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. 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. It has recently been discovered that that the base has been leaking chemicals into the surrounding waterways. Kelly mentioned she'd been thinking about getting . 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. The Wurtsmith Air Force Incident. Maximum speed was 178 mph at sea level, 171 mph at 10,000 feet. 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. In 1953 it was renamed Wurtsmith Air Force Base after Michigan native, Major General Paul Wurtsmith. The airplane operated on a flight from Oscoda Wurtsmith Airport, MI to Oscoda-Wurtsmith AFB, MI (OSC). Deliveries of the first P-6s were late, the first example not appearing until October 1929. Wurtsmith Air Force Base is said to have originally started with a fishing trip between two men. This could be from hydrant flushing or a water main break. While these crews were on ready alert they did not have a wholelot to do. Since, 2010 sampling by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and the U.S. Air Force has identified elevated levels of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) contamination in drinking water wells and some locally caught fish and deer. [1] Mr. Norton also landedthe first KC-135 in operation Southern Watch. More than 40 private businesses and public agencies use the former Air Force facilities and infrastructure, providing more than 1,300 jobs to the area, as well as the conversion of former base housing to 700 privately owned residential homes. 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. ircraft operated from Oscoda Army Airfield. From humble beginnings in the 1920's as a aircraft gunnery range, to its status as a vital member of our strategic defense, Wurtsmith Air Force Base has distinguished itself as an important part of our country's military history. The EPA Superfund Contaminants of Concern Update of June 3, 2016 lists all the same contaminants listed in 38-3307(7)(i) as it relates to USMC Camp Lejeune water contaminants. He was stationed at the base. 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. 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. 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. These mission were into Iraq. The Strategic Air Command activated a wing there on August 1, 1958. At the start of 1985, Wurtsmith maintained an $80 million annual payroll with 3,600 military and civilian personnel. [4] Enchanted Forest Web Page Design Service. While many of the airmen preferred to live on base it was possible for them to buy or rent a house or apartment off post. The cockpit canopy offered exceptional all-round visibility for the pilot. According to Robert Delaney, a Michigan Department of Environmental Quality specialist, If you pull the water out of the ground in that training area, it still foams, theres so much in there. Since this entire problem stems from the fact that the foam used to extinguish fires on the base is what carried the toxic chemical, that goes to show just how invasive and problematic this contamination can be. As previously stated, there is a museum open to the public which has artifacts and information on the bases history. We have a lot of sick civilians and = veterans from contaminated drinking water. 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. [1] Wurtsmith Air Force Base was 2nd Lt. Nortons first, permanent duty station in the United States Air Force. [1] On the first Wednesday thefresh flight crew would relive the current flight crew in the bunkers. 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. [5] However, the B-52H aircraft maintained nuclear alert at Wurtsmith, Air Force Base. High blood serum levels of PFOA are associated with infertility, decreased semen quality, and a higher risk of thyroid disease. My ex wife has thyroid disease and auto immune disease. I saw a big splash, and then the plane went out of sight.. My son, was born on the base, has a malformed aorta and congenital nerve damage hearing loss. Why are you focusing only on chlordane and other organochlorine pesticide (OCP) contamination at the Family Housing? The Losinskis found an account of the crash in the Times Herald. Timothy Marcum, 1/15/2071-73 camp lejeune nc bad water va in redding pretends they know nothing about having problems. 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. 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. Veteran Compensation Programs (www.veteranprograms.com) does not monitor, pre-screen or moderate posts, surveys, topics, comments, blogs or responses. 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. After one week in the bunker on ready alert the flight crew would be relieved. He was training with fellow pilots out of what was then Selfridge Field when his plane crashed. The Arrow Street purge system, installed in 1982 to remove contaminants from the Building 43 plume, has lowered concentrations o [4] On August 1st 1958 the 4026th Strategic Wing was formed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base. [1] On the first Wednesday the, fresh flight crew would relive the current flight crew in the bunkers. I recall we lost a tanker on touch and goes which had to be extinguished with a massive amount of this chemical. Wurtsmith got its start in 1923 as Loud-Reames Aviation Field, a soft-surface landing site for Arm Air Corps aircraft from Selfridge Field. Two years after release I started to experience very visible loss of musculature and strength. Aircraft upper wing, left lower wing, rudder and propeller damaged. 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 . 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. 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. distance from the bunker. Most individuals are not educated on what the base did before and after World War II, what is currently happening at this . 2 talking about this. to share information regarding health issues, and probable chemical exposure via base water sources. [1], The ready alert flight crews were rotated on a three week cycle. The Wurtsmith Air Force Base, created in 1923, played a large role in WWII. The Air Force's decline to commit to Michigan's standards is among a litany of frustrations Oscoda residents say they have . The site of Wurtsmith Air Force Base is located 2 miles Northwest of Oscoda, Michigan, about 150 miles North of Detroit. Senators Gary Peters (MI) and Debbie Stabenow (MI) and U.S. Report also stated that the Oscoda Michigan gunnery field was very rough and sandy and notoriously hard on wheels, landing gears etc. However, the drawdown was fairly rapid after that and they were quickly replaced by P-38s, P-47s and P-51s. After a trip to the Boneyard in September 2019, hundreds of current and vintage photos are being sorted, scanned and uploaded. 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 . At the time, George was a hub of F-4 Phantom fighter jets and OV-10 Bronco reconnaissance planes. Service ceiling 27,200 feet, and range was 260 miles. In a fly off against the contemporary Boeing P-12B, the P-6E was faster, but the P-12B was more maneuverable. WAFB began operations in 1923, under the name of Camp Skeel, and was officially named the Wurtsmith Air Force Base in 1953. [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. In addition, the rear fuselage was deepened in order that it could faire cleanly into the bottom of the radiator. A ground-water divide cuts diagonally across the Base from northwest to sou U.S. 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. View All Homes - Homes for Rent The base is influential in Michigan, as well as the United States military history. Anyone know the status on this? It excelled in low-altitude ground support as a well-built and reliable aircraft capable of absorbing quite a bit of battle damage. I have also read about the PFAS via fire retardant foam. 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). 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 . 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. 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. Photos of P-47s flown by French Pilots at Oscoda. The documentary by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Sara Ganim focuses on PFAS contamination at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda, Michigan. 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. I remember getting a letter of counseling when I wanted to object as a warning what could happen. Weights were 2450 lb. The P-47 Thunderbolt fighter and fighter-bomber was used by the Allied air forces during World War II. 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. Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Mich., served primarily as a combat crew and bomber training base throughout its 70-year history. Wurtsmith Air Force Base has been an integral part of the United States Air Force from the 1920's to June 3rd 1993. . The human-made chemicals are in your blood, your clothes, your cosmetics. 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. 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] This would result in a large amount of paperwork and extra expenses for the Air Force. A sand and gravel aquifer of glacial origin underlies Wurtsmith Air Force Base in northeastern lower Michigan. This would cause some big problems for the fish and other life that lives beneath the surface. 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. [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. The 1st Combat Evaluation Group (initially "1CEG", later "1CEVG") was a Strategic Air Command (SAC) unit. March 7, 1942: The first class of Tuskegee Airmen graduate from U.S. Army Air Force Tuskegee Army Air Field, Alabama. I have always scheduled an apt with my dr to talk about the possibility of how this may have affected me. [1] Mr. Nortonarrived fresh from navigation school as a 2nd Lieutenant at Wurtsmith Air ForceBase in the fall of 1985. I lived in base housing, I want to say 8607H Ohio from 82-84. Aug 24, 2021. The base was first named after Capt. Neither Michigan nor any U.S. officials have conducted a comprehensive study on the contaminants and pollutants under the base. 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 want the site to remain a memorial divers can visit. Only afterthe plains were airborne would the crew be notified if it was a drill or not. At the time, it was considered a vital Air Defense Command base and was equipped and manned with interceptor aircraft capable of flying over the North Pole into the Soviet Union. The base is located in Oscoda, Iosco County, Michigan. After being relieved, the flight crew had until the following Monday morningoff. purposes only, and is not legal advice. Ruben C. Moffat flew a P-6 converted with a supercharged Conqueror engine on a record-breaking flight. Stationed there for 84-88 and am suffering with a motor neuron disease process. Located in Iosco County, Michigan, Wurtsmith Air Force Base operated from 1923 until decommissioned in 1993. My first assignment as a Nuclear Weapons specialist was at wurtsmith where we deployed the AGM 69A SRAM missile system. According to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, the private well located across the road from Oscoda High School tested about the 70 parts-per-trillion advisory level that was established for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctyl sulfonate (PFOS). This is a short video about the small museum located at the decommissioned Wurtsmith AFB in Oscoda Mi.http://www.rv-project.com [1] Even studies on fish have been done, where it was found that PFOA is a liver carcinogen in rainbow trout. . Many of drums ruptured. Wurtsmith AirForce Base was constructed with a runway layout specifically for this. 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.
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