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. Although in the past the Wurtsmith Air Force Base was extremely successful there are some prevalent issues with it today. The history of Oscoda Military Aviation is the same as the History of the Air Force. 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. As long as these assignments were under 180 days they were considered Temporary Duty Assignments. The tire bead failed, allowing the casing to slip over the rim on one side and bind on edge of the wheel fairing on takeoff. These bases wereresponsible for a housing a Ready Alert Nuclear Strike Force. Even after the base closed in 1993, the base maintained a fire staff for many years. Over the 50 years of operation Wurtsmith Air Force Base had manydifferent missions. Kelly mentioned she'd been thinking about getting . 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. She has all kinds of problems, my ex died of cancer and I have all kinds of problems. [1] Mr. Norton also landedthe first KC-135 in operation Southern Watch. 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. During the Cold War, the base became part of Strategic Air Command. Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport became a public airport in 1993. History. The popular legend, supported by interviews and other historical documents, is that Wurtsmith was established as the direct result of a fishing trip by Lt.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 . It is primarily a large jet airplane salvage, jet engine maintenance and light general aviation . In their letter, the members expressed their concerns that the Air Force's proposed remediation plan . [1], As new technologies and mission goals evolved with time the need for the Strategic Air Commands need for the northern tier became obsolete. The ready alert flight crews were rotated on a three week cycle. In 1942, three 5000x150 concrete runways were built. [1] I have had many other health issues since and have recently found all of this. 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. Mr. Norton would occasionally return to fresh fish left by his neighbor on his porch. We came across the gauge cluster, which had the radio call tag, David Losinski said. It was eerie, David Losinski said. 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. [5] The 379th flew with a Triangle K tail flash to continue the, tradition from their World War II counterparts. This is an evolving issue with many moving parts. A sand and gravel aquifer of glacial origin underlies Wurtsmith Air Force Base in northeastern lower Michigan. 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. 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. 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. [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. Drew said, Dad, thats an airplane., You could see the wings. 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. Call 205.328.9200 Claim Application. Even studies on fish have been done, where it was found that PFOA is a liver carcinogen in rainbow trout. [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. WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. A series of stringers were added to the fuselage sides to round out the cross section. [1], Over the course of Mr. Nortons career as both a KC-135 Navigator, and a DC-10 Pilot, Mr. Norton served as a flight commander, served numerous, deployments during the Gulf War escorting fighter squadrons from the United, States into theater, supporting fighter squadrons and bomber squadrons in, theater, served multiple temporary duty assignments to England, Spain, Saudi, Arabia, Alaska, and other Air Force Bases around the globe. After being relieved, the flight crew had until the following Monday morning, off. On the other hand, the rear-mounted engine offered increased maneuverability since the weight of the plane would be near its center of gravity. Anyone know the status on this? Stay tuned for further developments. The Losinskis havent abandoned their quest to bring this long-forgotten chapter in the history of World War II to light. "It was a city within a city. 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 Air Force's decline to commit to Michigan's standards is among a litany of frustrations Oscoda residents say they have . March 7, 1942: The first class of Tuskegee Airmen graduate from U.S. Army Air Force Tuskegee Army Air Field, Alabama. Then everything happened so fast it seems unbelievable. High blood serum levels of PFOA are associated with infertility, decreased semen quality, and a higher risk of thyroid disease. [4] On August 1st 1958 the 4026th Strategic Wing was formed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base. 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. A total of 15,683 Thunderbolts were produced by wars end, more than any other U.S. fighter. Mr. Norton remarked that they were flying the wings off of the planes. The 5,223-acre Wurtsmith Air Force Base (Wurtsmith AFB) is located on the northeastern part of Michigans lower peninsula. The EPA began requiring public water systems to monitor for PFOA and PFOS in 2012, but even today there is no federal drinking water standards for PFOA or PFOS. I worked on the flight line. 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). Aircraft was at Camp Skeel, Oscoda Michigan for Aerial Gunnery training. After a devastating fire in Oscoda which cleared over 600 buildings, the remaining citizens heard about the proposal to clear an area for the base. They have been detected in air, water, soils, sediments, and in rain at levels that would be considered unsafe in drinking . China Lake Naval base, California. On June 30th, 1993 the 379th Bomb Wing was disbanded and Wurtsmith Air Force Base was closed. 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 Eielson Air Force base, Alaska. [1] At some point over the week an alarm would sound,signaling to the flight crew that the B-52s had to be in the air. [1] Mr. Norton also landed. The Wurtsmith Air Force Base, created in 1923, played a large role in WWII. [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. As an officer Mr. Norton had to sit in on Court-Martials. Its poor high-altitude performance was a result of a critical decision to remove the turbo-supercharger. For the civil use of this facility and airport information, see Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport Wurtsmith Air Force Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force base in northeastern Iosco County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Wurtsmith Air Force base was one of fivenorthern tier bases in the Strategic Air Commands arsenal. 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. U.S. Air Force should abide by state of Michigan's PFAS Standards, state must hold Air Force accountable. Wurtsmith Air Force base was one of five, northern tier bases in the Strategic Air Commands arsenal. It was the most horrible thing I have ever witnessed, she said. Why are you focusing only on chlordane and other organochlorine pesticide (OCP) contamination at the Family Housing? 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. Timothy Marcum, 1/15/2071-73 camp lejeune nc bad water va in redding pretends they know nothing about having problems. 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. The P-6 could climb to 10,000 feet in 6.6 min. Theseplanes would regularly fly missions from Wurtsmith Air Force Base during thecold war. It has found from testing this area that some places to have over 1000 parts-per-trillion for PFOS and PFOA. 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. [4] On August 1st 1958 the 4026th Strategic Wing was formed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base. This air field was in dire need of a gunnery range because they being forced out of their gunnery range on Lake St. Clair. My daughter was born at the base hospital. ROME, N.Y. -- There was nothing small-scale about Griffiss Air Force Base in the 1990s. 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. Wurtsmith AirForce Base was constructed with a runway layout specifically for this. [1] On the first Wednesday the, fresh flight crew would relive the current flight crew in the bunkers. 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. There is an ongoing project to decontaminate the area. (Superstorm) Sandy came along (in October) and moved things around, David Losinski said. I have also read about the PFAS via fire retardant foam. [1] This meant that there was always at least threeB-52s armed with nuclear bombs, ready to take off at a moments notice. At one point, they had to use these toxic foam chemicals to put out a fire at the Oscoda High School in 1995. [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. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. Dallas Naval base, Texas. Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Mich., served primarily as a combat crew and bomber training base throughout its 70-year history. We thought that was kind of unbelievable.. These contaminants are harmful to the environment. It was also possible for these missions to originate in the United States. PFOA exposure is also shown to be associated with increased risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children between ages 12-15. One example of this is autocross racing. 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. 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). These organizations primarily fall into seven types of activities: aviation, manufacturing, technology, medical, housing, education, community services and technology. This man later took the proposal to build a gunnery range to the people of Oscoda. [5] While the 379thBomb Wing was stationed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base they were part of the ReadyAlert Nuclear Strike Force. . [1], These KC-135s were necessary because the B-52 could not take off with both a, full load of ordnance and a full tank of gas.[1]. 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 Lackland Air Force Base Education Center is located at 1550 Wurtsmith Street, Suite 5. . That plane actually crashed April 11, 1944, which was 70 years to the date that the picture was taken, Drew Losinski said. 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. The armament of the P-1 was a pair of 0.30 cal machine guns mounted in the upper fuselage decking inside the V-cylinder blocks and synchronized to fire through the propeller arc. 70-77 lived on base housing with family, flight line assistant supervisor. 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. [1], While Wurtsmith Air Force Base was its own little town, it was segregated by officers and enlisted. The Wurtsmith base closed in 1991, sending the Harrises to Plattsburgh, N.Y., where friends and neighbors remembered the boys as Scouts and Little Leaguers, and their parents as being involved in . 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 . 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. 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. The Air Force says, Any aircraft before 1961, weve abandoned it.. [2] Another unfortunate occurrence that Happened more than it should have were Court-Martials. So now what? The Airacobra reached its peak usage in the USAAF in early 1944, with over 2100 in service. [5] In recent years groundwater contamination has be linked to jet fuel, cleaning agents, and fire suppression agents used at Wurtsmith Air Force Base. 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. [1] At some point over the week an alarm would sound, signaling to the flight crew that the B-52s had to be in the air. This meant that Wurtsmith Air Force Base was essentially a self-contained airport with all of the necessities to support a full community on Base. In addition, the rear fuselage was deepened in order that it could faire cleanly into the bottom of the radiator. After being relieved, the flight crew had until the following Monday morningoff. 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. I do hope there is information on Wurtsmith AFB soon. It has recently been discovered that that the base has been leaking chemicals into the surrounding waterways. [1], The northern tier Strategic Air Command Ready Alert Strike Force bases were considered less than desirable duty stations for one main reason. A bomber squadron for example would be sent out to destroy a target and return to its home base within a week. People who are exposed every day for an extended period of time are the ones who start to see real problems, some of which I mentioned above. The Air Force knew about the contamination and spent millions since 1977 to try to cover up the problem by adding phosphates to mask the odor of the chemical in the water. Environmental context Total organofluorine and known fluorosurfactants were quantified in 11 aqueous film forming foams (AFFFs) used to extinguish fires in Ontario, Canada, and one commercial AFFF product. 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. 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. To all who are interested in the Camp Skeel/Oscoda AAF/Wurtsmith AFB History. 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. The 379th Bomb Wing moved to Wurtsmith Air Force Base in June of19661. They were stationed at the air base from 1986 to 1993. During the Pacific conflicts personnel and the KC-135Stratotankers were deployed to forward bases in the Pacific to support landoperations. 1942 -- Camp Skeel is renamed Oscoda Army Air Field and becomes a P-47 fighter base. The P-6E was quite a good-looking airplane, and became the most famous of the Hawk line of biplane fighters. He was training with fellow pilots out of what was then Selfridge Field when his plane crashed. My husband and our two children lived there from 1985-1993 I have a nerve problem my daughter has autoimmune (MS) youngest daughter has kidney problems. These levels were published by the Enviromental Protection Agency (Mlive.com). [1] Mr. Norton, arrived fresh from navigation school as a 2nd Lieutenant at Wurtsmith Air Force, Base in the fall of 1985. The aquifer overlies a thick clay layer at an average depth of 65 feet. The single officers who lived on base lived in a dorm type building. DISCLAIMER: Information displayed on U.S. These high levels of PFOA elevate the risks of kidney cancer, mesothelioma, and diabetes. 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. Hill Housing area-- Wurtsmith Elementary School, Grissom Elementary School, Wagner Middle School, . Traci Kroushour, an Oscoda resident until the age of 12, had her uterus removed at the age of 28 and can never have children. He saw the surrounding land and figured it would make a great place for a gunnery range. Stationed there for 84-88 and am suffering with a motor neuron disease process. 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. Fast forward to 1992, with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the US Air Force inactivated Strategic Air Command. At the time, George was a hub of F-4 Phantom fighter jets and OV-10 Bronco reconnaissance planes. [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. In a fly off against the contemporary Boeing P-12B, the P-6E was faster, but the P-12B was more maneuverable. 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. [5] The B-52s did not get to travel nearly as much as the KC-135s. Wurtsmith Air Force Base. A Brief History of Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan, www.wurtsmithairmuseum.org/Wurtsmith_AFB/wurtsmith_afb.html. My son, was born on the base, has a malformed aorta and congenital nerve damage hearing loss. I served at Wurtsmith from 1974-1977 my whole family has suffered from various ongoing ailments. Air Force Base was essentially a self-contained airport with all of the necessities to support a full community on Base. These bases were, responsible for a housing a Ready Alert Nuclear Strike Force. 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. More individuals impacted by these chemicals are Cindi and Lawrence Ashbeck. [1] The KC-135s had many more opportunities to travel because they would fly in support of any craft capable of refueling in flight. [1]After one week in the bunker on ready alert the flight crew would be relieved. Me and Dan drive around base and check out the bunkers that held nuclear weapons during the cold war still rejects and "nexus" to the toxic chemicals on the base. Aug 24, 2021. 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. They also were known as the Red Tails because they painted the tails of their aircraft red. This unfortunately happened on October 11. , 1988 when KC-135 crashed with 6 crew members and 10 passengers on board. .. did this bill die in the committee s?