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. Now I see this years later. 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. My first daughter was born there at their hospital.my ex husband now, is very sick. Wurtsmith Air Force base was one of fivenorthern tier bases in the Strategic Air Commands arsenal. 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. No injuries to the pilot. He flew from Dayton, Ohio to Washington, D.C. at a speed of approximately 266 mph, at an altitude of 25,000 ft. Veteran Compensation Programs (USVCP) (www.veteranprograms.com), and any of their associated websites is for general informational. Then everything happened so fast it seems unbelievable. There are many different ways that PFOA and PFOS can affect the human body. (Superstorm) Sandy came along (in October) and moved things around, David Losinski said. 70-77 lived on base housing with family, flight line assistant supervisor. March 7, 1942: The first class of Tuskegee Airmen graduate from U.S. Army Air Force Tuskegee Army Air Field, Alabama. Neither Michigan nor any U.S. officials have conducted a comprehensive study on the contaminants and pollutants under the base. Traci Kroushour, an Oscoda resident until the age of 12, had her uterus removed at the age of 28 and can never have children. This article is from 2018.. The Air Force . Im using a combination of several source materials to tell the history of the area. It still haunts me today that we had to do that and were told to just follow orders. [ 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 . PORT HURON, Mich. David and Drew Losinski are struck by the coincidence. 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. This gave the Army operations the opportunity to begin creating the base we know today. 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. One of these men were named Lt. Ennis Whitehead. It has recently been discovered that that the base has been leaking chemicals into the surrounding waterways. Beginning in July 1944, the P-47 Thunderbolt was used extensively to train Free French Air Force pilots at Oscoda Army Air Field (AAF). The last was delivered in December 1930. I remember getting a letter of counseling when I wanted to object as a warning what could happen. In 1960 it became part of the Strategic Air Command . to share information regarding health issues, and probable chemical exposure via base water sources. Theyre looking for other divers who can assist with the effort. "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. These Air Force bases were remote. [5] The B-52s did not get to travel nearly as much as the KC-135s. It had a commissary, a gas station, a hospital, housing, a bowling alley," said veteran Michael Grogan. Any one else from 84-89 have issues? China Lake Naval base, California. U.S. Only afterthe plains were airborne would the crew be notified if it was a drill or not. The history of Oscoda Military Aviation is the same as the History of the Air Force. On June 30th, 1993 the 379th Bomb Wing was disbanded and Wurtsmith Air Force Base was closed. [3], [1] Dave Norton, Former United States Air Force Captain, interviewed on 23 OCT 2017, [2] Ap. Click on a marker for base information. He said the wreckage from the plane is scattered across the lake bottom. Because the Committee on Toxicology (NRC, 1979) concluded that it could not determine a level of exposure to chlordane below which there would be no biologic effect under conditions of prolonged exposure of families in military housing. The pesticide levels and CERCLA 120(h) Deed Restrictions are public information and readily available. 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 . Air Force Base was essentially a self-contained airport with all of the necessities to support a full community on Base. I was stationed there from 11/84-1989. 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. ROME, N.Y. -- There was nothing small-scale about Griffiss Air Force Base in the 1990s. There are many people who were exposed to the Wurtsmith water that are now coming out and blaming the chemical filled drinking water for their health 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. Hill Housing area-- Wurtsmith Elementary School, Grissom Elementary School, Wagner Middle School, . As soon as an assignment went over 180 days it was considered a permanent change in duty station. 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. There is no amount of PFOA that is officially recognized as harmful. However, many studies have shown otherwise. As an officer Mr. Norton had to sit in on Court-Martials. Wurtsmith earned recognition during the war as the leader of the group of pilots using P-40 and P-38 fighter . 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. This is a very big issue for the people of Oscoda and the surrounding areas for obvious reasons. [5] The 379th flew with a Triangle K tail flash to continue thetradition from their World War II counterparts. 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. There is an ongoing project to decontaminate the area. [1] Wurtsmith Air Force Base was 2nd Lt. Nortons firstpermanent duty station in the United States Air Force.[1]. Only after, the plains were airborne would the crew be notified if it was a drill or not.[1]. Like the former Pease Air Force Base in Portsmouth and Newington, the former Michigan base is now a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) site. These chemicals have been shown to cause problems with thyroid, liver, kidney, reproduction, and other health problems. 1942 -- Camp Skeel is renamed Oscoda Army Air Field and becomes a P-47 fighter base. It was criticized for its low service ceiling, its slow rate of climb, and its generally poor high-altitude performance. As long as these assignments were under 180 days they were considered Temporary Duty Assignments. It was built out of a portion of the decommissioned Wurtsmith Air Force Base which housed nuclear armed B-52 Stratofortress bombers during the Cold War as well as air refueling squadrons. [5] One crew flew 29, mission out of Jeddah, setting the record for most missions flew by a bomber, crew in theater. Senator Gary Peters (MI), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, today called on the Air Force to expedite PFAS cleanup efforts at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda.In a letter to Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Energy John . After being relieved, the flight crew had until the following Monday morningoff. In a nutshell, this is what were trying to do get permission to relocate the parts so they would resemble a plane, David Losinski said. [1] As tensions increased around the world and the likelihood of an actual mission being flown while on ready alert increased, the weekbecame more stressful. Lt. Ennis Whitehead was part of a unit at Selfridge Army Air Field. Their water table has been contaminated with high levels of PFOA because of the leakage of chemicals from Wurtsmith Air Force Base. The average person has around 3 or 4 parts per billion of these chemicals present in their blood. 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 . The P-47D, in general service by the spring of 1944, had a maximum speed of 440 miles (700 km) per hour and a ceiling of 40,000 feet (12,200 meters). 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. These mission were into Iraq. The Losinskis said they want to preserve the site for people to dive on. By Steve Elliott 502nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs. The chemicals, notably benzene and trichloroethylene (TCE), were documented at extremely high levels in Wurstmith AFB water many times when the former Strategic Air Command (SAC) base was active and home to B-52 Bomber Wings. I still stay in touch with Gary but do not know if he has an e-mail account. [2] Another unfortunate occurrence that Happened more than it should have were Court-Martials. During those efforts, they noted several areas they wanted to investigate, including one about four miles north of the Blue Water Bridge. However, the drawdown was fairly rapid after that and they were quickly replaced by P-38s, P-47s and P-51s. [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. These planes arrived at dawn on the first day of the Gulf War. It was also possible for these missions to originate in the United States. 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. Aircraft was at Camp Skeel, Oscoda Michigan for Aerial Gunnery training. I worked on the flight line. There are many historical planes you can visit as well as other interesting pieces of history that the public may view. The B-52 is being serviced under the Strategic Air Command Recovery Oriented Aircraft Maintenance (ROAM) system. Wurtsmith Air Force Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force base in Iosco County, Michigan.It operated from 1923 until decommissioned in 1993. I saw a big splash, and then the plane went out of sight.. The cockpit canopy offered exceptional all-round visibility for the pilot. [1] On the first Wednesday thefresh flight crew would relive the current flight crew in the bunkers. In fact the only time B-52s would travel was for training missions, or actually delivering ordinance to its target. This would cause some big problems for the fish and other life that lives beneath the surface. 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. He brought this idea to the attention of his squadron commander Major Carl Spaatz. Mr. Norton would occasionally return to fresh fish left by his neighbor on his porch. The base came to be because of chance. 1946. Military History of the Upper Great Lakes, Over the 50 years of operation Wurtsmith Air Force Base had many, different missions. They included chemicals like MEK, PD 680, TRI CHLOROFLOIANS, ACIDS, ALODIANS, ALL KINDS OF PAINTS, SPECIAL MISSILE SKIN REPAIR KITS. I served at Wurtsmith from 1974-1977 my whole family has suffered from various ongoing ailments. [1] This meant that there was always at least three, B-52s armed with nuclear bombs, ready to take off at a moments notice. the first KC-135 in operation Southern Watch. The base was first named after Capt. 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. They resumed the investigation last spring. These mission were into Iraq. In 1932, Capt. 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. An unusual feature of the P-39 Airacobra was the automobile-type doors that had roll-down windows on each side of the cockpit. The Losinskis are divers David has been diving since 1977; his son, Drew, since 2002 and both are former members of the St. Clair County Dive Team. High blood serum levels of PFOA are associated with infertility, decreased semen quality, and a higher risk of thyroid disease. This resulted in KC-135 squadrons spending a greater amount of time on temporary duty assignments than other squadrons from Wurtsmith Air Force Base. Anyone know the status on this? He was training with fellow pilots out of what was then Selfridge Field when his plane crashed. [3] Search Superfund Site Information. EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 28 Dec. 2016, cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/cursites/csitinfo.cfm?id=0503675. The ROAM system ensures that aircraft are serviced . It remained named Camp Skeel until 1942 when it was renamed Oscoda Army Air Field (WAFB.net). 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. 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. "It was a city within a city. 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. 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 is perhaps the best-known of all the between wars Army pursuits. Section 107, the written material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed an interest in receiving the included information for educational purposes. This building was like the barracks, but each officer had his own room. This cycle was from Wednesday to Wednesday. In 1953 it was renamed Wurtsmith Air Force Base after Michigan native, Major General Paul Wurtsmith. I served at Wursmith AFB from 1982 to 1989, living in base housing the entire time and drinking the water. The P-6E was quite a good-looking airplane, and became the most famous of the Hawk line of biplane fighters. Wurtsmith Air Force Base is said to have originally started with a fishing trip between two men. Poison Spring: The Secret History of Pollution and the EPA. The documentary by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Sara Ganim focuses on PFAS contamination at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda, Michigan. What's next? 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. 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. The Losinskis found an account of the crash in the Times Herald. In their letter, the members expressed their concerns that the Air Force's proposed remediation plan .
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