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. This is a short video about the small museum located at the decommissioned Wurtsmith AFB in Oscoda Mi.http://www.rv-project.com Kelly mentioned she'd been thinking about getting . The state says, We dont have jurisdiction over that; its the Air Force, Losinski said. A total 9589 Airacobras were built before production finally ended on July 25, 1944. The 4026th was a SAC Major Command controlled (MAJCON) wing that had been organized on 1 August 1958. What us the compensation for this? [1] Wurtsmith Air Force Base was 2nd Lt. Nortons first, permanent duty station in the United States Air Force. Robert Krouse, 12/31/19Stationed at Wurtsmith AFB from 1978 to 1980 and lived in barracks. 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. The museum's exhibits are extensive and incredibly high-quality -- including several aircraft that can be examined up . I still stay in touch with Gary but do not know if he has an e-mail account. Over the 50 years of operation Wurtsmith Air Force Base had manydifferent missions. Deliveries of the first P-6s were late, the first example not appearing until October 1929. 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. Now, I have been diagnosed with Stage 5 kidney failure and congestive heart disease, I am currently on dialysis awaiting a kidney transplant. I remember getting a letter of counseling when I wanted to object as a warning what could happen. The base came to be because of chance. 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. It is perhaps the best-known of all the between wars Army pursuits. This building was like the barracks, but each officer had his own room. She has all kinds of problems, my ex died of cancer and I have all kinds of problems. Some areas of the site are still under investigation. Many tests have been done to see the extent to which the contamination is harming the citizens residing in the area. The history of Oscoda Military Aviation is the same as the History of the Air Force. During the Pacific conflicts personnel and the KC-135Stratotankers were deployed to forward bases in the Pacific to support landoperations. Weve done quite a bit of documenting and measuring, David Losinski said. Even after the base closed in 1993, the base maintained a fire staff for many years. These Air Force bases were remote. While these crews were on ready alert they did not have a wholelot to do. .. did this bill die in the committee s? [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. [2] The flight crashed at 2:20PM while returning from K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base in the Upper Peninsula. [5] Assuming the equipment, personnel and aircraft of the 4026th Strategic, wing as it was disbanded. What they had was a one-seat warplane piloted by 2nd Lt. Frank H. Moody, of Los Angeles. It was also possible for these missions to originate in the United States. 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. Fast forward to 1992, with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the US Air Force inactivated Strategic Air Command. The average person has around 3 or 4 parts per billion of these chemicals present in their blood. Eielson Air Force base, Alaska. [5] In recent years groundwater contamination has be linked to jet fuel, cleaning agents, and fire suppression agents used at Wurtsmith Air Force 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. 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 . 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 P-47 Thunderbolt fighter and fighter-bomber was used by the Allied air forces during World War II. As previously stated, there is a museum open to the public which has artifacts and information on the bases history. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. [6] The 379th Bomb Wing wasdisbanded on June 30th 1993. 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. 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. Click on a marker for base information. 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. [1] On May 9th 1961 the first B-52 landed in Wurtsmith Air Force Base, signifying the re-designation to a Strategic Air Command Base. 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. In 1942, three 5000x150 concrete runways were built. The 1st Combat Evaluation Group (initially "1CEG", later "1CEVG") was a Strategic Air Command (SAC) unit. 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. 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 son, was born on the base, has a malformed aorta and congenital nerve damage hearing loss. After being relieved, the flight crew had until the following Monday morningoff. On June 30, , 1993 the 379th Bomb Wing was disbanded and Wurtsmith Air Force Base was closed. During the Gulf War these planes were run practically 24/7, landing only to swap flight crews to meet the flight crew rest requirements. 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. It is primarily a large jet airplane salvage, jet engine maintenance and light general aviation . After a trip to the Boneyard in September 2019, hundreds of current and vintage photos are being sorted, scanned and uploaded. 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. Aircraft upper wing, left lower wing, rudder and propeller damaged. At Oscoda Army Air Field, from the Group Historian: Over the sandy pine shores of Lake Huron, pilots of the 332nd Fighter Group polished up their flight and gunnery tactics for threat inevitable test of their skill and courage which will eventually lead them to pursuit and battle in the skies of Europe and Asia. By the end of November 1943 all training for the 332nd had been completed at Oscoda and the Group departed for overseas. Home Buyers Guide; Find a Real Estate Agent; Price: $299,000. With all of this in a single family, the V.A. 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. [1] Mr. Nortonarrived fresh from navigation school as a 2nd Lieutenant at Wurtsmith Air ForceBase in the fall of 1985. There is an ongoing project to decontaminate the area. http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2017/04/wurtsmith_pfas_pfc_april_45_me.html. distance from the bunker. U.S. VA counselor "don't waste your time". Anyone know the status on this? Today, the Wurtsmith Air Force Base has a museum where you can learn about its history. Wurtsmith Air Force base (Oscoda), Michigan; PFAS Water Contamination Map . He said the wreckage from the plane is scattered across the lake bottom. These high levels of PFOA elevate the risks of kidney cancer, mesothelioma, and diabetes. 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. 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. 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 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. [1], When the Gulf War started in 1990, the 379th Bomber Wing sent B-52s as well as their accompanying KC-135s into the Middle East. In a fly off against the contemporary Boeing P-12B, the P-6E was faster, but the P-12B was more maneuverable. At this time, the camp was renamed and the airfield was under III Fighter Command jurisdiction. The B-52 is being serviced under the Strategic Air Command Recovery Oriented Aircraft Maintenance (ROAM) system. This is a very big issue for the people of Oscoda and the surrounding areas for obvious reasons. Contaminated water has been shown to be the main way that humans get exposed to this chemical, which is exactly whats going on in Oscoda. 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. A single-seat low-wing fighter developed for the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) by Republic Aviation, it was the largest single-engined piston fighter ever produced. The M&FRC is located at 1550 Wurtsmith St . See: Organochlorine Pesticides Levels at George AFB Family Housing, CERCLA 120(h) Quitclaim Deed Restrictions for the George AFB Family Housing, Organochlorine Pesticide Contamination at George AFB Schools, Terri Crooks won her VA C&P Claim for service connected injury for her exposure to chlordane and other organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), Frank Vera www.BaseFamilyHousing.Info PO Box 1313 Jamestown, CA, 95327-1313 Phone: 209-782-4541, Copyright 2020 - BaseFamilyHousing.Info. Our biodegradation . There were frequently extremely large and loud airplanes taxiing, taking off, and landing in the base. 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. 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. Michigan Radio. Im slowly working my way up from 1924 to the present. Any one else from 84-89 have issues? Now that the contamination has reached the Au Sable river, it could potentially carry this contamination into Lake Huron. Leaking chemical storage tanks and waste disposal operations contaminated soil and groundwater with hazardous chemicals. 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. The brown tint is (mostly) caused by scale build up in the pipes being knocked loose. 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. Mr. Norton remarked that they were flying the wings off of the planes. Service ceiling 27,200 feet, and range was 260 miles. These organizations primarily fall into seven types of activities: aviation, manufacturing, technology, medical, housing, education, community services and technology. 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. With this long list of negative effects it is clearly a big health issue for local residents. Their children developed asthma, spinal defects and thyroid problems. Veteran Compensation Programs (www.veteranprograms.com) does not monitor, pre-screen or moderate posts, surveys, topics, comments, blogs or responses. Maximum speed was 178 mph at sea level, 171 mph at 10,000 feet. 2 talking about this. Wurtsmith earned recognition during the war as the leader of the group of pilots using P-40 and P-38 fighter . Chanute Air Force base, Illinois. During World War II, P-47 fighters were assigned to Oscoda. [1] August 8, 2018. 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. [3], www.nytimes.com/1988/10/12/us/six-are-killed-in-crash-of-an-air-force-tanker.html, www.wurtsmithairmuseum.org/Wurtsmith_AFB/wurtsmith_afb.html, www.strategic-air-command.com/bases/Wurtsmith_AFB.htm, www.strategic-air-command.com/wings/0379bw.htm, http://ss.sites.mtu.edu/mhugl/2015/10/11/wurtsmith-air-force-base/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wurtsmith_Air_Force_Base. 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 . 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 main mission of Oscoda Army Air Field, at the time, was to defend Sault Ste. The base is located in Oscoda, Iosco County, Michigan. WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. 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. [4] Enchanted Forest Web Page Design Service. The 5,221-acre site is bounded by Van Etten Lake to the north and east . [6] 379th Bomb Wing Homestead AFB B-47 Wurtsmith AFB B-52, www.strategic-air-command.com/wings/0379bw.htm. It has recently been discovered that that the base has been leaking chemicals into the surrounding waterways. 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. This, flight crew would spend one week in the bunker and be confined to an undisclosed. [5] Wurtsmith AFB, Mich SAC 379th Bomb Wing B-52, www.strategic-air-command.com/bases/Wurtsmith_AFB.htm. We offer visitors three hangars full of military (all branches) and aviation history, static aircraft displays, artifacts, equipment and lots of WAFB memorabilia. U.S. Air Force should abide by state of Michigan's PFAS Standards, state must hold Air Force accountable. Hill Housing area-- Wurtsmith Elementary School, Grissom Elementary School, Wagner Middle School, . 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 . [1] This was followed by one and a half weeks of normal day to day activitiesuntil the flight crew relieved crew on ready alert in the bunkers.[1]. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. empty, 3310 lb gross. This is very dear to my heart and want to get involved however I can. Typical occurrences on Wurtsmith Air Force Base included planes flying in and out on missions. [4] Over the tenure of the base it was home to an aerial gunnery range, a fighter-interceptor training base and later home to the 379th Bomb Wing as a member of the Strategic Air Command.[4]. One of these places included directly underneath the Oscoda high school. I do hope there is information on Wurtsmith AFB soon. 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 first KC-135 in operation Southern Watch. This man later took the proposal to build a gunnery range to the people of Oscoda. It excelled in low-altitude ground support as a well-built and reliable aircraft capable of absorbing quite a bit of battle damage. It was also possible for these missions to originate in the United States. View All Homes - Homes for Rent [5] However, the B-52H aircraft maintained nuclear alert at WurtsmithAir Force Base. [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. 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 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. 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. He was training with fellow pilots out of what was then Selfridge Field when his plane crashed. 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. Before we move on to that, however, it is very much worth examining a very similar incident that occurred over Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Michigan on 30 th October. I recall we lost a tanker on touch and goes which had to be extinguished with a massive amount of this chemical. 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. The presumptive disabilities from contaminated water at Wurtsmith AFB would lead to automatic compensation to potentially thousands of veterans. Thisflight crew would spend one week in the bunker and be confined to an undiscloseddistance from the bunker. We have a lot of sick civilians and = veterans from contaminated drinking water. TCE in another well on Jet Street near the present day Wurtsmith AFB museum was 1,739-ppb. Like the former Pease Air Force Base in Portsmouth and Newington, the former Michigan base is now a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) site. 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. I have had many other health issues since and have recently found all of this. This weapon system used some hazardous and a lot of special chemicals to support it. [1] Mr. Norton also landed. Members of the Tuskegee Airmen, trained at Oscoda for several weeks and stayed on 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. 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. [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. They raised $600 to clear the land, which at the time was plenty for this job. Although in the past the Wurtsmith Air Force Base was extremely successful there are some prevalent issues with it today. Wurtsmith Air Force Base. A Brief History of Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan, www.wurtsmithairmuseum.org/Wurtsmith_AFB/wurtsmith_afb.html. 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. 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. Im using a combination of several source materials to tell the history of the area. Everyone from the mechanics keeping the planes flyable, to the cooks, preparing food for the airmen stationed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, to the, commanders who ensured that everything from the flight schedules being correct. 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. to share information regarding health issues, and probable chemical exposure via base water sources.