[2] Another unfortunate occurrence that Happened more than it should have were Court-Martials. PORT HURON, Mich. David and Drew Losinski are struck by the coincidence. Theyre looking for other divers who can assist with the effort. [5] One crew flew 29mission out of Jeddah, setting the record for most missions flew by a bombercrew in theater. 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. Wurtsmith Air Force Base. A Brief History of Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan, www.wurtsmithairmuseum.org/Wurtsmith_AFB/wurtsmith_afb.html. 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. Two years after release I started to experience very visible loss of musculature and strength. 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 . These contaminants are harmful to the environment. My daughter was born there on base in 1987 she has gastric issues, and was born w heart issues. This article is from 2018.. Typical occurrences on Wurtsmith Air Force Base included planes flying in and out on missions. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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 . 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. One of these places included directly underneath the Oscoda high school. PFOA exposure is also shown to be associated with increased risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children between ages 12-15. Weve done quite a bit of documenting and measuring, David Losinski said. My first daughter was born there at their hospital.my ex husband now, is very sick. 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. Drinking Water At Wurtsmith AFB Contaminted. [1] While this was a relatively boring week, it was extremely stressful, because no one knew when the alarm would sound, but more importantly no one, knew if it would be a drill or not. Lt. Ennis also thought it would be a great place for young Army Air corps to test aircraft (WAFB.net). Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Mich., served primarily as a combat crew and bomber training base throughout its 70-year history. [6] The 379th Bomb Wing was, Dave Norton resigned his commotion as a United States Air Force, , 1993 exactly 9 years after receiving his commission, Lt. form the United States Air Force Academy. I saw a big splash, and then the plane went out of sight.. "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. 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. I still stay in touch with Gary but do not know if he has an e-mail account. [1] This tight knit community was not confined to just the Air Force Base, but extended into the community as well. The B-52 is being serviced under the Strategic Air Command Recovery Oriented Aircraft Maintenance (ROAM) system. The 5,223-acre Wurtsmith Air Force Base (Wurtsmith AFB) is located on the northeastern part of Michigan's lower peninsula. 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. This year, we went out diving, and we could see these points of interest from the surface, Losinski said. This gave the Army operations the opportunity to begin creating the base we know today. [4] On August 1st 1958 the 4026th Strategic Wing was formed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base. [5] In recent years groundwater contamination has be linked to jet fuel, cleaning agents, and fire suppression agents used at Wurtsmith Air Force Base. 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 Mrs. Cecil V. Fowler saw the crash, according to the Times Herald article. These mission were into Iraq. The museum's exhibits are extensive and incredibly high-quality -- including several aircraft that can be examined up . USVCP Staff Writers . 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. This judgement flies in the face provided by the federal ATSDR and the National Institute of Health. This could be from hydrant flushing or a water main break. WAFB began operations in 1923, under the name of Camp Skeel, and was officially named the Wurtsmith Air Force Base in 1953. 2 talking about this. 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. Because Wurtsmith Air Force Base was an Air Force Base it had to have the ability to go into complete lock-down in times of emergency and still support the mission. Senators Gary Peters (MI) and Debbie Stabenow (MI) and U.S. The Wurtsmith Air Force Base, created in 1923, played a large role in WWII. The single officers who lived on base lived in a dorm type building. This unfortunately happened on October 11th, 1988 when KC-135 crashed with 6 crew members and 10 passengers on board. Wurtsmith Air Force Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force base in northeastern Iosco County in the U.S. state of Michigan. One of the unfortunate risks in flying is a crash. A total 9589 Airacobras were built before production finally ended on July 25, 1944. Airplane nosed over when landing gear tire casing failed, locking the right wheel. According to the Air Force's account, in October 1977, a Wurtsmith base housing resident complained about a peculiar odor and taste in the drinking water. 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. There are many different ways that PFOA and PFOS can affect the human body. "It was a city within a city. U.S. Air Force should abide by state of Michigan's PFAS Standards, state must hold Air Force accountable. Their water table has been contaminated with high levels of PFOA because of the leakage of chemicals from Wurtsmith Air Force Base. Many of drums ruptured. distance from the bunker. Wurtsmith Air, Force Base was constructed with a runway layout specifically for this. 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 Bell P-39 Airacobra was not the best fighter aircraft of WWII, but it was the only fighter available in quantity during the first six months of the war. Welcome to The WAFB Historical Site dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of Wurtsmith Air Force Base and the units assigned there. USVCP Not A U.S. Government Publication. [2] The flight crashed at 2:20PM while returning from K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base in the Upper Peninsula. 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. One specific and important waterway being affected by these pollutants is the Au Sable River. Neither Michigan nor any U.S. officials have conducted a comprehensive study on the contaminants and pollutants under the 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 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 building was like the barracks, but each officer had his own room. This cycle was from Wednesday to Wednesday. They resumed the investigation last spring. [5] While the 379thBomb Wing was stationed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base they were part of the ReadyAlert Nuclear Strike Force. 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. On June 30th, 1993 the 379th Bomb Wing was disbanded and Wurtsmith Air Force Base was closed. 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. Our biodegradation . The airplane operated on a flight from Oscoda Wurtsmith Airport, MI to Oscoda-Wurtsmith AFB, MI (OSC). 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. I kept up with all this for a while then gave up. Wurtsmith Air Force base was one of fivenorthern tier bases in the Strategic Air Commands arsenal. 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 . The Tuskegee Airmen were African-American members of the 332nd Fighter Group and 477th Bombardment Group of the United States Army Air Force who fought in Europe during World War II. I recall we lost a tanker on touch and goes which had to be extinguished with a massive amount of this chemical. The study doesn't estimate past concentrations or exposure dosage and was released with . An unusual feature of the P-39 Airacobra was the automobile-type doors that had roll-down windows on each side of the cockpit. A map of the base locations listed above can be viewed below. 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. It was also possible for these missions to originate in the United States. I was born on base November 1978, and lived on base with my mom, brother born 1989 on base, and my dad, a civil engineer stationed on base until oct 1982. 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. It excelled in low-altitude ground support as a well-built and reliable aircraft capable of absorbing quite a bit of battle damage. These organizations primarily fall into seven types of activities: aviation, manufacturing, technology, medical, housing, education, community services and technology. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. 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. 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. The Realignment of Griffiss Air Force Base. The site of Wurtsmith Air Force Base is located 2 miles Northwest of Oscoda, Michigan, about 150 miles North of Detroit. Wurtsmith Air Force base (Oscoda), Michigan; PFAS Water Contamination Map . Within a few days, a mere 28 Airmen established housing for over 400 personnel, replete with . Because of this KC-135 squadrons would routinely fly 175 day assignments and return to their home base. It was also possible for these missions to originate in the United States. Smoke started coming from the tail of the second plane, and I could see it was in trouble. It has recently been discovered that that the base has been leaking chemicals into the surrounding waterways. Only afterthe plains were airborne would the crew be notified if it was a drill or not. The 4026th was a SAC Major Command controlled (MAJCON) wing that had been organized on 1 August 1958. Published August 24, 2021 at 4:15 PM EDT. Veteran Compensation Programs (USVCP) (www.veteranprograms.com), and any of their associated websites is for general informational. The ready alert flight crews were rotated on a three week cycle. 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. It was eerie, David Losinski said. Mr. Norton would occasionally return to fresh fish left by his neighbor on his porch. Today, the Wurtsmith Air Force Base has a museum where you can learn about its history. China Lake Naval base, California. Then everything happened so fast it seems unbelievable. Ruben C. Moffat flew a P-6 converted with a supercharged Conqueror engine on a record-breaking flight. Congress set a May 2022 deadline for the DOD to report on the cleanup status of these bases, the Filthy 50, with extremely high levels of PFAS contamination. 70-77 lived on base housing with family, flight line assistant supervisor. These bases wereresponsible for a housing a Ready Alert Nuclear Strike Force. 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. [5] However, the B-52H aircraft maintained nuclear alert at WurtsmithAir Force Base. The Au Sable River is an attraction for families all around Michigan. To gain a measure of the extremely high levels of contaminated drinking water, according to the ATSDR, TCE levels in a well at the corner of Arrow Street and N. Skeel Avenue were as high as 5,173 parts-per-billion (ppb) during 1977, 1978, & 1979 tests, which is more than 1,000 times the EPA's current limit of 5-ppb for TCE in drinking water. [5] The B-52s did not get to travel nearly as much as the KC-135s. 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. My first assignment as a Nuclear Weapons specialist was at wurtsmith where we deployed the AGM 69A SRAM missile system. P-6E, serial number 32-156, 17th Pursuit Squadron from Selfridge Field Michigan. [1] On the first Wednesday thefresh flight crew would relive the current flight crew in the bunkers. We knew we had some kind of plane.. [1] This meant that there was always at least three, B-52s armed with nuclear bombs, ready to take off at a moments notice. 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 . He was training with fellow pilots out of what was then Selfridge Field when his plane crashed. Over the 50 years of operation Wurtsmith Air Force Base had manydifferent missions. Although in the past the Wurtsmith Air Force Base was extremely successful there are some prevalent issues with it today. It is primarily a large jet airplane salvage, jet engine maintenance and light general aviation . One example of this is autocross racing. [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. As an officer Mr. Norton had to sit in on Court-Martials. Bert E. Skeel was a WWI pilot who died in an air race in Ohio. [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]. Me and Dan drive around base and check out the bunkers that held nuclear weapons during the cold war Like the former Pease Air Force Base in Portsmouth and Newington, the former Michigan base is now a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) site. A ground-water divide cuts diagonally across the Base from northwest to sou These Air Force bases were remote. TCE in another well on Jet Street near the present day Wurtsmith AFB museum was 1,739-ppb. Marie and the straights of Mackinac. 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. After one week in the bunker on ready alert the flight crew would be relieved. 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 . The ROAM system ensures that aircraft are serviced . Im slowly working my way up from 1924 to the present. In 1932, Capt. JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas - Announced in late 2021 by the spouse of the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Sharene Brown, it increases focus and attention on the top five quality of life challenges military families face. The 1st Combat Evaluation Group (initially "1CEG", later "1CEVG") was a Strategic Air Command (SAC) unit. At one point, they had to use these toxic foam chemicals to put out a fire at the Oscoda High School in 1995. purposes only, and is not legal advice. [1] This would result in a large amount of paperwork and extra expenses for the Air Force. . Heart condition, prostate cancer, diabetic, sometimes confused in making decisions. [5] The 379th flew with a Triangle K tail flash to continue the, tradition from their World War II counterparts. 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. During the Cold War, the base became part of Strategic Air Command. A short time later in July 1944 it was being used to train Free French Air Force pilots, which eventually led to more and more training and more and more storage of aircraft like the B-52G (oscairport.com). [1], Over the course of Mr. Nortons career as both a KC-135 Navigator, and a DC-10 Pilot, Mr. Norton served as a flight commander, served numerous, deployments during the Gulf War escorting fighter squadrons from the United, States into theater, supporting fighter squadrons and bomber squadrons in, theater, served multiple temporary duty assignments to England, Spain, Saudi, Arabia, Alaska, and other Air Force Bases around the globe. There are many good photos of P-39s at Selfridge Field (Posted below), but none of P-39s at Oscoda. Once we brought that up and cleaned the tag, we knew it was the 221226 serial number.. 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. Located in Oscoda, Michigan this base is positioned no more than two miles off the shore of Lake Huron. . 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. Environmental context Total organofluorine and known fluorosurfactants were quantified in 11 aqueous film forming foams (AFFFs) used to extinguish fires in Ontario, Canada, and one commercial AFFF product. On the other hand, the rear-mounted engine offered increased maneuverability since the weight of the plane would be near its center of gravity. In addition, the rear fuselage was deepened in order that it could faire cleanly into the bottom of the radiator. Aircraft was at Camp Skeel, Oscoda Michigan for Aerial Gunnery training. Michigan Radio. out of Prince Abdullah AB in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It has found from testing this area that some places to have over 1000 parts-per-trillion for PFOS and PFOA. Most Air Corps/Force types used Oscoda at one time or another. 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. [1], The northern tier Strategic Air Command Ready Alert Strike Force bases were considered less than desirable duty stations for one main reason. 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. According to Robert Delaney, a Michigan Department of Environmental Quality specialist, If you pull the water out of the ground in that training area, it still foams, theres so much in there. Since this entire problem stems from the fact that the foam used to extinguish fires on the base is what carried the toxic chemical, that goes to show just how invasive and problematic this contamination can be. The "Red Tail" P-51 Mustangs flown by the Tuskeegee Airmen []. 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. Aug 24, 2021. The Airacobra reached its peak usage in the USAAF in early 1944, with over 2100 in service. There is a lot of open runways still today that can be rented out for a multitude of events. I am not a doctor or attorney, and cannot give medical advice or legal advice. U.S. There are a lot of stories to tell. 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. This weapon system used some hazardous and a lot of special chemicals to support it. As an officer Mr. Norton had to sit in on Court-Martials. Airport History. Located in Iosco County, Michigan, Wurtsmith Air Force Base operated from 1923 until decommissioned in 1993. 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. (Superstorm) Sandy came along (in October) and moved things around, David Losinski said. 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. We thought that was kind of unbelievable.. 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. In 1942, three 5000x150 concrete runways were built. ircraft operated from Oscoda Army Airfield. They took a photo on April 11, from the surface of Lake Huron, of the wing of a Wold War II-era fighter plane that crashed during a training exercise, killing its pilot. Wurtsmith Air Force Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force base in Iosco County, Michigan.It operated from 1923 until decommissioned in 1993. 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. Moodys body was not recovered until it washed ashore in Port Huron on June 4, 1944 two days before D-Day and the invasion of Normandy. Dover Air Force base, Delaware. 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. 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. This lead to Wurtsmith transferring to Air Combat Command control, and then on June 30th 1993, Wurtsmith Air Force Base closed. This is a very big issue for the people of Oscoda and the surrounding areas for obvious reasons. All four of the the guys that were in that flight were from Tuskegee, Losinksi said. This includes extra parts, munitions, fuel, and flight crews. There were four planes, and I was watching them from our front window, as I usually do when theyre engaged in gunnery practice. Here is a list of military bases that are known to have had their drinking water contaminated with PFAS chemicals: Alameda Naval base, California. Most individuals are not educated on what the base did before and after World War II, what is currently happening at this .