wurtsmith air force base housing

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. We have a lot of sick civilians and = veterans from contaminated drinking water. http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2017/04/wurtsmith_pfas_pfc_april_45_me.html. Senators Gary Peters (MI) and Debbie Stabenow (MI) and U.S. 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. After a trip to the Boneyard in September 2019, hundreds of current and vintage photos are being sorted, scanned and uploaded. One of the unfortunate risks in flying is a crash. 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. [1] This meant that there was always at least three, B-52s armed with nuclear bombs, ready to take off at a moments notice. 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. Now that the contamination has reached the Au Sable river, it could potentially carry this contamination into Lake Huron. I served at Wursmith AFB from 1982 to 1989, living in base housing the entire time and drinking the water. In addition, the rear fuselage was deepened in order that it could faire cleanly into the bottom of the radiator. These, planes would regularly fly missions from Wurtsmith Air Force Base during the, The 379th Bomb Wing moved to Wurtsmith Air Force Base in June of, 19661. 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. 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. There were 10 passengers and six crew members on board. 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 . Some areas of the site are still under investigation. Typically, brown-ish water occurs when there is large change in pressure/flow in a distribution system. Im slowly working my way up from 1924 to the present. The Lackland Air Force Base Education Center is located at 1550 Wurtsmith Street, Suite 5. . She gave Kelly the rundown of the base. [5] While the 379thBomb Wing was stationed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base they were part of the ReadyAlert Nuclear Strike Force. 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 5,221-acre site is bounded by Van Etten Lake to the north and east . The airplane operated on a flight from Oscoda Wurtsmith Airport, MI to Oscoda-Wurtsmith AFB, MI (OSC). 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. These Air Force bases were remote. The 1st Combat Evaluation Group (initially "1CEG", later "1CEVG") was a Strategic Air Command (SAC) unit. He flew from Dayton, Ohio to Washington, D.C. at a speed of approximately 266 mph, at an altitude of 25,000 ft. Deliveries of the first P-6s were late, the first example not appearing until October 1929. The result was an airplane which had a much deeper and broader fuselage than did the P-1. A total 9589 Airacobras were built before production finally ended on July 25, 1944. 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. This building was like the barracks, but each officer had his own room. The 700 hp Conqueror engine was exceptionally powerful for its day, but it had many minor and some major faults which needed to be corrected. History Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan, served primarily as a combat crew and bomber training base throughout its 70-year history. My first assignment as a Nuclear Weapons specialist was at wurtsmith where we deployed the AGM 69A SRAM missile system. TCE in another well on Jet Street near the present day Wurtsmith AFB museum was 1,739-ppb. 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). Survived stage 3 oral cancer and per medical review, origin unknown since I have never smoked. Even studies on fish have been done, where it was found that PFOA is a liver carcinogen in rainbow trout. 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 average person has around 3 or 4 parts per billion of these chemicals present in their blood. Wurtsmith AirForce Base was constructed with a runway layout specifically for this. This bunker compound housedthe flight crews on ready alert, the three B-52 bombers ready to take off at amoments notice, and the accompanying KC-135s ready to top off the B-52s after takeoff. Click on a marker for base information. [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. The site of Wurtsmith Air Force Base is located 2 miles Northwest of Oscoda, Michigan, about 150 miles North of Detroit. /. Wurtsmith Air Force Base. A Brief History of Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan, www.wurtsmithairmuseum.org/Wurtsmith_AFB/wurtsmith_afb.html. The 4026th was a SAC Major Command controlled (MAJCON) wing that had been organized on 1 August 1958. This is very dear to my heart and want to get involved however I can. 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. U.S. [1], While these crews were on ready alert they did not have a whole, lot to do. It had everything in it. 2 talking about this. They resumed the investigation last spring. Dover Air Force base, Delaware. A series of stringers were added to the fuselage sides to round out the cross section. In 1960 it became part of the Strategic Air Command . [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 in Iosco County, Michigan.It operated from 1923 until decommissioned in 1993. 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. My daughter was born at the base hospital. The Losinskis found an account of the crash in the Times Herald. As an officer Mr. Norton had to sit in on Court-Martials. Only after, the plains were airborne would the crew be notified if it was a drill or not.[1]. It still haunts me today that we had to do that and were told to just follow orders. A ground-water divide cuts diagonally across the Base from northwest to . Facebook: Wurtsmith AFB Water Health Issues via water Created to serve as a reference point for former WAFB residents to share information regarding health issues, and probable chemical exposure via base water sources. All kind of special chemicals that Boeing told the USAF we had to have. 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. They raised $600 to clear the land, which at the time was plenty for this job. [5] However, the B-52H aircraft maintained nuclear alert at WurtsmithAir Force Base. [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. Wurtsmith Air Force base was one of fivenorthern tier bases in the Strategic Air Commands arsenal. These planes arrived at dawn on the first day of the Gulf War. Wurtsmith Air Force Base has been an integral part of the United States Air Force from the 1920's to June 3rd 1993. . 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. [5] The 379th Bomb Wing immediately continued the 4026thStrategic Wing operations and training. Theseplanes would regularly fly missions from Wurtsmith Air Force Base during thecold war. He brought this idea to the attention of his squadron commander Major Carl Spaatz. In 2016, residents near Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Michigan discovered that the water they drank, bathed in, swam in, and fished in was contaminated with jet fuel, cancer-causing chlorinated . The 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. 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. The Bell P-39 Airacobra was not the best fighter aircraft of WWII, but it was the only fighter available in quantity during the first six months of the war. The base was first named after Capt. This lead to Wurtsmith transferring to Air Combat Command control, and then on June 30th 1993, Wurtsmith Air Force Base closed. [1] On the first Wednesday thefresh flight crew would relive the current flight crew in the bunkers. 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. By comparing the concentrations of known fluorosurfactants with the total organofluorine, less than 10% of the fluorosurfactants were identified in half of the samples. [1] This meant that there was always at least threeB-52s armed with nuclear bombs, ready to take off at a moments notice. 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 1979, the state of Michigan sued the Air Force for the contamination. 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). 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. [5] While the 379th, Bomb Wing was stationed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base they were part of the Ready, Alert Nuclear Strike Force. [6] The 379th Bomb Wing wasdisbanded on June 30th 1993. 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. It remained named Camp Skeel until 1942 when it was renamed Oscoda Army Air Field (WAFB.net). The Wurtsmith Air Force Incident. The Realignment of Griffiss Air Force Base. 70-77 lived on base housing with family, flight line assistant supervisor. PORT HURON, Mich. David and Drew Losinski are struck by the coincidence. These bases wereresponsible for a housing a Ready Alert Nuclear Strike Force. I was shocked when we drove to a wooded area not far from bomber alert pad and WSA up the road of the k9 area where a bull dozed had dug a large trench and we were ordered to dump the shit. Leaking chemical storage tanks and waste disposal operations contaminated soil and groundwater with hazardous chemicals. Theyre looking for other divers who can assist with the effort. [1] This includes on base housing, a daycare center for children, a doctor's office, a . 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. distance from the bunker. 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. The museum's exhibits are extensive and incredibly high-quality -- including several aircraft that can be examined up . The base is influential in Michigan, as well as the United States military history. 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. [3], [1] Dave Norton, Former United States Air Force Captain, interviewed on 23 OCT 2017, [2] Ap. 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. [1] The KC-135s had many more opportunities to travel because they would fly in support of any craft capable of refueling in flight. Michigan Radio. After being relieved, the flight crew had until the following Monday morning, off. 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. One specific and important waterway being affected by these pollutants is the Au Sable River. Veteran Compensation Programs (www.veteranprograms.com) does not monitor, pre-screen or moderate posts, surveys, topics, comments, blogs or responses. Photos of P-47s flown by French Pilots at Oscoda. 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 . Now I see this years later. U.S. The aquifer overlies a thick clay layer at an average depth of 65 feet. Investigation determined a defective tire caused the accident. They have been detected in air, water, soils, sediments, and in rain at levels that would be considered unsafe in drinking . The Wurtsmith Air Force Base, created in 1923, played a large role in WWII. Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport became a public airport in 1993. [4] On August 1st 1958 the 4026th Strategic Wing was formed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base. Home Buyers Guide; Find a Real Estate Agent; Price: $299,000. [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. Heart condition, prostate cancer, diabetic, sometimes confused in making decisions. 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. 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. 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. 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. out of Prince Abdullah AB in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Published August 24, 2021 at 4:15 PM EDT. Aircraft upper wing, left lower wing, rudder and propeller damaged. Located in Iosco County, Michigan, Wurtsmith Air Force Base operated from 1923 until decommissioned in 1993. I still stay in touch with Gary but do not know if he has an e-mail account. The popular legend, supported by interviews and other historical documents, is that Wurtsmith was established as the direct result of a fishing trip by Lt. Ennis Whitehead (later Lt. Gen. Whitehead, commander of the Fifth and Far Eastern Air Forces during and after World War . Wurtsmith Air, Force Base was constructed with a runway layout specifically for this. At this time Wurtsmith Air Force Base was still part of theStrategic Air Commands bomber fleet. 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. The letter never said what I was objecting to, but that I was refusing to for a lawful order.

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