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. In a fly off against the contemporary Boeing P-12B, the P-6E was faster, but the P-12B was more maneuverable. We offer visitors three hangars full of military (all branches) and aviation history, static aircraft displays, artifacts, equipment and lots of WAFB memorabilia. At this time Wurtsmith Air Force Base was still part of theStrategic Air Commands bomber fleet. Aircraft upper wing, left lower wing, rudder and propeller damaged. Aug 24, 2021. 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). [1] On the first Wednesday thefresh flight crew would relive the current flight crew in the bunkers. 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. As long as these assignments were under 180 days they were considered Temporary Duty Assignments. The letter never said what I was objecting to, but that I was refusing to for a lawful order. Pieces include the engine, the tail, part of the door and the 37-millimeter cannon that fired through the propeller hub. It was eerie, David Losinski said. These bases wereresponsible for a housing a Ready Alert Nuclear Strike Force. Military History of the Upper Great Lakes, Over the 50 years of operation Wurtsmith Air Force Base had many, different missions. 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. Tests in Michigan near the former Wurtsmith Air Force base have found PFOS in groundwater at levels as high as 42,000 ppt. The ready alert flight crews were rotated on a three week cycle. 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 . If there's a main break, sections of the base will . [5] In recent years groundwater contamination has be linked to jet fuel, cleaning agents, and fire suppression agents used at Wurtsmith Air Force Base. In 1977 the 379th Bomb Wing upgraded the B-52H fleet to B-52Gaircraft. Comprehensive Base Plan, Department of the Air Force, Directorate of Engineering and Services DCS/PRE - Washington DC 1 April 1970 (revised 12 July 1978) . Survived stage 3 oral cancer and per medical review, origin unknown since I have never smoked. [5] Assuming the equipment, personnel and aircraft of the 4026th Strategicwing as it was disbanded. Typically, brown-ish water occurs when there is large change in pressure/flow in a distribution system. The married enlisted airmen who lived on base lived in a condo type set up with their family. 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. If you are interested in any particular aircraft of time period please let me know. [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. The M&FRC is located at 1550 Wurtsmith St . The presumptive disabilities from contaminated water at Wurtsmith AFB would lead to automatic compensation to potentially thousands of veterans. Lee N. 2023 Aspyre Media Group, LLC. 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. 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. 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 . Today the Wurtsmith district is integral to the community's economic potential. 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. This is very dear to my heart and want to get involved however I can. One of these places included directly underneath the Oscoda high school. The Losinskis found an account of the crash in the Times Herald. Then everything happened so fast it seems unbelievable. The 5,223-acre Wurtsmith Air Force Base (Wurtsmith AFB) is located on the northeastern part of Michigans lower peninsula. 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 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. The P-39 had a unique configuration with the engine placed behind the pilot and the drive shaft running under the cockpit to the propeller. [1] While this was a relatively boring week, it was extremely stressfulbecause no one knew when the alarm would sound, but more importantly no oneknew if it would be a drill or not. 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. 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. 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). ROME, N.Y. -- There was nothing small-scale about Griffiss Air Force Base in the 1990s. 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. 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. 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. Airport History. [1], As new technologies and mission goals evolved with time the need for the Strategic Air Commands need for the northern tier became obsolete. [5] While the 379thBomb Wing was stationed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base they were part of the ReadyAlert Nuclear Strike Force. Traci Kroushour, an Oscoda resident until the age of 12, had her uterus removed at the age of 28 and can never have children. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Many of drums ruptured. The Arrow Street purge system, installed in 1982 to remove contaminants from the Building 43 plume, has lowered concentrations o Beginning in July 1944, the P-47 Thunderbolt was used extensively to train Free French Air Force pilots at Oscoda Army Air Field (AAF). [6] 379th Bomb Wing Homestead AFB B-47 Wurtsmith AFB B-52, www.strategic-air-command.com/wings/0379bw.htm. The married officers lived in a standalone house with their family. I like combining historical photographs with the stories behind them. 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. 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. With this long list of negative effects it is clearly a big health issue for local residents. 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. These organizations primarily fall into seven types of activities: aviation, manufacturing, technology, medical, housing, education, community services and technology. [5] Assuming the equipment, personnel and aircraft of the 4026th Strategic, wing as it was disbanded. Because Wurtsmith Air Force Base was an Air Force Base it had to have the ability to go into complete lock-down in times of emergency and still support the mission. 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. 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. Located in Iosco County, Michigan, Wurtsmith Air Force Base operated from 1923 until decommissioned in 1993. The chemicals, notably benzene and trichloroethylene (TCE), were documented at extremely high levels in Wurstmith AFB water many times when the former Strategic Air Command (SAC) base was active and home to B-52 Bomber Wings. During the Cold War, the base became part of Strategic Air Command. What us the compensation for this? He said the wreckage from the plane is scattered across the lake bottom. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. 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. TCE in another well on Jet Street near the present day Wurtsmith AFB museum was 1,739-ppb. 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] This was further broken down by marital status. 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. For more information regarding services offered by the Lackland Air Force Base Education Center, call 210-671-2895 or DSN 473-2895. . This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. During the Pacific conflicts personnel and the KC-135Stratotankers were deployed to forward bases in the Pacific to support landoperations. I will try and highlight some of the most interesting aircraft and their stories!. Most individuals are not educated on what the base did before and after World War II, what is currently happening at this . No injuries to the pilot. They raised $600 to clear the land, which at the time was plenty for this job. The human-made chemicals are in your blood, your clothes, your cosmetics. "It was a city within a city. My daughter was born at the base hospital. There is an ongoing project to decontaminate the area. Poison Spring: The Secret History of Pollution and the EPA. Just run the water until it clears up. 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. I do hope there is information on Wurtsmith AFB soon. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. This happened a couple weeks before the IOC which is in the wing,ahistorical records on microfilm. It remained named Camp Skeel until 1942 when it was renamed Oscoda Army Air Field (WAFB.net). 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 runways were aligned NE/SW, E/W, and NW/SE. [1], While these crews were on ready alert they did not have a whole, lot to do. Only afterthe plains were airborne would the crew be notified if it was a drill or not. 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. 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. 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. Ruben C. Moffat flew a P-6 converted with a supercharged Conqueror engine on a record-breaking flight. 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. If a banker had not taken Lt. Whitehead on a fishing trip there would not have been an Air Force Base in Oscoda Michigan. With all of this in a single family, the V.A. [1] Mr. Norton also landed. In fact the only time B-52s would travel was for training missions, or actually delivering ordinance to its target. But these days, the county is becoming a haven for retired people such as the Kuhlmans . The base was first named after Capt. Because the Committee on Toxicology (NRC, 1979) concluded that it could not determine a level of exposure to chlordane below which there would be no biologic effect under conditions of prolonged exposure of families in military housing. The pesticide levels and CERCLA 120(h) Deed Restrictions are public information and readily available. Wurtsmith Air Force base was one of five, northern tier bases in the Strategic Air Commands arsenal. [2] The flight crashed at 2:20PM while returning from K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base in the Upper Peninsula. The Lackland Air Force Base Education Center is located at 1550 Wurtsmith Street, Suite 5. . Aircraft rolled 630 feet before nosing over. There were frequently extremely large and loud airplanes taxiing, taking off, and landing in the base. WAFB began operations in 1923, under the name of Camp Skeel, and was officially named the Wurtsmith Air Force Base in 1953. Air Force Base was essentially a self-contained airport with all of the necessities to support a full community on Base. [1], While Wurtsmith Air Force Base was its own little town, it was segregated by officers and enlisted. 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. 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. 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. After a trip to the Boneyard in September 2019, hundreds of current and vintage photos are being sorted, scanned and uploaded. [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 last was delivered in December 1930. Veterans of the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda from the 1970s, and their families who lived with them on the base, face increased risks of leukemia and other harmful effects from prolonged exposures to toxic volatile organic compounds that were in the now-shuttered base's water supply at the time, a federal health agency has found. [5] The B-52s did not get to travel nearly as much as the KC-135s. The views and opinions expressed in this website/articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency of the U.S. government, We are the men and women of the U.S. Military, Wurtsmith AFB is a Superfund Site. Cindi developed hypertension and Lawrence diagnosed with lung disease. [3], [1] Dave Norton, Former United States Air Force Captain, interviewed on 23 OCT 2017, [2] Ap. 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. Drinking Water At Wurtsmith AFB Contaminted. This weapon system used some hazardous and a lot of special chemicals to support it. The typical activities while not on ready alert varied greatlyfrom person to person. Following cleanup, operation and maintenance activities are ongoing. .. did this bill die in the committee s? I remember getting a letter of counseling when I wanted to object as a warning what could happen. They have been detected in air, water, soils, sediments, and in rain at levels that would be considered unsafe in drinking . With that being said, these chemicals are going to be reaching a lot more people than just the Oscoda residents. 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. . 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. City officials in Dayton, Ohio, have also found the response from the Air Force to cleanup contamination at Wright Patterson Air Force Base to be inadequate. . The 4026th was a SAC Major Command controlled (MAJCON) wing that had been organized on 1 August 1958. 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. The Tuskegee Airmen were African-American members of the 332nd Fighter Group and 477th Bombardment Group of the United States Army Air Force who fought in Europe during World War II. The P-6E was quite a good-looking airplane, and became the most famous of the Hawk line of biplane fighters. 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. I still stay in touch with Gary but do not know if he has an e-mail account. 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. [5] The 379th Bomb Wing immediately continued the 4026thStrategic Wing operations and training. Neither Michigan nor any U.S. officials have conducted a comprehensive study on the contaminants and pollutants under the base. [ 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 . If you, a friend, or loved one has been injured or died as a result of the contamination at a DOD Superfund Site please follow the steps that are outlined at Get Help. [1]These KC-135s were necessary because the B-52 could not take off with both afull load of ordnance and a full tank of gas. [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. This air field was in dire need of a gunnery range because they being forced out of their gunnery range on Lake St. Clair. I was stationed there 1978 -81 lived on base they never told us about the water being contaminated . 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 majority of married enlisted and officers preferred to live on base because of the free daycare for children. It was also possible for these missions to originate in the United States. 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. Why are you focusing only on chlordane and other organochlorine pesticide (OCP) contamination at the Family Housing? 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. Here is a list of military bases that are known to have had their drinking water contaminated with PFAS chemicals: Alameda Naval base, California. [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. Wurtsmith earned recognition during the war as the leader of the group of pilots using P-40 and P-38 fighter . March 7, 1942: The first class of Tuskegee Airmen graduate from U.S. Army Air Force Tuskegee Army Air Field, Alabama. Physical Location:4071 East Van Ettan StreetOscoda, Michigan 48750, Mailing Address:PO Box 664Oscoda, Michigan 48750, Tele: (989) 739-7555(Not answered Nov-Apr)Email:email@wurtsmithairmuseum.net, AN ARTIFACT FROM WURTSMITHS COLD WAR PAST HAS RETURNED HOME, There was one final project I wanted to accomplish before departing my assignment as Flight Commander of Aircrew Flight Equipment and SERE at the. One example of this is autocross racing. [1], As new technologies and mission goals evolved with time the need for the Strategic Air Commands need for the northern tier became obsolete. He flew from Dayton, Ohio to Washington, D.C. at a speed of approximately 266 mph, at an altitude of 25,000 ft. However, the drawdown was fairly rapid after that and they were quickly replaced by P-38s, P-47s and P-51s. Veteran Compensation Programs. [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. A ground-water divide cuts diagonally across the Base from northwest to . The average person has around 3 or 4 parts per billion of these chemicals present in their blood. Me and Dan drive around base and check out the bunkers that held nuclear weapons during the cold war I was stationed there 1988-1992. This includes extra parts, munitions, fuel, and flight crews. I have had sever kidney problems since 1983 that carried on into my mid teens. Now I see this years later. Smoke started coming from the tail of the second plane, and I could see it was in trouble. 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. Paul B. Wurtsmith Air Force Base closed in 1993, dealing a sharp blow to the economy of rural Iosco County. A ground-water divide cuts diagonally across the Base from northwest to sou out of Prince Abdullah AB in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Wurtsmith Air Force Base, created in 1923, played a large role in WWII. These Air Force bases were remote. [1] 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.