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. [3], [1] Dave Norton, Former United States Air Force Captain, interviewed on 23 OCT 2017, [2] Ap. 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. [1], The usefulness and mission type of the KC-135 in maintaining air superiority, as well as supporting missions originating in the United States meant that they would have longer assignments, as well as much more fluid assignments than other types of squadrons. Welcome to The WAFB Historical Site dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of Wurtsmith Air Force Base and the units assigned there. One of the unfortunate risks in flying is a crash. Mr. Norton remarked that they were flying the wings off of the planes. 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. [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. Survived stage 3 oral cancer and per medical review, origin unknown since I have never smoked. Wurtsmith Air Force Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force base in Iosco County, Michigan.It operated from 1923 until decommissioned in 1993. [5] However, the B-52H aircraft maintained nuclear alert at WurtsmithAir Force 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. This is an evolving issue with many moving parts. Today the Wurtsmith district is integral to the community's economic potential. This, flight crew would spend one week in the bunker and be confined to an undisclosed. 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. U.S. 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. As previously stated, there is a museum open to the public which has artifacts and information on the bases history. On National Vietnam War Veterans Day, we recognize the many men and women who served and fought during the difficult conflict, giving them the appreciation they deserve. Air Force Base was essentially a self-contained airport with all of the necessities to support a full community on Base. My first daughter was born there at their hospital.my ex husband now, is very sick. [5] Wurtsmith AFB, Mich SAC 379th Bomb Wing B-52, www.strategic-air-command.com/bases/Wurtsmith_AFB.htm. WAFB began operations in 1923, under the name of Camp Skeel, and was officially named the Wurtsmith Air Force Base in 1953. 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. This is extremely important because harsh chemicals can negatively impact the future of children and infants as well as the elderly. In 1942, three 5000x150 concrete runways were built. I do hope there is information on Wurtsmith AFB soon. My family lived on this base in 1983 to 1987, are we at risk? It has been discovered that the chemicals that are impacting the health of these local citizens are chemicals that come from the foam that fire fighters used to put out fires that were on the base. There are many good photos of P-39s at Selfridge Field (Posted below), but none of P-39s at Oscoda. Me and Dan drive around base and check out the bunkers that held nuclear weapons during the cold war With all of this in a single family, the V.A. With that being said, these chemicals are going to be reaching a lot more people than just the Oscoda residents. By Steve Elliott 502nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs. 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. If you are interested in any particular aircraft of time period please let me know. They want the site to remain a memorial divers can visit. Typical occurrences on Wurtsmith Air Force Base included planes flying in and out on missions. 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 married enlisted airmen who lived on base lived in a condo type set up with their family. distance from the bunker. 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. Now, I have been diagnosed with Stage 5 kidney failure and congestive heart disease, I am currently on dialysis awaiting a kidney transplant. The Air Force . These bases wereresponsible for a housing a Ready Alert Nuclear Strike Force. Within a few days, a mere 28 Airmen established housing for over 400 personnel, replete with . They included chemicals like MEK, PD 680, TRI CHLOROFLOIANS, ACIDS, ALODIANS, ALL KINDS OF PAINTS, SPECIAL MISSILE SKIN REPAIR KITS. to the proper paperwork being completed to allow the missions to continue. 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. Im slowly working my way up from 1924 to the present. As an officer Mr. Norton had to sit in on Court-Martials. 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 . 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 [5] While the 379thBomb Wing was stationed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base they were part of the ReadyAlert Nuclear Strike Force. This man later took the proposal to build a gunnery range to the people of Oscoda. The "Red Tail" P-51 Mustangs flown by the Tuskeegee Airmen []. [1] Mr. Norton, arrived fresh from navigation school as a 2nd Lieutenant at Wurtsmith Air Force, Base in the fall of 1985. I am not a doctor or attorney, and cannot give medical advice or legal advice. This cycle was from Wednesday to Wednesday. [ 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 . I have also read about the PFAS via fire retardant foam. The site of Wurtsmith Air Force Base is located 2 miles Northwest of Oscoda, Michigan, about 150 miles North of Detroit. This unfortunately happened on October 11th, 1988 when KC-135 crashed with 6 crew members and 10 passengers on board. In 1960 it became part of the Strategic Air Command . One of the unfortunate risks in flying is a crash. 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. Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Mich., served primarily as a combat crew and bomber training base throughout its 70-year history. In 1932, Capt. 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. These are simply the specific . 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. Drinking Water At Wurtsmith AFB Contaminted. I saw a big splash, and then the plane went out of sight.. After being relieved, the flight crew had until the following Monday morning, off. The airplane operated on a flight from Oscoda Wurtsmith Airport, MI to Oscoda-Wurtsmith AFB, MI (OSC). This unfortunately happened on October 11. , 1988 when KC-135 crashed with 6 crew members and 10 passengers on board. 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. 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. [1] This tight knit community was not confined to just the Air Force Base, but extended into the community as well. I worked on the flight line. Even studies on fish have been done, where it was found that PFOA is a liver carcinogen in rainbow trout. [1] This was followed by one and a half weeks of normal day to day activitiesuntil the flight crew relieved crew on ready alert in the bunkers.[1]. On June 30, , 1993 the 379th Bomb Wing was disbanded and Wurtsmith Air Force Base was closed. There were four planes, and I was watching them from our front window, as I usually do when theyre engaged in gunnery practice. [5] The B-52s did not get to travel nearly as much as the KC-135s. Most individuals are not educated on what the base did before and after World War II, what is currently happening at this . U.S. USVCP Staff Writers . There were frequently extremely large and loud airplanes taxiing, taking off, and landing in the base. Ellsworth Air Force base, South Dakota. We make no endorsements or recommendations of any VSO, attorney, law firm, claims specialists or organization working with veterans on their service-connected claim(s). We knew we had some kind of plane.. A ground-water divide cuts diagonally across the Base from northwest to sou This judgement flies in the face provided by the federal ATSDR and the National Institute of Health. [5] One crew flew 29mission out of Jeddah, setting the record for most missions flew by a bombercrew in theater. From humble beginnings in the 1920's as a aircraft gunnery range, to its status as a vital member of our strategic defense, Wurtsmith Air Force Base has distinguished itself as an important part of our country's military history. The aquifer overlies a thick clay layer at an average depth of 65 feet. City officials in Dayton, Ohio, have also found the response from the Air Force to cleanup contamination at Wright Patterson Air Force Base to be inadequate. The Air Force's decline to commit to Michigan's standards is among a litany of frustrations Oscoda residents say they have . We offer visitors three hangars full of military (all branches) and aviation history, static aircraft displays, artifacts, equipment and lots of WAFB memorabilia. They have been detected in air, water, soils, sediments, and in rain at levels that would be considered unsafe in drinking . Senators Gary Peters (MI) and Debbie Stabenow (MI) and U.S. empty, 3310 lb gross. 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. These high levels of PFOA elevate the risks of kidney cancer, mesothelioma, and diabetes. ircraft operated from Oscoda Army Airfield. 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. I still stay in touch with Gary but do not know if he has an e-mail account. The brown tint is (mostly) caused by scale build up in the pipes being knocked loose. 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 Losinskis havent abandoned their quest to bring this long-forgotten chapter in the history of World War II to light. 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 1979, the state of Michigan sued the Air Force for the contamination. I have had many other health issues since and have recently found all of this. State officials' concerns about pollution in the area date back to 2012, when the health department issued a "do not eat" advisory for all fish caught near Wurtsmith Air Force Base. One of these men were named Lt. Ennis Whitehead. All the artifacts that were taken off were replaced in their original position and original situation except for the tag we cleaned up, he said. In addition, it would facilitate the installation of nose cannon since the armament could be mounted near the centerline, minimizing the effects of recoil forces. The plane was equipped with the cannon and four .50-caliber machine guns two mounted on the wings, two more just behind the propeller and timed to fire through the spinning blades. Theyve seen lots of things underwater, but the story of the P-39 fighter lost just off the Port Huron beachfront touched them. The single enlisted airmen who lived on base were housed in barracks. ROME, N.Y. -- There was nothing small-scale about Griffiss Air Force Base in the 1990s. According to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, the private well located across the road from Oscoda High School tested about the 70 parts-per-trillion advisory level that was established for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctyl sulfonate (PFOS). [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. 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. Aug 24, 2021. The P-47 Thunderbolt fighter and fighter-bomber was used by the Allied air forces during World War II. Drew said, Dad, thats an airplane., You could see the wings. Service ceiling 27,200 feet, and range was 260 miles. These Air Force bases were remote. Wurtsmith Air Force base was one of five, northern tier bases in the Strategic Air Commands arsenal. 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. 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. During the Pacific conflicts personnel and the KC-135Stratotankers were deployed to forward bases in the Pacific to support landoperations. It has found from testing this area that some places to have over 1000 parts-per-trillion for PFOS and PFOA. Wurtsmith Air Force base was one of fivenorthern tier bases in the Strategic Air Commands arsenal. The 5,221-acre site is bounded by Van Etten Lake to the north and east . 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. Home Buyers Guide; Find a Real Estate Agent; Price: $299,000. [5] In recent years groundwater contamination has be linked to jet fuel, cleaning agents, and fire suppression agents used at Wurtsmith Air Force Base. Typical occurrences on Wurtsmith Air Force Base included planes flying in and out on missions. [5] In recent years groundwater contamination has be linked to jet fuel, cleaning agents, and fire suppression agents used at Wurtsmith Air Force Base. P-6E, serial number 32-156, 17th Pursuit Squadron from Selfridge Field Michigan. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Michigan Radio. On May 9, 1961, the base took delivery of its first new Boeing B-52 H Stratofortress, The State of Michigan. The Au Sable River is an attraction for families all around Michigan. This year, we went out diving, and we could see these points of interest from the surface, Losinski said. To all who are interested in the Camp Skeel/Oscoda AAF/Wurtsmith AFB History. 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. [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. . The Losinskis found an account of the crash in the Times Herald. By comparing the concentrations of known fluorosurfactants with the total organofluorine, less than 10% of the fluorosurfactants were identified in half of the samples. More individuals impacted by these chemicals are Cindi and Lawrence Ashbeck. All Rights Reserved. Even after the base closed in 1993, the base maintained a fire staff for many years. In fact the only time B-52s would travel was for training missions, or actually delivering ordinance to its target. Stationed there for 84-88 and am suffering with a motor neuron disease process. Veteran Compensation Programs (USVCP) (www.veteranprograms.com), and any of their associated websites is for general informational. Typically, brown-ish water occurs when there is large change in pressure/flow in a distribution system. This is very dear to my heart and want to get involved however I can. [1] This was further broken down by marital status. There is an ongoing project to decontaminate the area. 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 .
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