(Superstorm) Sandy came along (in October) and moved things around, David Losinski said. What they had was a one-seat warplane piloted by 2nd Lt. Frank H. Moody, of Los Angeles. 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. [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]. Located in Oscoda, Michigan this base is positioned no more than two miles off the shore of Lake Huron. Engine not damaged. Mr. Norton would occasionally return to fresh fish left by his neighbor on his porch. 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. This would cause some big problems for the fish and other life that lives beneath the surface. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality released a report Thursday, Aug. 30, concluding that Wurtsmith wells were 'likely impacted' by PFAS contamination between 1978 and 1997, when municipal water from Lake Huron was brought to the 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. [1] This tight knit community was not confined to just the Air Force Base, but extended into the community as well. 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. 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. [4] On August 1st 1958 the 4026th Strategic Wing was formed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base. [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. 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. He flew from Dayton, Ohio to Washington, D.C. at a speed of approximately 266 mph, at an altitude of 25,000 ft. He brought this idea to the attention of his squadron commander Major Carl Spaatz. Neither Michigan nor any U.S. officials have conducted a comprehensive study on the contaminants and pollutants under the base. The sources Im using include The Air Force Historical Research Agency (AFRA); Photo collections from Wurtsmith Museum; Photo collections from Selfridge Museum, Selfridge AFB Historical files; and Aircraft Accident Reports. The runways were aligned NE/SW, E/W, and NW/SE. 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. 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. My first assignment as a Nuclear Weapons specialist was at wurtsmith where we deployed the AGM 69A SRAM missile system. [1] Wurtsmith Air Force Base was 2nd Lt. Nortons firstpermanent duty station in the United States Air Force.[1]. Wurtsmith Air Force base was one of five, northern tier bases in the Strategic Air Commands arsenal. My symptoms looking back were insidious with weakness and muscle fasciculations. The 379th was reassigned to Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan without personnel or equipment in January 1961, assuming the aircraft, personnel and equipment of the discontinued 4026th Strategic Wing. Representatives Dan Kildee (MI-05) and Elissa Slotkin (MI-08) today urged the U.S. Air Force to take more significant steps to address PFAS contamination around the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base near Oscoda. My daughter was born at the base hospital. "Keeping Wurtsmith AFB and Aviation History of NE MI Alive" Opens on Armed Forces Day in May, hosts a Welcome Home. Wurtsmith AFB Water Health Issues via water, Organochlorine Pesticides Levels at George AFB Family Housing. U.S. Here is a list of military bases that are known to have had their drinking water contaminated with PFAS chemicals: Alameda Naval base, California. It is primarily a large jet airplane salvage, jet engine maintenance and light general aviation . The result was an airplane which had a much deeper and broader fuselage than did the P-1. In 1953 it was renamed Wurtsmith Air Force Base after Michigan native, Major General Paul Wurtsmith. At this time, the camp was renamed and the airfield was under III Fighter Command jurisdiction. The pilot apparently noticed it and tried to lift his ship. 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. 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. My daughter was born there on base in 1987 she has gastric issues, and was born w heart issues. China Lake Naval base, California. Pieces include the engine, the tail, part of the door and the 37-millimeter cannon that fired through the propeller hub. The last was delivered in December 1930. Veteran Compensation Programs (www.veteranprograms.com) does not monitor, pre-screen or moderate posts, surveys, topics, comments, blogs or responses. It is perhaps the best-known of all the between wars Army pursuits. The Air Force's decline to commit to Michigan's standards is among a litany of frustrations Oscoda residents say they have . 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. [5] Assuming the equipment, personnel and aircraft of the 4026th Strategic, wing as it was disbanded. In addition, the rear fuselage was deepened in order that it could faire cleanly into the bottom of the radiator. [5] However, the B-52H aircraft maintained nuclear alert at Wurtsmith, Air Force Base. 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. A map of the base locations listed above can be viewed below. It was the most horrible thing I have ever witnessed, she said. Marie and the straights of Mackinac. Ruben C. Moffat flew a P-6 converted with a supercharged Conqueror engine on a record-breaking flight. [5] The 379th flew with a Triangle K tail flash to continue thetradition from their World War II counterparts. I lived in base housing, I want to say 8607H Ohio from 82-84. The Losinskis found an account of the crash in the Times Herald. 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. Wurtsmith earned recognition during the war as the leader of the group of pilots using P-40 and P-38 fighter . 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. 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. 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. Im slowly working my way up from 1924 to the present. Just run the water until it clears up. [1] On the first Wednesday the, fresh flight crew would relive the current flight crew in the bunkers. The human-made chemicals are in your blood, your clothes, your cosmetics. Today, the Wurtsmith Air Force Base has a museum where you can learn about its history. 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. Typically, brown-ish water occurs when there is large change in pressure/flow in a distribution system. Beginning in July 1944, the P-47 Thunderbolt was used extensively to train Free French Air Force pilots at Oscoda Army Air Field (AAF). Lester Graham. The documentary by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Sara Ganim focuses on PFAS contamination at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda, Michigan. 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. WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. After all of that great history, the Wurtsmith Air Force Base is still standing as a place that is visited by a plethora of people. Airport History. The aquifer overlies a thick clay layer at an average depth of 65 feet. Wurtsmith Air Force base was one of fivenorthern tier bases in the Strategic Air Commands arsenal. From: Members of the ground crew move a maintenance cart into position next to a B-52 Stratofortress aircraft parked on the flight line. 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. U.S. Air Force should abide by state of Michigan's PFAS Standards, state must hold Air Force accountable. 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. The Losinskis havent abandoned their quest to bring this long-forgotten chapter in the history of World War II to light. 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. One of the unfortunate risks in flying is a crash. ROME, N.Y. -- There was nothing small-scale about Griffiss Air Force Base in the 1990s. The average person has around 3 or 4 parts per billion of these chemicals present in their blood. They included chemicals like MEK, PD 680, TRI CHLOROFLOIANS, ACIDS, ALODIANS, ALL KINDS OF PAINTS, SPECIAL MISSILE SKIN REPAIR KITS. Aircraft was at Camp Skeel, Oscoda Michigan for Aerial Gunnery training. As previously stated, there is a museum open to the public which has artifacts and information on the bases history. Thisflight crew would spend one week in the bunker and be confined to an undiscloseddistance from the bunker. The 1st Combat Evaluation Group (initially "1CEG", later "1CEVG") was a Strategic Air Command (SAC) unit. In fact the only time B-52s would travel was for training missions, or actually delivering ordinance to its target. 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. Like the former Pease Air Force Base in Portsmouth and Newington, the former Michigan base is now a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) site. It was eerie, David Losinski said. My first daughter was born there at their hospital.my ex husband now, is very sick. The landing gear was changed from rubber-block shock absorbers inside the fuselage to oleo-and-spring units mounted in the outer forward strut. My ex wife has thyroid disease and auto immune disease. With this long list of negative effects it is clearly a big health issue for local residents. At this time Wurtsmith Air Force Base was still part of theStrategic Air Commands bomber fleet. 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. WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. The P-6 was generally similar to the P-1 in construction and appearance. The Strategic Air Command activated a wing there on August 1, 1958. The B-52 is being serviced under the Strategic Air Command Recovery Oriented Aircraft Maintenance (ROAM) system. /. [5] The 379th flew with a Triangle K tail flash to continue the, tradition from their World War II counterparts. U.S. The Realignment of Griffiss Air Force Base. Investigation determined a defective tire caused the accident. Even after the base closed in 1993, the base maintained a fire staff for many years. She has all kinds of problems, my ex died of cancer and I have all kinds of problems. This is a very big issue for the people of Oscoda and the surrounding areas for obvious reasons. She also has many other irregular health problems including bone death, fibromyalgia, irregular heartbeat, gastrointestinal problems, and underdeveloped reproductive organs. The Arrow Street purge system, installed in 1982 to remove contaminants from the Building 43 plume, has lowered concentrations o At the time, George was a hub of F-4 Phantom fighter jets and OV-10 Bronco reconnaissance planes. PFOA exposure is also shown to be associated with increased risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children between ages 12-15. Me and Dan drive around base and check out the bunkers that held nuclear weapons during the cold war The 379th Bomb Wing moved to Wurtsmith Air Force Base in June of19661. This weapon system used some hazardous and a lot of special chemicals to support it. [5] In recent years groundwater contamination has be linked to jet fuel, cleaning agents, and fire suppression agents used at Wurtsmith Air Force Base. A ground-water divide cuts diagonally across the Base from northwest to . Theseplanes would regularly fly missions from Wurtsmith Air Force Base during thecold war. The airplane operated on a flight from Oscoda Wurtsmith Airport, MI to Oscoda-Wurtsmith AFB, MI (OSC). Chanute Air Force base, Illinois. [6], During the Gulf War B-52s from Wurtsmith Air Force Base were flownout of Prince Abdullah AB in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. . One specific and important waterway being affected by these pollutants is the Au Sable River. These mission were into Iraq. I was stationed there 1978 -81 lived on base they never told us about the water being contaminated . There were frequently extremely large and loud airplanes taxiing, taking off, and landing in the base.