Wurtsmith Air Museum - Facebook The former Wurtsmith Air Force Base (WAFB), located in Oscoda, Iosco County, MI operated from 1924 to 1993. The presumptive disabilities from contaminated water at Wurtsmith AFB would lead to automatic compensation to potentially thousands of veterans. [2] The flight crashed at 2:20PM while returning from K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base in the Upper Peninsula. Airport History. Over the course of Mr. Nortons career as both a KC-135 Navigatorand a DC-10 Pilot, Mr. Norton served as a flight commander, served numerousdeployments during the Gulf War escorting fighter squadrons from the UnitedStates into theater, supporting fighter squadrons and bomber squadrons intheater, served multiple temporary duty assignments to England, Spain, SaudiArabia, Alaska, and other Air Force Bases around the globe. 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. 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. out of Prince Abdullah AB in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 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. A map of the base locations listed above can be viewed below. The Lackland Air Force Base Education Center is located at 1550 Wurtsmith Street, Suite 5. . [6], During the Gulf War B-52s from Wurtsmith Air Force Base were flownout of Prince Abdullah AB in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
1st Combat Evaluation Group [5] While the 379thBomb Wing was stationed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base they were part of the ReadyAlert Nuclear Strike Force. The typical activities while not on ready alert varied greatlyfrom person to person. Here is a list of military bases that are known to have had their drinking water contaminated with PFAS chemicals: Alameda Naval base, California. 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. I kept up with all this for a while then gave up. During the Cold War, the base became part of Strategic Air Command. A sand and gravel aquifer of glacial origin underlies Wurtsmith Air Force Base in northeastern lower Michigan. Bert E. Skeel in 1924. I saw a big splash, and then the plane went out of sight.. 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 They raised $600 to clear the land, which at the time was plenty for this job. [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. 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. The pilot apparently noticed it and tried to lift his ship. Our biodegradation .
Did Wurtsmith Air Force Base cause health woes? - Detroit Free Press I have had sever kidney problems since 1983 that carried on into my mid teens.
The Loring Air Force Base UFO Encounter - UFO Insight Theyve seen lots of things underwater, but the story of the P-39 fighter lost just off the Port Huron beachfront touched them. The Wurtsmith Air Force Base, created in 1923, played a large role in WWII. The result was an airplane which had a much deeper and broader fuselage than did the P-1. 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 base is located in Oscoda, Iosco County, Michigan. After being relieved, the flight crew had until the following Monday morning, off. 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. On May 9, 1961, the base took delivery of its first new Boeing B-52 H Stratofortress, The State of Michigan. We make no endorsements or recommendations of any VSO, attorney, law firm, claims specialists or organization working with veterans on their service-connected claim(s).
Wurtsmith Air Force Base | Military Wiki | Fandom 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. In fact the only time B-52s would travel was for training missions, or actually delivering ordinance to its target. Weve done quite a bit of documenting and measuring, David Losinski said. The P-6 Hawk (1932-1937) Aircraft was @ Oscoda. 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. If a banker had not taken Lt. Whitehead on a fishing trip there would not have been an Air Force Base in Oscoda Michigan. 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. It is perhaps the best-known of all the between wars Army pursuits. 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. These chemicals have been shown to cause problems with thyroid, liver, kidney, reproduction, and other health problems. Theyre looking for other divers who can assist with the effort. In 1979, the state of Michigan sued the Air Force for the contamination. U.S.
Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport - Wikipedia 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. [5] The B-52s did not get to travel nearly as much as the KC-135s. My first daughter was born there at their hospital.my ex husband now, is very sick. [5] In recent years groundwater contamination has be linked to jet fuel, cleaning agents, and fire suppression agents used at Wurtsmith Air Force Base. Its poor high-altitude performance was a result of a critical decision to remove the turbo-supercharger. WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Wurtsmith Air Force Base is said to have originally started with a fishing trip between two men. Located in Iosco County, Michigan, Wurtsmith Air Force Base operated from 1923 until decommissioned in 1993. In fact the only time B-52s would travel was for training missions, or actually delivering ordinance to its target. An unusual feature of the P-39 Airacobra was the automobile-type doors that had roll-down windows on each side of the cockpit. Cindi developed hypertension and Lawrence diagnosed with lung disease. Paul B. Wurtsmith Air Force Base closed in 1993, dealing a sharp blow to the economy of rural Iosco County. One of the unfortunate risks in flying is a crash. The Airacobra reached its peak usage in the USAAF in early 1944, with over 2100 in service. This is heinous, and my heart goes out to so many. 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. In March of 1943, the Third Air Force reactivated the field for training of black aviators. 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. By Steve Elliott 502nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs. 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. The Air Force . The Au Sable River is an attraction for families all around Michigan. 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.
379th Air Expeditionary Wing | Military Wiki | Fandom Wurtsmith AirForce Base was constructed with a runway layout specifically for this. There is an ongoing project to decontaminate the area. What's next? They want the site to remain a memorial divers can visit. There were frequently extremely large and loud airplanes taxiing, taking off, and landing in the base. USVCP Staff Writers . At this time, the camp was renamed and the airfield was under III Fighter Command jurisdiction. The state says, We dont have jurisdiction over that; its the Air Force, Losinski said. I was stationed there 1978 -81 lived on base they never told us about the water being contaminated .
Former Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Mich. 1942 -- Camp Skeel is renamed Oscoda Army Air Field and becomes a P-47 fighter base. At this time Wurtsmith Air Force Base was still part of the, Strategic Air Commands bomber fleet. Me and Dan drive around base and check out the bunkers that held nuclear weapons during the cold war Stationed there for 84-88 and am suffering with a motor neuron disease process. [3], [1] Dave Norton, Former United States Air Force Captain, interviewed on 23 OCT 2017, [2] Ap.
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. 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. Welcome to The WAFB Historical Site dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of Wurtsmith Air Force Base and the units assigned there. 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. He brought this idea to the attention of his squadron commander Major Carl Spaatz. Their children developed asthma, spinal defects and thyroid problems. Wurtsmith Air Force base (Oscoda), Michigan; PFAS Water Contamination Map . These, planes would regularly fly missions from Wurtsmith Air Force Base during the, The 379th Bomb Wing moved to Wurtsmith Air Force Base in June of, 19661. No injuries to the pilot. My family lived on this base in 1983 to 1987, are we at risk? [1] Mr. Norton also landedthe first KC-135 in operation Southern Watch. There are many different ways that PFOA and PFOS can affect the human body.
Oscoda, Michigan and Tales of Wurtsmith Air Force Base - Postcard History 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 . 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. [4] In the lateryears of World War II Wurtsmith Air Force Base was used as a fighter-interceptor training base and housed the 332d fighter group, which was part of the famous Tuskegee Airmen.
Is this a common thing at other Air Force bases? : r/AirForce U.S. Air Force should abide by state of Michigan's PFAS Standards, state must hold Air Force accountable. 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. P-6E, serial number 32-156, 17th Pursuit Squadron from Selfridge Field Michigan. It had everything in it. A ground-water divide cuts diagonally across the Base from northwest to sou [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. It still haunts me today that we had to do that and were told to just follow orders. Like the former Pease Air Force Base in Portsmouth and Newington, the former Michigan base is now a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) site. This resulted in KC-135 squadrons spending a greater amount of time on temporary duty assignments than other squadrons from Wurtsmith Air Force Base. This is an evolving issue with many moving parts. It is primarily a large jet airplane salvage, jet engine maintenance and light general aviation . 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. Report also stated that the Oscoda Michigan gunnery field was very rough and sandy and notoriously hard on wheels, landing gears etc. empty, 3310 lb gross. A sand and gravel aquifer of glacial origin underlies Wurtsmith Air Force Base in northeastern lower Michigan. Even studies on fish have been done, where it was found that PFOA is a liver carcinogen in rainbow trout. .. did this bill die in the committee s? Leaking chemical storage tanks and waste disposal operations contaminated soil and groundwater with hazardous chemicals. Chanute Air Force base, Illinois. [5] The 379th Bomb Wing immediately continued the 4026thStrategic Wing operations and training. These mission were into Iraq. Just run the water until it clears up. to share information regarding health issues, and probable chemical exposure via base water sources. I served at Wurtsmith from 1974-1977 my whole family has suffered from various ongoing ailments. Weights were 2450 lb. Call 205.328.9200 Claim Application. 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).
Former military base a magnet for retirees - middletownpress.com [1] Mr. Norton also landed. Wurtsmith earned recognition during the war as the leader of the group of pilots using P-40 and P-38 fighter . Maximum speed was 178 mph at sea level, 171 mph at 10,000 feet.