Thisflight crew would spend one week in the bunker and be confined to an undiscloseddistance from the bunker. [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. It had a commissary, a gas station, a hospital, housing, a bowling alley," said veteran Michael Grogan. It is one of the most famous bases located in our state. This resulted in KC-135 squadrons spending a greater amount of time on temporary duty assignments than other squadrons from Wurtsmith Air Force Base. By Steve Elliott 502nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs. [5] However, the B-52H aircraft maintained nuclear alert at WurtsmithAir Force Base. Having high amounts of this chemical directly underneath their high school could have serious long-term effects on the kids that attend school as well as the faculty. The Allison V-1710-85 liquid-cooled V-12 engine behind the pilots seat drove the propeller by means of a driveshaft mounted under the pilots seat. 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. This is a very big issue for the people of Oscoda and the surrounding areas for obvious reasons. Everyone from the mechanics keeping the planes flyable, to the cookspreparing food for the airmen stationed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, to thecommanders who ensured that everything from the flight schedules being correctto the proper paperwork being completed to allow the missions to continue. David Losinski said he and his son were assisting the state Department of Environmental Quality with a barge that sank in Lake Huron in July 2012. 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. I was stationed there 1978 -81 lived on base they never told us about the water being contaminated . 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 was constructed with a runway layout specifically for this. 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. I have had many other health issues since and have recently found all of this. 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 5,223-acre Wurtsmith Air Force Base (Wurtsmith AFB) is located on the northeastern part of Michigans lower peninsula. I have had sever kidney problems since 1983 that carried on into my mid teens. There are many historical planes you can visit as well as other interesting pieces of history that the public may view. 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. Lt. Ennis also thought it would be a great place for young Army Air corps to test aircraft (WAFB.net). There were four planes, and I was watching them from our front window, as I usually do when theyre engaged in gunnery practice. The site of Wurtsmith Air Force Base is located 2 miles Northwest of Oscoda, Michigan, about 150 miles North of Detroit. They included chemicals like MEK, PD 680, TRI CHLOROFLOIANS, ACIDS, ALODIANS, ALL KINDS OF PAINTS, SPECIAL MISSILE SKIN REPAIR KITS. [1]After one week in the bunker on ready alert the flight crew would be relieved. These planes arrived at dawn on the first day of the Gulf War. Published August 24, 2021 at 4:15 PM EDT. [1], The ready alert flight crews were rotated on a three week cycle. Testing by the Air Force has found high levels of the toxic chemical PFOS in the foam near a plume coming from the former nuclear bomber base. My ex wife has thyroid disease and auto immune disease. ircraft operated from Oscoda Army Airfield. Im using a combination of several source materials to tell the history of the area. 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). A new report compiled by a local group, Need Our Water (NOW) and the National Wildlife Federation . Wurtsmith Air Force Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force base in northeastern Iosco County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The Realignment of Griffiss Air Force Base. This gave the Army operations the opportunity to begin creating the base we know today. Aircraft rolled 630 feet before nosing over. 1970 - The Air Force knew that some of the Webb Air Force Base Family Housing units, located in Big Spring Texas, were contaminated with and the occupants exposed to a large quantity of chlordane. [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. [5] While the 379th, Bomb Wing was stationed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base they were part of the Ready, Alert Nuclear Strike Force. 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. Drinking Water At Wurtsmith AFB Contaminted. Neither Michigan nor any U.S. officials have conducted a comprehensive study on the contaminants and pollutants under the base. The P-6 Hawk (1932-1937) Aircraft was @ Oscoda. [3], [1] Dave Norton, Former United States Air Force Captain, interviewed on 23 OCT 2017, [2] Ap. On June 30, , 1993 the 379th Bomb Wing was disbanded and Wurtsmith Air Force Base was closed. As a young airman, assumed we were returning the stuff to supply to send to the next base. to share information regarding health issues, and probable chemical exposure via base water sources. I served at Wursmith AFB from 1982 to 1989, living in base housing the entire time and drinking the water. [1] The KC-135s had many more opportunities to travel because they would fly in support of any craft capable of refueling in flight. Lt. Ennis Whitehead was part of a unit at Selfridge Army Air Field. Dover Air Force base, Delaware. 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. As an officer Mr. Norton had to sit in on Court-Martials. [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. [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. After one week in the bunker on ready alert the flight crew would be relieved. Wurtsmith got its start in 1923 as Loud-Reames Aviation Field, a soft-surface landing site for Arm Air Corps aircraft from Selfridge Field. It excelled in low-altitude ground support as a well-built and reliable aircraft capable of absorbing quite a bit of battle damage. 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 majority of married enlisted and officers preferred to live on base because of the free daycare for children. Airplane nosed over when landing gear tire casing failed, locking the right wheel. Senators Gary Peters (MI) and Debbie Stabenow (MI) and U.S. 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. I recall we lost a tanker on touch and goes which had to be extinguished with a massive amount of this chemical. I kept up with all this for a while then gave up. In 1960 it became part of the Strategic Air Command . 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], As new technologies and mission goals evolved with time the need for the Strategic Air Commands need for the northern tier became obsolete. The pilot apparently noticed it and tried to lift his ship. Wurtsmith Air Force Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force base in Iosco County, Michigan.It operated from 1923 until decommissioned in 1993. Military bases are known for significant staffing turnover. The aquifer overlies a thick clay layer at an average depth of 65 feet. He brought this idea to the attention of his squadron commander Major Carl Spaatz. 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. Even studies on fish have been done, where it was found that PFOA is a liver carcinogen in rainbow trout. 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. U.S. [1] 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. 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. Most individuals are not educated on what the base did before and after World War II, what is currently happening at this . In fact the only time B-52s would travel was for training missions, or actually delivering ordinance to its target. TCE in another well on Jet Street near the present day Wurtsmith AFB museum was 1,739-ppb. These mission were into Iraq. [1] Mr. Norton also landed. 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. Aug 24, 2021. In 1979, the state of Michigan sued the Air Force for the contamination. [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. What they had was a one-seat warplane piloted by 2nd Lt. Frank H. Moody, of Los Angeles. If you are interested in any particular aircraft of time period please let me know. The 379th Bomb Wing moved to Wurtsmith Air Force Base in June of19661. It has recently been discovered that that the base has been leaking chemicals into the surrounding waterways. Wurtsmith Air Force base was one of fivenorthern tier bases in the Strategic Air Commands arsenal. 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. DISCLAIMER: Information displayed on U.S. [1] On May 9th 1961 the first B-52 landed in Wurtsmith Air Force Basesignifying the re-designation to a Strategic Air Command Base. Wurtsmith Air Force Base. A Brief History of Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan, www.wurtsmithairmuseum.org/Wurtsmith_AFB/wurtsmith_afb.html. Now that the contamination has reached the Au Sable river, it could potentially carry this contamination into Lake Huron. The good speed of the P-6E was counterbalanced by some unsatisfacory handling characteristics which made it sluggish in response to controls. It still haunts me today that we had to do that and were told to just follow orders. After being relieved, the flight crew had until the following Monday morning, off. Here is a list of military bases that are known to have had their drinking water contaminated with PFAS chemicals: Alameda Naval base, California. This is heinous, and my heart goes out to so many. He said the wreckage from the plane is scattered across the lake bottom. However, the drawdown was fairly rapid after that and they were quickly replaced by P-38s, P-47s and P-51s. The airplane operated on a flight from Oscoda Wurtsmith Airport, MI to Oscoda-Wurtsmith AFB, MI (OSC). Aircraft upper wing, left lower wing, rudder and propeller damaged. My first assignment as a Nuclear Weapons specialist was at wurtsmith where we deployed the AGM 69A SRAM missile system. distance from the bunker. The P-6 was generally similar to the P-1 in construction and appearance. U.S. 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 . 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. The Air Force . [ July 4, 2018 ] Grissom Air Force Base, ID Air Force [ May 28, 2018 ] March Air Force Base, CA Air Force [ February 17, 2018 ] Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Navy [ November 5, 2017 ] Fort William D. Davis , Panama Army [ August 28, 2017 ] Naval Air Station Alameda, CA Navy [ March 19, 2016 ] Wurtsmith Air Force Base, MI Air Force [ June 2 . City Picto Map, Clark Air Base / Angeles City. There were frequently extremely large and loud airplanes taxiing, taking off, and landing in 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. [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. Military History of the Upper Great Lakes, Over the 50 years of operation Wurtsmith Air Force Base had many, different missions. I saw a big splash, and then the plane went out of sight.. Engine not damaged. Their water table has been contaminated with high levels of PFOA because of the leakage of chemicals from Wurtsmith Air Force Base. [1] On the first Wednesday the, fresh flight crew would relive the current flight crew in the bunkers. 1942 -- Camp Skeel is renamed Oscoda Army Air Field and becomes a P-47 fighter base. 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. 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. Timothy Marcum, 1/15/2071-73 camp lejeune nc bad water va in redding pretends they know nothing about having problems. My family lived on this base in 1983 to 1987, are we at risk? [2] The flight crashed at 2:20PM while returning from K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base in the Upper Peninsula. Congress set a May 2022 deadline for the DOD to report on the cleanup status of these bases, the Filthy 50, with extremely high levels of PFAS contamination. 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. The story stated Moody and three other pilots were taking gunnery practice about three miles north of Port Huron. My first daughter was born there at their hospital.my ex husband now, is very sick. /. This could be from hydrant flushing or a water main break. 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. 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 . The base is influential in Michigan, as well as the United States military history. [5] The B-52s did not get to travel nearly as much as the KC-135s. 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. out of Prince Abdullah AB in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 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. The base is influential in Michigan, as well as the United States military history. 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. A total of 15,683 Thunderbolts were produced by wars end, more than any other U.S. fighter. The Wurtsmith Air Force Base, created in 1923, played a large role in WWII. 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. 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. 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. still rejects and "nexus" to the toxic chemicals on the base. This is an evolving issue with many moving parts. The P-47 Thunderbolt fighter and fighter-bomber was used by the Allied air forces during World War II. It was eerie, David Losinski said. 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. Photos of P-47s flown by French Pilots at Oscoda. It remained named Camp Skeel until 1942 when it was renamed Oscoda Army Air Field (WAFB.net). 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. [5] However, the B-52H aircraft maintained nuclear alert at Wurtsmith, Air Force Base. 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. The landing gear was changed from rubber-block shock absorbers inside the fuselage to oleo-and-spring units mounted in the outer forward strut. purposes only, and is not legal advice. Off Base Housing. 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. WAFB began operations in 1923, under the name of Camp Skeel, and was officially named the Wurtsmith Air Force Base in 1953. Student projects from Michigan Tech's SS3505 Military History of the United States, on the people, places, and objects involving our military history in the upper Great Lakes region, Wurtsmith Air Force Base has been an integral part of the United States Air Force from the 1920s to June 3rd 1993.