'We've been betrayed:' Veterans blame Air Force base water for - mlive Wurtsmith Air Force Base has been an integral part of the United States Air Force from the 1920's to June 3rd 1993. . ROME, N.Y. -- There was nothing small-scale about Griffiss Air Force Base in the 1990s. distance from the bunker. The main mission of Oscoda Army Air Field, at the time, was to defend Sault Ste. [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. Nothing contained herein should be used as a substitute for the advice of a competent Veteran Service Officer (VSO)in good standing and licensed to practice in your jurisdiction. He flew from Dayton, Ohio to Washington, D.C. at a speed of approximately 266 mph, at an altitude of 25,000 ft. Contaminated water still plagues lakeside community in Michigan The Lackland Air Force Base Education Center is located at 1550 Wurtsmith Street, Suite 5. . U.S. http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2017/04/wurtsmith_pfas_pfc_april_45_me.html. Lt. Ennis Whitehead was part of a unit at Selfridge Army Air Field. All Rights Reserved. What's next? . [1] This tight knit community was not confined to just the Air Force Base, but extended into the community as well. Veterans 'likely' drank PFAS at Wurtsmith air base Our History - Wurtsmith Air Museum The 5,223-acre Wurtsmith Air Force Base (Wurtsmith AFB) is located on the northeastern part of Michigans lower peninsula. The site of Wurtsmith Air Force Base is located 2 miles Northwest of Oscoda, Michigan, about 150 miles North of Detroit. empty, 3310 lb gross. 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. This building was like the barracks, but each officer had his own room. These bases were, responsible for a housing a Ready Alert Nuclear Strike Force. Today, the Wurtsmith Air Force Base has a museum where you can learn about its history. This weapon system used some hazardous and a lot of special chemicals to support it. 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 became a permanent installation on January 1, 1951, when the U. S. Air Force designated it as a fighter training base for the Air Defense command. Wurtsmith Air Force Base | Detailed Pedia [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. That plane actually crashed April 11, 1944, which was 70 years to the date that the picture was taken, Drew Losinski said. [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]. CLU-IN | TechDirect and Newsletters > Technology News and Trends What are PFAS, how toxic are they and how do you become exposed? In March of 1943, the Third Air Force reactivated the field for training of black aviators. The 5,223-acre Wurtsmith Air Force Base (Wurtsmith AFB) is located on the northeastern part of Michigan's lower peninsula. Neither Michigan nor any U.S. officials have conducted a comprehensive study on the contaminants and pollutants under the base. Like the former Pease Air Force Base in Portsmouth and Newington, the former Michigan base is now a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) site. I served at Wurtsmith from 1974-1977 my whole family has suffered from various ongoing ailments. PFAS & Military Bases: Here's What We Know! One example of this is autocross racing. Former military base a magnet for retirees - middletownpress.com Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda Township, Mich. U.S. Department of Defense In Oscoda, authorities tracked the contamination of Van Etten Lake to Wurtsmith Air Force Base , which closed in 1993. "It was a city within a city. 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. 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. They also were known as the Red Tails because they painted the tails of their aircraft red. There is an ongoing project to decontaminate the area. Did Wurtsmith Air Force Base cause health woes? - Detroit Free Press After a trip to the Boneyard in September 2019, hundreds of current and vintage photos are being sorted, scanned and uploaded. [1], As new technologies and mission goals evolved with time the need for the Strategic Air Commands need for the northern tier became obsolete. Veteran Compensation Programs (www.veteranprograms.com) does NOT represent or warrant, and makes no claims, promises or guarantees about, the usefulness, completeness, adequacy or accuracy of any information, posts, surveys, topics, comments, blogs or responses contained in or linked to this website, or the competency, qualifications or identity of any person providing information or making a post, survey, topic, comment, blog or response contained in or linked to this website. Service ceiling 27,200 feet, and range was 260 miles. 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. Lee N. 2023 Aspyre Media Group, LLC. History. [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. At the time, George was a hub of F-4 Phantom fighter jets and OV-10 Bronco reconnaissance planes. One of the unfortunate risks in flying is a crash. Published August 24, 2021 at 4:15 PM EDT. out of Prince Abdullah AB in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The human-made chemicals are in your blood, your clothes, your cosmetics. Wurtsmith Air Force Base - Alchetron, the free social encyclopedia The Wurtsmith base closed in 1991, sending the Harrises to Plattsburgh, N.Y., where friends and neighbors remembered the boys as Scouts and Little Leaguers, and their parents as being involved in . But these days, the county is becoming a haven for retired people such as the Kuhlmans . 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. 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 . [4] On August 1st 1958 the 4026th Strategic Wing was formed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base. 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 have also read about the PFAS via fire retardant foam. The P-47 Thunderbolt fighter and fighter-bomber was used by the Allied air forces during World War II. 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 . They raised $600 to clear the land, which at the time was plenty for this job. These levels were published by the Enviromental Protection Agency (Mlive.com). 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. U.S. Call 205.328.9200 Claim Application. The EPA began requiring public water systems to monitor for PFOA and PFOS in 2012, but even today there is no federal drinking water standards for PFOA or PFOS. The P-6 could climb to 10,000 feet in 6.6 min. 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. The result was an airplane which had a much deeper and broader fuselage than did the P-1. The Loring Air Force Base UFO Encounter - UFO Insight [1], The ready alert flight crews were rotated on a three week cycle. Oscoda PFAS Activists set the record straight on PFAS from U.S. Air They included chemicals like MEK, PD 680, TRI CHLOROFLOIANS, ACIDS, ALODIANS, ALL KINDS OF PAINTS, SPECIAL MISSILE SKIN REPAIR KITS. All kind of special chemicals that Boeing told the USAF we had to have. A new report compiled by a local group, Need Our Water (NOW) and the National Wildlife Federation . With this long list of negative effects it is clearly a big health issue for local residents. This article is from 2018.. A map of the base locations listed above can be viewed below. Mr. Norton would occasionally return to fresh fish left by his neighbor on his porch. 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. For more information regarding services offered by the Lackland Air Force Base Education Center, call 210-671-2895 or DSN 473-2895. . We have a lot of sick civilians and = veterans from contaminated drinking water. Posts and surveys made on this website are opinions or suggestions of users of this website and are not representations, opinions or suggestions of U.S. During the Gulf War these planes were run practically 24/7, landing only to swap flight crews to meet the flight crew rest requirements. to the proper paperwork being completed to allow the missions to continue. This unfortunately happened on October 11. , 1988 when KC-135 crashed with 6 crew members and 10 passengers on board. 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. Because of this KC-135 squadrons would routinely fly 175 day assignments and return to their home base. Now I see this years later. A brief history of Wurtsmith Air Force Base - WAFB The base was put into a standby status to be there just in case something happened in those areas. Two years after release I started to experience very visible loss of musculature and strength. 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. [1], As new technologies and mission goals evolved with time the need for the Strategic Air Commands need for the northern tier became obsolete. China Lake Naval base, California. Members of the Tuskegee Airmen, trained at Oscoda for several weeks and stayed on the base. USVCP Not A U.S. Government Publication. Mr. Norton remarked that they were flying the wings off of the planes. 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 . U.S. Military Once Again Pollutes Drinking Water and Won't Clean It Up It has found from testing this area that some places to have over 1000 parts-per-trillion for PFOS and PFOA. At this time, the camp was renamed and the airfield was under III Fighter Command jurisdiction. The majority of married enlisted and officers preferred to live on base because of the free daycare for children. [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. On June 30, , 1993 the 379th Bomb Wing was disbanded and Wurtsmith Air Force Base was closed. Wurtsmith earned recognition during the war as the leader of the group of pilots using P-40 and P-38 fighter . (Superstorm) Sandy came along (in October) and moved things around, David Losinski said. As long as these assignments were under 180 days they were considered Temporary Duty Assignments. A ground-water divide cuts diagonally across the Base from northwest to sou [5] While the 379th, Bomb Wing was stationed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base they were part of the Ready, Alert Nuclear Strike Force. The good speed of the P-6E was counterbalanced by some unsatisfacory handling characteristics which made it sluggish in response to controls. My ex wife has thyroid disease and auto immune disease. If you are interested in any particular aircraft of time period please let me know. There are many different ways that PFOA and PFOS can affect the human body. [3], www.nytimes.com/1988/10/12/us/six-are-killed-in-crash-of-an-air-force-tanker.html, www.wurtsmithairmuseum.org/Wurtsmith_AFB/wurtsmith_afb.html, www.strategic-air-command.com/bases/Wurtsmith_AFB.htm, www.strategic-air-command.com/wings/0379bw.htm, http://ss.sites.mtu.edu/mhugl/2015/10/11/wurtsmith-air-force-base/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wurtsmith_Air_Force_Base. 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. There is no amount of PFOA that is officially recognized as harmful. However, many studies have shown otherwise. Drinking Water At Wurtsmith AFB Contaminted. Kelly mentioned she'd been thinking about getting . These mission were into Iraq. Typical occurrences on Wurtsmith Air Force Base included planes flying in and out on missions. U.S. 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. At the start of 1985, Wurtsmith maintained an $80 million annual payroll with 3,600 military and civilian personnel. I still stay in touch with Gary but do not know if he has an e-mail account. A sand and gravel aquifer of glacial origin underlies Wurtsmith Air Force Base in northeastern lower Michigan. There are many people who were exposed to the Wurtsmith water that are now coming out and blaming the chemical filled drinking water for their health problems. 70-77 lived on base housing with family, flight line assistant supervisor. In fact the only time B-52s would travel was for training missions, or actually delivering ordinance to its target. One of these places included directly underneath the Oscoda high school. Tests in Michigan near the former Wurtsmith Air Force base have found PFOS in groundwater at levels as high as 42,000 ppt. Maximum speed was 178 mph at sea level, 171 mph at 10,000 feet. 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 Weve done quite a bit of documenting and measuring, David Losinski said. Ground-water contamination at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan - USGS [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. [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. The Arrow Street purge system, installed in 1982 to remove contaminants from the Building 43 plume, has lowered concentrations o 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. In 1955 Wurtsmith Air Force Base became an official permanent post in the United States Air Force, which meant that many new services were implemented on base. A bomber squadron for example would be sent out to destroy a target and return to its home base within a week. Aircraft upper wing, left lower wing, rudder and propeller damaged. We thought that was kind of unbelievable.. Their children developed asthma, spinal defects and thyroid problems. My first daughter was born there at their hospital.my ex husband now, is very sick. The Air Force's decline to commit to Michigan's standards is among a litany of frustrations Oscoda residents say they have . 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. [5] While the 379thBomb Wing was stationed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base they were part of the ReadyAlert Nuclear Strike Force. The museum's exhibits are extensive and incredibly high-quality -- including several aircraft that can be examined up . In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. 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. This is an evolving issue with many moving parts. During the Pacific conflicts personnel and the KC-135Stratotankers were deployed to forward bases in the Pacific to support landoperations. [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]. 2 talking about this. Wurtsmith Air Force Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force base that was closed by the 1991 Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC 2) and is a proposed EPA Superfund site. to share information regarding health issues, and probable chemical exposure via base water sources. 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 . Wurtsmith Air Museum (Oscoda) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go In their letter, the members expressed their concerns that the Air Force's proposed remediation plan . I am not a doctor or attorney, and cannot give medical advice or legal advice. The KC-135s would finish one mission and there would be another one waiting for them as soon as they were available. Fast forward to 1992, with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the US Air Force inactivated Strategic Air Command. Wurtsmith Air Force Base - Oscoda Many of drums ruptured. They are surely exposed to this chemical nearly every day, whether it be playing outside on the playground or from being exposed to the chemicals via drinking the water. 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. We came across the gauge cluster, which had the radio call tag, David Losinski said. Wurtsmith Air Force Base - Wikipedia Within a few days, a mere 28 Airmen established housing for over 400 personnel, replete with . In 1942, three 5000x150 concrete runways were built. Assessment of ground-water contamination at Wurtsmith Air Force Base 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. The gunnery range was tasked with training pilots fromSelfridge air base in the challenging maneuvers required to land a DeHavillandbiplane on the frozen lake Van Etten for the young Army Air Corps. 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. In addition, the rear fuselage was deepened in order that it could faire cleanly into the bottom of the radiator. U.S. Veteran Compensation Programs Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport - Ready to launch | Business View Magazine [1] On May 9th 1961 the first B-52 landed in Wurtsmith Air Force Basesignifying the re-designation to a Strategic Air Command Base. 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. "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. DOD Base Family Housing - Organochlorine Pesticide Contamination In 1953 it was renamed Wurtsmith Air Force Base after Michigan native, Major General Paul Wurtsmith. [THE FLINT JOURNAL VIA AP] Theseplanes would regularly fly missions from Wurtsmith Air Force Base during thecold war. Military Bases Linked to Cancer and Health Problems Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan Redevelopment Profile Aircraft was at Camp Skeel, Oscoda Michigan for Aerial Gunnery training. Typical occurrences on Wurtsmith Air Force Base included planes flying in and out on missions. purposes only, and is not legal advice. 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. Bert E. Skeel was a WWI pilot who died in an air race in Ohio. 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. wurtsmith air force base - PICRYL View All Homes - Homes for Rent Off Base Housing. After being relieved, the flight crew had until the following Monday morningoff. [1] Mr. Norton also landed. The former Wurtsmith Air Force Base (WAFB), located in Oscoda, Iosco County, MI operated from 1924 to 1993. These organizations primarily fall into seven types of activities: aviation, manufacturing, technology, medical, housing, education, community services and technology.
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