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. The base came to be because of chance. He was training with fellow pilots out of what was then Selfridge Field when his plane crashed. We came across the gauge cluster, which had the radio call tag, David Losinski said. Maximum speed was 178 mph at sea level, 171 mph at 10,000 feet. 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. The P-6 Hawk (1932-1937) Aircraft was @ Oscoda. 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. 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. Air Force - DOD Base Family Housing [1], While Wurtsmith Air Force Base was its own little town, it was segregated by officers and enlisted. WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. The base is located in Oscoda, Iosco County, Michigan. Someone who works in a place that uses these chemicals and is exposed to them can have up to 100 parts per million, or 0.01%, in their blood. [1] This includes on base housing, a daycare center for children, a doctor's office, a . Drew said, Dad, thats an airplane., You could see the wings. Over the 50 years of operation Wurtsmith Air Force Base had manydifferent missions. This cycle was from Wednesday to Wednesday. The married enlisted airmen who lived on base lived in a condo type set up with their family. Their children developed asthma, spinal defects and thyroid problems. It is perhaps the best-known of all the between wars Army pursuits. There are many good photos of P-39s at Selfridge Field (Posted below), but none of P-39s at Oscoda. A sand and gravel aquifer of glacial origin underlies Wurtsmith Air Force Base in northeastern lower Michigan. Any one else from 84-89 have issues? Wurtsmith airforce base bomb bunkers - YouTube The state says, We dont have jurisdiction over that; its the Air Force, Losinski said. It was the most horrible thing I have ever witnessed, she said. The B-52 is being serviced under the Strategic Air Command Recovery Oriented Aircraft Maintenance (ROAM) system. On June 30, , 1993 the 379th Bomb Wing was disbanded and Wurtsmith Air Force Base was closed. [1] This tight knit community was not confined to just the Air Force Base, but extended into the community as well. 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. This article is from 2018.. [1], The ready alert flight crews were rotated on a three week cycle. The P-6E was quite a good-looking airplane, and became the most famous of the Hawk line of biplane fighters. [4] On August 1st 1958 the 4026th Strategic Wing was formed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base. http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2016/06/wurtsmith_veterans_health.html, http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2016/11/13/deq-we-dont-yet-know-full-extent-wurtsmith-air-base-contamination/93242484/, https://www.publicintegrity.org/2017/08/18/21105/military-bases-contamination-will-affect-water-generations, http://www.wurtsmithairmuseum.org/Wurtsmith_AFB/wurtsmith_afb.html, Military History of the Upper Great Lakes. Had some issue at Loring Maine where I was stationed from 86-88 and nothing.VA is cricket s on this Richard Stanfill, 12/5/21I was stationed there from 1982 to October of 1985 and lost my left kidney to 3rd stage clear cell carcinoma I never smoked or did drugs. All kind of special chemicals that Boeing told the USAF we had to have. Visiting Wurtsmith Air Museum, Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan - YouTube 'We've been betrayed:' Veterans blame Air Force base water for - mlive The aquifer overlies a thick clay layer at an average depth of 65 feet. All four of the the guys that were in that flight were from Tuskegee, Losinksi said. Airplane nosed over when landing gear tire casing failed, locking the right wheel. Theyve seen lots of things underwater, but the story of the P-39 fighter lost just off the Port Huron beachfront touched them. Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport - Ready to launch | Business View Magazine After being relieved, the flight crew had until the following Monday morningoff. Dallas Naval base, Texas. We have a lot of sick civilians and = veterans from contaminated drinking water. 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. PFOA exposure is also shown to be associated with increased risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children between ages 12-15. [1]These KC-135s were necessary because the B-52 could not take off with both afull load of ordnance and a full tank of gas. 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. [5] The 379th Bomb Wing immediately continued the 4026thStrategic Wing operations and training. Home - Wurtsmith Air Museum empty, 3310 lb gross. 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. [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. PORT HURON, Mich. David and Drew Losinski are struck by the coincidence. "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. Former military base a magnet for retirees - middletownpress.com Military's Filthy 50 sites contaminated with 'forever chemicals' haven 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. Now that the contamination has reached the Au Sable river, it could potentially carry this contamination into Lake Huron. The Losinskis havent abandoned their quest to bring this long-forgotten chapter in the history of World War II to light. The museum's exhibits are extensive and incredibly high-quality -- including several aircraft that can be examined up . This is heinous, and my heart goes out to so many. There were frequently extremely large and loud airplanes taxiing, taking off, and landing in the base. No injuries to the pilot. 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 Airacobra reached its peak usage in the USAAF in early 1944, with over 2100 in service. The result was an airplane which had a much deeper and broader fuselage than did the P-1. A ground-water divide cuts diagonally across the Base from northwest to . It is one of the most famous bases located in our state. Im using a combination of several source materials to tell the history of the area. Wurtsmith earned recognition during the war as the leader of the group of pilots using P-40 and P-38 fighter . The airplane operated on a flight from Oscoda Wurtsmith Airport, MI to Oscoda-Wurtsmith AFB, MI (OSC). Mrs. Cecil V. Fowler saw the crash, according to the Times Herald article. Veteran Compensation Programs. The majority of married enlisted and officers preferred to live on base because of the free daycare for children. [1] Mr. Norton also landedthe first KC-135 in operation Southern Watch. The typical activities while not on ready alert varied greatlyfrom person to person. U.S. Air Force should abide by state of Michigan's PFAS Standards, state must hold Air Force accountable. This happened a couple weeks before the IOC which is in the wing,ahistorical records on microfilm. I remember getting a letter of counseling when I wanted to object as a warning what could happen. 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). Veterans of the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda from the 1970s, and their families who lived with them on the base, face increased risks of leukemia and other harmful effects from prolonged exposures to toxic volatile organic compounds that were in the now-shuttered base's water supply at the time, a federal health agency has found. Then everything happened so fast it seems unbelievable. I have also read about the PFAS via fire retardant foam. 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. They included chemicals like MEK, PD 680, TRI CHLOROFLOIANS, ACIDS, ALODIANS, ALL KINDS OF PAINTS, SPECIAL MISSILE SKIN REPAIR KITS. Neither Michigan nor any U.S. officials have conducted a comprehensive study on the contaminants and pollutants under the base. There were 10 passengers and six crew members on board. [1] Wurtsmith Air Force Base was 2nd Lt. Nortons first, permanent duty station in the United States Air Force. 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. After a trip to the Boneyard in September 2019, hundreds of current and vintage photos are being sorted, scanned and uploaded. [5] While the 379th, Bomb Wing was stationed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base they were part of the Ready, Alert Nuclear Strike Force. Within a few days, a mere 28 Airmen established housing for over 400 personnel, replete with . The average person has around 3 or 4 parts per billion of these chemicals present in their blood. Stationed there for 84-88 and am suffering with a motor neuron disease process. She gave Kelly the rundown of the base. Theseplanes would regularly fly missions from Wurtsmith Air Force Base during thecold war. These mission were into Iraq. . Thisflight crew would spend one week in the bunker and be confined to an undiscloseddistance from the bunker. During the Pacific conflicts personnel and the KC-135Stratotankers were deployed to forward bases in the Pacific to support landoperations. This could be from hydrant flushing or a water main break. With that being said, these chemicals are going to be reaching a lot more people than just the Oscoda residents. This air field was in dire need of a gunnery range because they being forced out of their gunnery range on Lake St. Clair. Kelly mentioned she'd been thinking about getting . Hill Housing area-- Wurtsmith Elementary School, Grissom Elementary School, Wagner Middle School, . 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. These contaminants are harmful to the environment. 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 history of Oscoda Military Aviation is the same as the History of the Air Force. 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. Contaminated water still plagues lakeside community in Michigan to the proper paperwork being completed to allow the missions to continue. The 5,223-acre Wurtsmith Air Force Base (Wurtsmith AFB) is located on the northeastern part of Michigans lower peninsula. The study doesn't estimate past concentrations or exposure dosage and was released with . One of the unfortunate risks in flying is a crash. I served at Wurtsmith from 1974-1977 my whole family has suffered from various ongoing ailments. The P-47s radial engine proved remarkably resistant to battle damage and, with its heavy armament and well-armored cockpit, the Thunderbolt established a reputation as one of the most effective fighter-bombers of the war. P-6E, serial number 32-156, 17th Pursuit Squadron from Selfridge Field Michigan. Beginning in July 1944, the P-47 Thunderbolt was used extensively to train Free French Air Force pilots at Oscoda Army Air Field (AAF). It has recently been discovered that that the base has been leaking chemicals into the surrounding waterways. I saw a big splash, and then the plane went out of sight.. What's next? Now, I have been diagnosed with Stage 5 kidney failure and congestive heart disease, I am currently on dialysis awaiting a kidney transplant. If your base is not on the map or list above, this does not mean you were not exposed to PFAS chemicals from firefighting foam. . GitHub export from English Wikipedia. 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. Im slowly working my way up from 1924 to the present. Wurtsmith Air Force Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force base in northeastern Iosco County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Air Force Base was essentially a self-contained airport with all of the necessities to support a full community on Base. In 1977 the 379th Bomb Wing upgraded the B-52H fleet to B-52G, During the Gulf War B-52s from Wurtsmith Air Force Base were flown. Me and Dan drive around base and check out the bunkers that held nuclear weapons during the cold war 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. They want the site to remain a memorial divers can visit. Smoke started coming from the tail of the second plane, and I could see it was in trouble. On May 9, 1961, the base took delivery of its first new Boeing B-52 H Stratofortress, The State of Michigan. 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 A bomber squadron for example would be sent out to destroy a target and return to its home base within a week. If a banker had not taken Lt. Whitehead on a fishing trip there would not have been an Air Force Base in Oscoda Michigan. I still stay in touch with Gary but do not know if he has an e-mail account. In 1960 it became part of the Strategic Air Command . The 1st Combat Evaluation Group (initially "1CEG", later "1CEVG") was a Strategic Air Command (SAC) unit. City Picto Map, Clark Air Base / Angeles City. This includes extra parts, munitions, fuel, and flight crews. The last was delivered in December 1930. As soon as an assignment went over 180 days it was considered a permanent change in duty station. My daughter was born at the base hospital. WAFB closed in 1993 and is gradually being turned over to the Oscoda Airport Authority for reuse as an industrial park and airfield (EPA 2012). 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. Wurtsmith Air Force Base, a brief history and life on post Former Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Mich. out of Prince Abdullah AB in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Wurtsmith Air Force Base, created in 1923, played a large role in WWII. The Realignment of Griffiss Air Force Base. [6], During the Gulf War B-52s from Wurtsmith Air Force Base were flownout of Prince Abdullah AB in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Aug 24, 2021. These bases were, responsible for a housing a Ready Alert Nuclear Strike Force. Investigation determined a defective tire caused the accident. Many of drums ruptured. 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. 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). [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]. SHATTERED LIVES -- A special report.; Caring Parents, No Answers, In