As a young airman, assumed we were returning the stuff to supply to send to the next base. [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. 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. Click on a marker for base information. Wurtsmith Air Force Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force base in Iosco County, Michigan.It operated from 1923 until decommissioned in 1993. 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. U.S. My symptoms looking back were insidious with weakness and muscle fasciculations. 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. 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. After being relieved, the flight crew had until the following Monday morningoff. Drinking Water At Wurtsmith AFB Contaminted. Aug 24, 2021. Wurtsmith Air Force Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force base in northeastern Iosco County in the U.S. state of Michigan. All four of the the guys that were in that flight were from Tuskegee, Losinksi said. The former Wurtsmith Air Force Base (WAFB), located in Oscoda, Iosco County, MI operated from 1924 to 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. 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. 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. At the start of 1985, Wurtsmith maintained an $80 million annual payroll with 3,600 military and civilian personnel. There are many historical planes you can visit as well as other interesting pieces of history that the public may view. Today the Wurtsmith district is integral to the community's economic potential. Representatives Dan Kildee (MI-05) and Elissa Slotkin (MI-08) today urged the U.S. Air Force to take more significant steps to address PFAS contamination around the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base near Oscoda. 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. It was built out of a portion of the decommissioned Wurtsmith Air Force Base which housed nuclear armed B-52 Stratofortress bombers during the Cold War as well as air refueling squadrons. It had a commissary, a gas station, a hospital, housing, a bowling alley," said veteran Michael Grogan. These mission were into Iraq. Located in Iosco County, Michigan, Wurtsmith Air Force Base operated from 1923 until decommissioned in 1993. Leaking chemical storage tanks and waste disposal operations contaminated soil and groundwater with hazardous chemicals. Photos of P-47s flown by French Pilots at Oscoda. 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. A map of the base locations listed above can be viewed below. [5] The B-52s did not get to travel nearly as much as the KC-135s. [2] Another unfortunate occurrence that Happened more than it should have were Court-Martials. We knew we had some kind of plane.. For more information regarding services offered by the Lackland Air Force Base Education Center, call 210-671-2895 or DSN 473-2895. . We offer visitors three hangars full of military (all branches) and aviation history, static aircraft displays, artifacts, equipment and lots of WAFB memorabilia. Although in the past the Wurtsmith Air Force Base was extremely successful there are some prevalent issues with it today. 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. Mr. Norton experienced this first hand while being station at Wurtsmith Air Force Base when he had his Squadron Commander help him hang drywall in his house. 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. Once we brought that up and cleaned the tag, we knew it was the 221226 serial number.. I remember getting a letter of counseling when I wanted to object as a warning what could happen. Over the course of Mr. Nortons career as both a KC-135 Navigatorand a DC-10 Pilot, Mr. Norton served as a flight commander, served numerousdeployments during the Gulf War escorting fighter squadrons from the UnitedStates into theater, supporting fighter squadrons and bomber squadrons intheater, served multiple temporary duty assignments to England, Spain, SaudiArabia, Alaska, and other Air Force Bases around the globe. 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. Any one else from 84-89 have issues? As an officer Mr. Norton had to sit in on Court-Martials. 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. 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. [1] This tight knit community was not confined to just the Air Force Base, but extended into the community as well. There are a lot of stories to tell. [1]After one week in the bunker on ready alert the flight crew would be relieved. I am not a doctor or attorney, and cannot give medical advice or legal advice. A sand and gravel aquifer of glacial origin underlies Wurtsmith Air Force Base in northeastern lower Michigan. We have a lot of sick civilians and = veterans from contaminated drinking water. The story stated Moody and three other pilots were taking gunnery practice about three miles north of Port Huron. Residents of the Oscoda area raised $600 to clear 40 acres of land next to the lake as a spot for a training camp and target range. What's next? I am pretty sure Diabetes and Sleep Apnea I have now and neuro dammage in both arms are related , So Presumptive Claims puzzleing I have a claim in and never heard anything I know Senator Kilddee of Michigan is trying to help veterans on this matter but congress are dragging this out. Chanute Air Force base, Illinois. The Wurtsmith Air Museum is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, dedicated to preserving the history of Wurtsmith Air Force Base and aviation in Northeastern Michigan. [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. 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. 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. Theseplanes would regularly fly missions from Wurtsmith Air Force Base during thecold war. It still haunts me today that we had to do that and were told to just follow orders. He flew from Dayton, Ohio to Washington, D.C. at a speed of approximately 266 mph, at an altitude of 25,000 ft. [1] This was followed by one and a half weeks of normal day to day activities, until the flight crew relieved crew on ready alert in the bunkers. In fact the only time B-52s would travel was for training missions, or actually delivering ordinance to its target. 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. Mr. Norton would occasionally return to fresh fish left by his neighbor on his porch. Why are you focusing only on chlordane and other organochlorine pesticide (OCP) contamination at the Family Housing? Wurtsmith Air Force Base is said to have originally started with a fishing trip between two men. I like combining historical photographs with the stories behind them. After one week in the bunker on ready alert the flight crew would be relieved. ircraft operated from Oscoda Army Airfield. P-6E, serial number 32-156, 17th Pursuit Squadron from Selfridge Field Michigan. I do hope there is information on Wurtsmith AFB soon. Airplane nosed over when landing gear tire casing failed, locking the right wheel. Most individuals are not educated on what the base did before and after World War II, what is currently happening at this . While these crews were on ready alert they did not have a wholelot to do. The letter never said what I was objecting to, but that I was refusing to for a lawful order. The Airacobra reached its peak usage in the USAAF in early 1944, with over 2100 in service. Now that the contamination has reached the Au Sable river, it could potentially carry this contamination into Lake Huron. One of the unfortunate risks in flying is a crash. One of these places included directly underneath the Oscoda high school. Robert Krouse, 12/31/19Stationed at Wurtsmith AFB from 1978 to 1980 and lived in barracks. [5] While the 379th, Bomb Wing was stationed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base they were part of the Ready, Alert Nuclear Strike Force. 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 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. 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. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. More individuals impacted by these chemicals are Cindi and Lawrence Ashbeck. Lora Cole, 1/8/20 I am the daughter to a vet that was in this I was a baby at the time. Welcome to The WAFB Historical Site dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of Wurtsmith Air Force Base and the units assigned there. [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. These are simply the specific . 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. NPL Status: Proposed Street Address: AFBCA/DB, OSCODA, MI 54961 Congressional District: 01 EPA ID: MI5570024278 Population (within 1 mile): 101-1,000 Contaminant Information. Then everything happened so fast it seems unbelievable. Neither Michigan nor any U.S. officials have conducted a comprehensive study on the contaminants and pollutants under the base. During the Pacific conflicts personnel and the KC-135Stratotankers were deployed to forward bases in the Pacific to support landoperations. Weve done quite a bit of documenting and measuring, David Losinski said. . [1] On the first Wednesday thefresh flight crew would relive the current flight crew in the bunkers. As long as these assignments were under 180 days they were considered Temporary Duty Assignments. The P-6 Hawk (1932-1937) Aircraft was @ Oscoda. 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. Mr. Norton remarked that they were flying the wings off of the planes. The P-6 could climb to 10,000 feet in 6.6 min. Wurtsmith Air Force base was one of five, northern tier bases in the Strategic Air Commands arsenal. My son, was born on the base, has a malformed aorta and congenital nerve damage hearing loss. The last was delivered in December 1930. 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. Dover Air Force base, Delaware. 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. 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. Michigan Radio. [2] The flight crashed at 2:20PM while returning from K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base in the Upper Peninsula. The airplane operated on a flight from Oscoda Wurtsmith Airport, MI to Oscoda-Wurtsmith AFB, MI (OSC). The aquifer overlies a thick clay layer at an average depth of 65 feet. Air Force Base was essentially a self-contained airport with all of the necessities to support a full community on Base. It was a feeble effort, for the plane seemed to lift for only a few feet and then it crashed, nose first, into the water. PFOA exposure is also shown to be associated with increased risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children between ages 12-15. Bert E. Skeel in 1924. [1], As new technologies and mission goals evolved with time the need for the Strategic Air Commands need for the northern tier became obsolete. [4] In the later, years 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. U.S. Air Force should abide by state of Michigan's PFAS Standards, state must hold Air Force accountable. He brought this idea to the attention of his squadron commander Major Carl Spaatz. [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. 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. Report also stated that the Oscoda Michigan gunnery field was very rough and sandy and notoriously hard on wheels, landing gears etc. 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. 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. This is a short video about the small museum located at the decommissioned Wurtsmith AFB in Oscoda Mi.http://www.rv-project.com [1] Wurtsmith Air Force Base was 2nd Lt. Nortons first, permanent duty station in the United States Air Force. It was the most horrible thing I have ever witnessed, she said. The museum's exhibits are extensive and incredibly high-quality -- including several aircraft that can be examined up . 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. 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. In a fly off against the contemporary Boeing P-12B, the P-6E was faster, but the P-12B was more maneuverable. 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 Lackland Air Force Base Education Center is located at 1550 Wurtsmith Street, Suite 5. . In their letter, the members expressed their concerns that the Air Force's proposed remediation plan . There were four planes, and I was watching them from our front window, as I usually do when theyre engaged in gunnery practice. [4] On August 1st 1958 the 4026th Strategic Wing was formed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base. Wurtsmith got its start in 1923 as Loud-Reames Aviation Field, a soft-surface landing site for Arm Air Corps aircraft from Selfridge Field. The base is located in Oscoda, Iosco County, Michigan. Airport History. Stationed there for 84-88 and am suffering with a motor neuron disease process. Cindi developed hypertension and Lawrence diagnosed with lung disease. [1] Mr. Norton also landed. It is primarily a large jet airplane salvage, jet engine maintenance and light general aviation . The Realignment of Griffiss Air Force Base. TCE in another well on Jet Street near the present day Wurtsmith AFB museum was 1,739-ppb. I recall we lost a tanker on touch and goes which had to be extinguished with a massive amount of this chemical. 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. Lester Graham. Engine not damaged. There were frequently extremely large and loud airplanes taxiing, taking off, and landing in the base. This resulted in KC-135 squadrons spending a greater amount of time on temporary duty assignments than other squadrons from Wurtsmith Air Force Base. VA counselor "don't waste your time". 2 talking about this. The pilot apparently noticed it and tried to lift his ship. [1] On May 9th 1961 the first B-52 landed in Wurtsmith Air Force Basesignifying the re-designation to a Strategic Air Command Base. If a banker had not taken Lt. Whitehead on a fishing trip there would not have been an Air Force Base in Oscoda Michigan. The P-6E was quite a good-looking airplane, and became the most famous of the Hawk line of biplane fighters. 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. 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). In March of 1943, the Third Air Force reactivated the field for training of black aviators.

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