Home Buyers Guide; Find a Real Estate Agent; Price: $299,000. Report also stated that the Oscoda Michigan gunnery field was very rough and sandy and notoriously hard on wheels, landing gears etc. The Wurtsmith Air Force Incident. ROME, N.Y. -- There was nothing small-scale about Griffiss Air Force Base in the 1990s. With this long list of negative effects it is clearly a big health issue for local residents. So now what? Once we brought that up and cleaned the tag, we knew it was the 221226 serial number.. Fast forward to 1992, with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the US Air Force inactivated Strategic Air Command. In 2016, residents near Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Michigan discovered that the water they drank, bathed in, swam in, and fished in was contaminated with jet fuel, cancer-causing chlorinated . 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. 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 . By Steve Elliott 502nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs. 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. Most individuals are not educated on what the base did before and after World War II, what is currently happening at this . 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. Two years after release I started to experience very visible loss of musculature and strength. These are simply the specific . https://www.oscairport.com/index.php/available-properties/, https://www.oscairport.com/index.php/development-site/, https://www.afhistory.org/wp-content/uploads/APH-Winter2016.pdf, http://www.armytimes.com/story/news/2014/07/30/divers-find-wreckage-of-world-war-ii-era-plane/13354373/, https://wurtsmithairmuseum.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Air-Refueling-Squadron-_-Real-People-_-George-Schlatter720p.mp4. A series of stringers were added to the fuselage sides to round out the cross section. On the other hand, the rear-mounted engine offered increased maneuverability since the weight of the plane would be near its center of gravity. The human-made chemicals are in your blood, your clothes, your cosmetics. [1] On May 9th 1961 the first B-52 landed in Wurtsmith Air Force Basesignifying the re-designation to a Strategic Air Command Base. There were frequently extremely large and loud airplanes taxiing, taking off, and landing in the base. 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. If there's a main break, sections of the base will . Welcome to The WAFB Historical Site dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of Wurtsmith Air Force Base and the units assigned there. I am pretty sure Diabetes and Sleep Apnea I have now and neuro dammage in both arms are related , So Presumptive Claims puzzleing I have a claim in and never heard anything I know Senator Kilddee of Michigan is trying to help veterans on this matter but congress are dragging this out. After being relieved, the flight crew had until the following Monday morning, off. 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. What's next? [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. [1], As new technologies and mission goals evolved with time the need for the Strategic Air Commands need for the northern tier became obsolete. One of the unfortunate risks in flying is a crash. What us the compensation for this? On May 9, 1961, the base took delivery of its first new Boeing B-52 H Stratofortress, The State of Michigan. 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. People who are exposed every day for an extended period of time are the ones who start to see real problems, some of which I mentioned above. One of the unfortunate risks in flying is a crash. Veteran Compensation Programs (USVCP) (www.veteranprograms.com), and any of their associated websites is for general informational. "It was a city within a city. Deliveries of the first P-6s were late, the first example not appearing until October 1929. [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]. The P-6 was generally similar to the P-1 in construction and appearance. 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. The Wurtsmith Air Force Base, created in 1923, played a large role in WWII. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. This remoteness of Wurtsmith Air Force Base, as well as common brotherhood of being in the United States Air Force resulted in a tight knit community formed by the airmen and their families. 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. Kelly mentioned she'd been thinking about getting . History. Therefore, regardless of the location of cancer in your body, we strongly encourage you to contact our law firm if you spent time at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, either as a veteran or as a family member of one, to recover the financial compensation you are entitled to. Comprehensive Base Plan, Department of the Air Force, Directorate of Engineering and Services DCS/PRE - Washington DC 1 April 1970 (revised 12 July 1978) . Theseplanes would regularly fly missions from Wurtsmith Air Force Base during thecold war. 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. The former base includes 4,626 acres (1,872 ha) located approximately two miles west of Lake Huron in the Charter Township of Oscoda, bordered by Van Ettan Lake, the Au . Call 205.328.9200 Claim Application. 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 symptoms looking back were insidious with weakness and muscle fasciculations. This bunker compound housedthe flight crews on ready alert, the three B-52 bombers ready to take off at amoments notice, and the accompanying KC-135s ready to top off the B-52s after takeoff. 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. 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. Today the Wurtsmith district is integral to the community's economic potential. There are many different ways that PFOA and PFOS can affect the human body. 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 5,221-acre site is bounded by Van Etten Lake to the north and east . At this time Wurtsmith Air Force Base was still part of theStrategic Air Commands bomber fleet. Stay tuned for further developments. Even studies on fish have been done, where it was found that PFOA is a liver carcinogen in rainbow trout. 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. 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. In fact the only time B-52s would travel was for training missions, or actually delivering ordinance to its target. Wurtsmith Air Force base (Oscoda), Michigan; PFAS Water Contamination Map . This lead to Wurtsmith transferring to Air Combat Command control, and then on June 30th 1993, Wurtsmith Air Force Base closed. But these days, the county is becoming a haven for retired people such as the Kuhlmans . [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. It was criticized for its low service ceiling, its slow rate of climb, and its generally poor high-altitude performance. My ex wife has thyroid disease and auto immune disease. The 4026th was a SAC Major Command controlled (MAJCON) wing that had been organized on 1 August 1958. [5] The B-52s did not get to travel nearly as much as the KC-135s. There is an ongoing project to decontaminate the area. In 1953 it was renamed Wurtsmith Air Force Base after Michigan native, Major General Paul Wurtsmith. Like the former Pease Air Force Base in Portsmouth and Newington, the former Michigan base is now a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) site. During the Pacific conflicts personnel and the KC-135Stratotankers were deployed to forward bases in the Pacific to support landoperations. The single officers who lived on base lived in a dorm type building. As soon as an assignment went over 180 days it was considered a permanent change in duty station. 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. From: Members of the ground crew move a maintenance cart into position next to a B-52 Stratofortress aircraft parked on the flight line. Here is a list of military bases that are known to have had their drinking water contaminated with PFAS chemicals: Alameda Naval base, California. 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. [1] On the first Wednesday thefresh flight crew would relive the current flight crew in the bunkers. [5] However, the B-52H aircraft maintained nuclear alert at Wurtsmith, Air Force Base. [1] This would result in a large amount of paperwork and extra expenses for the Air Force. 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. On April 1, 1960, Strategic Air Command assumed operational control of what was then Wurtsmith Air Force Base from Air Defense Command; on Jan. 9, 1961, the 379th Bombardment Wing, flying B-52H's and KC-135A's, became the host unit. Then everything happened so fast it seems unbelievable. 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. The average person has around 3 or 4 parts per billion of these chemicals present in their blood. The Air Force . USVCP Not A U.S. Government Publication. The P-6 could climb to 10,000 feet in 6.6 min. U.S. Traci Kroushour, an Oscoda resident until the age of 12, had her uterus removed at the age of 28 and can never have children. I have also read about the PFAS via fire retardant foam. Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport became a public airport in 1993. The Losinskis found an account of the crash in the Times Herald. 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. U.S. This judgement flies in the face provided by the federal ATSDR and the National Institute of Health. This is heinous, and my heart goes out to so many. Robert Krouse, 12/31/19Stationed at Wurtsmith AFB from 1978 to 1980 and lived in barracks. This is an evolving issue with many moving parts. These high levels of PFOA elevate the risks of kidney cancer, mesothelioma, and diabetes. 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. [5] In recent years groundwater contamination has be linked to jet fuel, cleaning agents, and fire suppression agents used at Wurtsmith Air Force Base. WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. PORT HURON, Mich. David and Drew Losinski are struck by the coincidence. Photos of P-47s flown by French Pilots at Oscoda. By comparing the concentrations of known fluorosurfactants with the total organofluorine, less than 10% of the fluorosurfactants were identified in half of the samples. It is perhaps the best-known of all the between wars Army pursuits. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. Theyve seen lots of things underwater, but the story of the P-39 fighter lost just off the Port Huron beachfront touched them. [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. More individuals impacted by these chemicals are Cindi and Lawrence Ashbeck. Investigation determined a defective tire caused the accident. [3] Search Superfund Site Information. EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 28 Dec. 2016, cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/cursites/csitinfo.cfm?id=0503675. I was shocked when we drove to a wooded area not far from bomber alert pad and WSA up the road of the k9 area where a bull dozed had dug a large trench and we were ordered to dump the shit. Michigan Radio. In March of 1943, the Third Air Force reactivated the field for training of black aviators. [1] Mr. Nortonarrived fresh from navigation school as a 2nd Lieutenant at Wurtsmith Air ForceBase in the fall of 1985. Veteran Compensation Programs (www.veteranprograms.com) does not monitor, pre-screen or moderate posts, surveys, topics, comments, blogs or responses. Beginning in July 1944, the P-47 Thunderbolt was used extensively to train Free French Air Force pilots at Oscoda Army Air Field (AAF). Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. Leaking chemical storage tanks and waste disposal operations contaminated soil and groundwater with hazardous chemicals. [ 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 . Because of the economic impact of Wurtsmith Air Force Base the community was generally supportive of the airmen, and the base itself. Located in Oscoda, Michigan this base is positioned no more than two miles off the shore of Lake Huron.