. 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. Just run the water until it clears up. I have had many other health issues since and have recently found all of this. [2] Another unfortunate occurrence that Happened more than it should have were Court-Martials. The typical activities while not on ready alert varied greatlyfrom person to person. 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). 1942 -- Camp Skeel is renamed Oscoda Army Air Field and becomes a P-47 fighter base. I didnt know anything about the Tuskegee Airmen until we got into this.. Lt. Ennis Whitehead was part of a unit at Selfridge Army Air Field. 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. 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. From: Members of the ground crew move a maintenance cart into position next to a B-52 Stratofortress aircraft parked on the flight line. 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. Once we brought that up and cleaned the tag, we knew it was the 221226 serial number.. The Lackland Air Force Base Education Center is located at 1550 Wurtsmith Street, Suite 5. . This is a short video about the small museum located at the decommissioned Wurtsmith AFB in Oscoda Mi.http://www.rv-project.com The base was put into a standby status to be there just in case something happened in those areas. A short time later in July 1944 it was being used to train Free French Air Force pilots, which eventually led to more and more training and more and more storage of aircraft like the B-52G (oscairport.com). Air Force Base was essentially a self-contained airport with all of the necessities to support a full community on Base. Following cleanup, operation and maintenance activities are ongoing. In 1953 it was renamed Wurtsmith Air Force Base after Michigan native, Major General Paul Wurtsmith. 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 . This is an evolving issue with many moving parts. Maximum speed was 178 mph at sea level, 171 mph at 10,000 feet. There are many historical planes you can visit as well as other interesting pieces of history that the public may view. 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. We have a lot of sick civilians and = veterans from contaminated drinking water. Deliveries of the first P-6s were late, the first example not appearing until October 1929. "The Department of Defense is evaluating [cleanup standards], and we take our lead from what the Department of Defense says," said Stephen TerMaath, who leads the Air Force division in charge of Wurtsmith cleanup. Lester Graham. [1] This was further broken down by marital status. WAFB began operations in 1923, under the name of Camp Skeel, and was officially named the Wurtsmith Air Force Base in 1953. Wurtsmith Air, Force Base was constructed with a runway layout specifically for this. Me and Dan drive around base and check out the bunkers that held nuclear weapons during the cold war I have had sever kidney problems since 1983 that carried on into my mid teens. [1] On May 9th 1961 the first B-52 landed in Wurtsmith Air Force Base, signifying the re-designation to a Strategic Air Command Base. 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 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. Typical occurrences on Wurtsmith Air Force Base included planes flying in and out on missions. Aircraft was at Camp Skeel, Oscoda Michigan for Aerial Gunnery training. Stationed there for 84-88 and am suffering with a motor neuron disease process. 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. David Losinski said he and his son were assisting the state Department of Environmental Quality with a barge that sank in Lake Huron in July 2012. In 1932, Capt. These high levels of PFOA elevate the risks of kidney cancer, mesothelioma, and diabetes. A ground-water divide cuts diagonally across the Base from northwest to sou He was stationed at the base. 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] As tensions increased around the world and the likelihood of an actual mission being flown while on ready alert increased, the weekbecame more stressful. [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.

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