wurtsmith air force base housing

[5] Wurtsmith AFB, Mich SAC 379th Bomb Wing B-52, www.strategic-air-command.com/bases/Wurtsmith_AFB.htm. 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. Tests in Michigan near the former Wurtsmith Air Force base have found PFOS in groundwater at levels as high as 42,000 ppt. ircraft operated from Oscoda Army Airfield. https://www.oscairport.com/index.php/available-properties/, https://www.oscairport.com/index.php/development-site/, https://www.afhistory.org/wp-content/uploads/APH-Winter2016.pdf, http://www.armytimes.com/story/news/2014/07/30/divers-find-wreckage-of-world-war-ii-era-plane/13354373/, https://wurtsmithairmuseum.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Air-Refueling-Squadron-_-Real-People-_-George-Schlatter720p.mp4. [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. 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. 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 tight knit community was not confined to just the Air Force Base, but extended into the community as well. She gave Kelly the rundown of the base. Mr. Norton would occasionally return to fresh fish left by his neighbor on his porch. [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. I still stay in touch with Gary but do not know if he has an e-mail account. They want the site to remain a memorial divers can visit. On June 30, , 1993 the 379th Bomb Wing was disbanded and Wurtsmith Air Force Base was closed. 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. Now that the contamination has reached the Au Sable river, it could potentially carry this contamination into Lake Huron. We didnt know really what we had.. The former Wurtsmith Air Force Base (WAFB), located in Oscoda, Iosco County, MI operated from 1924 to 1993. There were frequently extremely large and loud airplanes taxiing, taking off, and landing in the base. [2] The flight crashed at 2:20PM while returning from K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base in the Upper Peninsula. 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). Michigan Radio. Wurtsmith Air Force Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force base in northeastern Iosco County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As an officer Mr. Norton had to sit in on Court-Martials. [4] Enchanted Forest Web Page Design Service. 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. The P-47s radial engine proved remarkably resistant to battle damage and, with its heavy armament and well-armored cockpit, the Thunderbolt established a reputation as one of the most effective fighter-bombers of the war. 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. 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 1960 it became part of the Strategic Air Command . From: Members of the ground crew move a maintenance cart into position next to a B-52 Stratofortress aircraft parked on the flight line. I saw a big splash, and then the plane went out of sight.. 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. [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]. [3], [1] Dave Norton, Former United States Air Force Captain, interviewed on 23 OCT 2017, [2] Ap. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. This includes extra parts, munitions, fuel, and flight crews. With that being said, these chemicals are going to be reaching a lot more people than just the Oscoda residents. At the time, George was a hub of F-4 Phantom fighter jets and OV-10 Bronco reconnaissance planes. [5] While the 379th, Bomb Wing was stationed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base they were part of the Ready, Alert Nuclear Strike Force. /. 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. Why are you focusing only on chlordane and other organochlorine pesticide (OCP) contamination at the Family Housing? There are many good photos of P-39s at Selfridge Field (Posted below), but none of P-39s at Oscoda. Neither Michigan nor any U.S. officials have conducted a comprehensive study on the contaminants and pollutants under the base. 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. This cycle was from Wednesday to Wednesday. Air Force Base was essentially a self-contained airport with all of the necessities to support a full community on Base. 70-77 lived on base housing with family, flight line assistant supervisor. 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. Deliveries of the first P-6s were late, the first example not appearing until October 1929. I kept up with all this for a while then gave up. 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 . Aircraft upper wing, left lower wing, rudder and propeller damaged. It is perhaps the best-known of all the between wars Army pursuits. The museum's exhibits are extensive and incredibly high-quality -- including several aircraft that can be examined up . At this time Wurtsmith Air Force Base was still part of theStrategic Air Commands bomber fleet. A ground-water divide cuts diagonally across the Base from northwest to . 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 . This unfortunately happened on October 11. , 1988 when KC-135 crashed with 6 crew members and 10 passengers on board. Most Air Corps/Force types used Oscoda at one time or another. Engine not damaged. Published August 24, 2021 at 4:15 PM EDT. One of these men were named Lt. Ennis Whitehead. Wurtsmith Air Force base was one of five, northern tier bases in the Strategic Air Commands arsenal. Dover Air Force base, Delaware. Everyone from the mechanics keeping the planes flyable, to the cooks, preparing food for the airmen stationed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, to the, commanders who ensured that everything from the flight schedules being correct. The main mission of Oscoda Army Air Field, at the time, was to defend Sault Ste. My first assignment as a Nuclear Weapons specialist was at wurtsmith where we deployed the AGM 69A SRAM missile system. [5] Assuming the equipment, personnel and aircraft of the 4026th Strategic, wing as it was disbanded. [6] 379th Bomb Wing Homestead AFB B-47 Wurtsmith AFB B-52, www.strategic-air-command.com/wings/0379bw.htm. Mr. Norton remarked that they were flying the wings off of the planes. Ellsworth Air Force base, South Dakota. In a fly off against the contemporary Boeing P-12B, the P-6E was faster, but the P-12B was more maneuverable. It still haunts me today that we had to do that and were told to just follow orders. [1] As soon as the wheels touched down the clock would be reset and they could be sent out on another assignment. They are surely exposed to this chemical nearly every day, whether it be playing outside on the playground or from being exposed to the chemicals via drinking the water. purposes only, and is not legal advice. Wurtsmith Air Force base was one of fivenorthern tier bases in the Strategic Air Commands arsenal. [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 their letter, the members expressed their concerns that the Air Force's proposed remediation plan . In 1953 it was renamed Wurtsmith Air Force Base after Michigan native, Major General Paul Wurtsmith. Wurtsmith Air Force Base has been an integral part of the United States Air Force from the 1920's to June 3rd 1993. . I will try and highlight some of the most interesting aircraft and their stories!. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. Dallas Naval base, Texas. The site of Wurtsmith Air Force Base is located 2 miles Northwest of Oscoda, Michigan, about 150 miles North of Detroit. The average person has around 3 or 4 parts per billion of these chemicals present in their blood. Military bases are known for significant staffing turnover. 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. A sand and gravel aquifer of glacial origin underlies Wurtsmith Air Force Base in northeastern lower Michigan. But these days, the county is becoming a haven for retired people such as the Kuhlmans . By comparing the concentrations of known fluorosurfactants with the total organofluorine, less than 10% of the fluorosurfactants were identified in half of the samples. [5] Assuming the equipment, personnel and aircraft of the 4026th Strategicwing as it was disbanded. 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. As a young airman, assumed we were returning the stuff to supply to send to the next base. 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 . Here is a list of military bases that are known to have had their drinking water contaminated with PFAS chemicals: Alameda Naval base, California. However, the drawdown was fairly rapid after that and they were quickly replaced by P-38s, P-47s and P-51s. 1946. 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. 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. Weights were 2450 lb. [1] The KC-135s had many more opportunities to travel because they would fly in support of any craft capable of refueling in flight. Like the former Pease Air Force Base in Portsmouth and Newington, the former Michigan base is now a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) site. 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). Pieces include the engine, the tail, part of the door and the 37-millimeter cannon that fired through the propeller hub. 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. This would cause some big problems for the fish and other life that lives beneath the surface. This is a short video about the small museum located at the decommissioned Wurtsmith AFB in Oscoda Mi.http://www.rv-project.com "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. Over the 50 years of operation Wurtsmith Air Force Base had manydifferent missions. 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. The Arrow Street purge system, installed in 1982 to remove contaminants from the Building 43 plume, has lowered concentrations o My son, was born on the base, has a malformed aorta and congenital nerve damage hearing loss. [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. the first KC-135 in operation Southern Watch. These high levels of PFOA elevate the risks of kidney cancer, mesothelioma, and diabetes. Wurtsmith Air Force Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force base in Iosco County, Michigan.It operated from 1923 until decommissioned in 1993. Wurtsmith Air Force Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force base in Iosco County, Michigan.It operated from 1923 until decommissioned in 1993. still rejects and "nexus" to the toxic chemicals on the base. 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. Wurtsmith Air Force Base. A Brief History of Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan, www.wurtsmithairmuseum.org/Wurtsmith_AFB/wurtsmith_afb.html. During those efforts, they noted several areas they wanted to investigate, including one about four miles north of the Blue Water Bridge. . [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. 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. [1] This would result in a large amount of paperwork and extra expenses for the Air Force. The military has not begun cleanups at any of the 50 Department of Defense sites Congress has identified as highly contaminated with the "forever chemicals" known as PFAS - and it could be years before cleanups are complete. The majority of married enlisted and officers preferred to live on base because of the free daycare for children. It remained named Camp Skeel until 1942 when it was renamed Oscoda Army Air Field (WAFB.net). [1], The ready alert flight crews were rotated on a three week cycle. 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. If you are interested in any particular aircraft of time period please let me know. After being relieved, the flight crew had until the following Monday morningoff. Photos of P-47s flown by French Pilots at Oscoda. Located in Iosco County, Michigan, Wurtsmith Air Force Base operated from 1923 until decommissioned in 1993. Once we brought that up and cleaned the tag, we knew it was the 221226 serial number.. out of Prince Abdullah AB in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 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 . Aircraft rolled 630 feet before nosing over. It was formed on 1 August 1961 to merge the 3908th Strategic Standardization Group for SAC aircrew evaluation with the 1st Radar Bomb Scoring Group that had originated from the 263rd Army Air Force Base Unit which transferred from 15th AF to directly under Strategic Air Command c. 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. I recall we lost a tanker on touch and goes which had to be extinguished with a massive amount of this chemical. Poison Spring: The Secret History of Pollution and the EPA. Airplane nosed over when landing gear tire casing failed, locking the right wheel. It is one of the most famous bases located in our state. Stay tuned for further developments. Wurtsmith earned recognition during the war as the leader of the group of pilots using P-40 and P-38 fighter . 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. We came across the gauge cluster, which had the radio call tag, David Losinski said. Home Buyers Guide; Find a Real Estate Agent; Price: $299,000. As long as these assignments were under 180 days they were considered Temporary Duty Assignments. The story stated Moody and three other pilots were taking gunnery practice about three miles north of Port Huron. 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. [1] Wurtsmith Air Force Base was 2nd Lt. Nortons firstpermanent duty station in the United States Air Force.[1]. 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. For more information regarding services offered by the Lackland Air Force Base Education Center, call 210-671-2895 or DSN 473-2895. . Veteran Compensation Programs (veteranprograms.com) assumes NO liability, and expressly disclaims any and all responsibility, for the content of all posts, surveys, topics, comments, blogs or responses. It was also possible for these missions to originate in the United States. In addition, the rear fuselage was deepened in order that it could faire cleanly into the bottom of the radiator. [2] Another unfortunate occurrence that Happened more than it should have were Court-Martials. That plane actually crashed April 11, 1944, which was 70 years to the date that the picture was taken, Drew Losinski said. [1] This meant that there was always at least three, B-52s armed with nuclear bombs, ready to take off at a moments notice. [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. I lived in base housing, I want to say 8607H Ohio from 82-84. The KC-135s would finish one mission and there would be another one waiting for them as soon as they were available. empty, 3310 lb gross. 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. There are many historical planes you can visit as well as other interesting pieces of history that the public may view. I remember getting a letter of counseling when I wanted to object as a warning what could happen. Eielson Air Force base, Alaska. 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. In addition across the base boundary dirt road was the EOD range where every friday morning we burned and destroyed old munitions and other stuff they needed disposed of. Drinking water laced with high levels of poisonous chemicals may be to blame for cancer and other chronic disease among veterans and families who lived at Wurtsmith Air Force Base in northern Michigan, according to a new federal health report draft. The 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. In fact the only time B-52s would travel was for training missions, or actually delivering ordinance to its target. 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. WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. [1] This includes on base housing, a daycare center for children, a doctor's office, a . It excelled in low-altitude ground support as a well-built and reliable aircraft capable of absorbing quite a bit of battle damage. [2] Another unfortunate occurrence that Happened more than it should have were Court-Martials. 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. We thought that was kind of unbelievable.. China Lake Naval base, California. This resulted in KC-135 squadrons spending a greater amount of time on temporary duty assignments than other squadrons from Wurtsmith Air Force Base. Now, I have been diagnosed with Stage 5 kidney failure and congestive heart disease, I am currently on dialysis awaiting a kidney transplant. P-6E, serial number 32-156, 17th Pursuit Squadron from Selfridge Field Michigan. The Realignment of Griffiss Air Force Base. Download Images of Wurtsmith air force base - Free for commercial use, no attribution required. There are many different ways that PFOA and PFOS can affect the human body. The presumptive disabilities from contaminated water at Wurtsmith AFB would lead to automatic compensation to potentially thousands of veterans. [1], While these crews were on ready alert they did not have a whole, lot to do. 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. Investigation determined a defective tire caused the accident. This happened a couple weeks before the IOC which is in the wing,ahistorical records on microfilm. In this June 6, 2018 photo, PFAS foam washes up on the shoreline of Van Etten Lake in Oscoda Township, Mich., near Wurtsmith Air Force Base. Paul B. Wurtsmith Air Force Base closed in 1993, dealing a sharp blow to the economy of rural Iosco County. 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 . to share information regarding health issues, and probable chemical exposure via base water sources. Thanks for sending to you and Pat. I have also read about the PFAS via fire retardant foam. . [5] The B-52s did not get to travel nearly as much as the KC-135s. [1], The northern tier Strategic Air Command Ready Alert Strike Force bases were considered less than desirable duty stations for one main reason. This lead to Wurtsmith transferring to Air Combat Command control, and then on June 30th 1993, Wurtsmith Air Force Base closed. 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. As an officer Mr. Norton had to sit in on Court-Martials. The base came to be because of chance. He saw the surrounding land and figured it would make a great place for a gunnery range. 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. The Airacobra reached its peak usage in the USAAF in early 1944, with over 2100 in service. http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2017/04/wurtsmith_pfas_pfc_april_45_me.html. 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.

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