[1]After one week in the bunker on ready alert the flight crew would be relieved. The base is influential in Michigan, as well as the United States military history. 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 is a decommissioned United States Air Force base in Iosco County, Michigan.It operated from 1923 until decommissioned in 1993. 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. 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 is a decommissioned United States Air Force base in Iosco County, Michigan.It operated from 1923 until decommissioned in 1993. Mr. Norton experienced this first hand while being station at Wurtsmith Air Force Base when he had his Squadron Commander help him hang drywall in his house. This is a short video about the small museum located at the decommissioned Wurtsmith AFB in Oscoda Mi.http://www.rv-project.com [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]. This man later took the proposal to build a gunnery range to the people of Oscoda. 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. There were frequently extremely large and loud airplanes taxiing, taking off, and landing in the base. Why are you focusing only on chlordane and other organochlorine pesticide (OCP) contamination at the Family Housing? The aquifer overlies a thick clay layer at an average depth of 65 feet. The Losinskis havent abandoned their quest to bring this long-forgotten chapter in the history of World War II to light. China Lake Naval base, California. 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. 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. It was formed on 1 August 1961 to merge the 3908th Strategic Standardization Group for SAC aircrew evaluation with the 1st Radar Bomb Scoring Group that had originated from the 263rd Army Air Force Base Unit which transferred from 15th AF to directly under Strategic Air Command c. This is very dear to my heart and want to get involved however I can. We thought that was kind of unbelievable.. The history of Oscoda Military Aviation is the same as the History of the Air Force. 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. A Boeing KC-135A Stratotanker plane, serial 60-0317, was damaged beyond repair in a landing accident at Oscoda-Wurtsmith AFB, MI (OSC), United States of America. Typical occurrences on Wurtsmith Air Force Base included planes flying in and out on missions. purposes only, and is not legal advice. Wurtsmith Air Force Base. A Brief History of Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan, www.wurtsmithairmuseum.org/Wurtsmith_AFB/wurtsmith_afb.html. The study doesn't estimate past concentrations or exposure dosage and was released with . Timothy Marcum, 1/15/2071-73 camp lejeune nc bad water va in redding pretends they know nothing about having problems. 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. With that being said, these chemicals are going to be reaching a lot more people than just the Oscoda residents. 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. Drinking Water At Wurtsmith AFB Contaminted. 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. Heavily armed with eight wing-mounted 0.50-inch (12.7-mm) machine guns, it could carry a bomb load of as much as 2,500 pounds (1,100 kg) and could carry ten 5-inch (127-mm) rockets beneath the wings. [5] However, the B-52H aircraft maintained nuclear alert at Wurtsmith, Air Force Base. The cockpit canopy offered exceptional all-round visibility for the pilot. In a fly off against the contemporary Boeing P-12B, the P-6E was faster, but the P-12B was more maneuverable. Lt. Ennis also thought it would be a great place for young Army Air corps to test aircraft (WAFB.net). We have a lot of sick civilians and = veterans from contaminated drinking water. [5] One crew flew 29, mission out of Jeddah, setting the record for most missions flew by a bomber, crew in theater. VA counselor "don't waste your time". Its poor high-altitude performance was a result of a critical decision to remove the turbo-supercharger. The Airacobra reached its peak usage in the USAAF in early 1944, with over 2100 in service. 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. The landing gear was changed from rubber-block shock absorbers inside the fuselage to oleo-and-spring units mounted in the outer forward strut. Wurtsmith Air Force Base has been an integral part of the United States Air Force from the 1920's to June 3rd 1993. . 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. This is extremely important because harsh chemicals can negatively impact the future of children and infants as well as the elderly. U.S. If a banker had not taken Lt. Whitehead on a fishing trip there would not have been an Air Force Base in Oscoda Michigan. The M&FRC is located at 1550 Wurtsmith St . By Steve Elliott 502nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs. [1] On the first Wednesday the, fresh flight crew would relive the current flight crew in the bunkers. In fact the only time B-52s would travel was for training missions, or actually delivering ordinance to its target. In 1977 the 379th Bomb Wing upgraded the B-52H fleet to B-52Gaircraft. While the vast majority of personnel on Wurtsmith AirForce Base were not part of a flight crew rotating through ready alert, theirrespective jobs all served to ensure those planes could take off at a momentsnotice. Drew said, Dad, thats an airplane., You could see the wings. We knew we had some kind of plane.. 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. An unusual feature of the P-39 Airacobra was the automobile-type doors that had roll-down windows on each side of the cockpit. The base was put into a standby status to be there just in case something happened in those areas. Published August 24, 2021 at 4:15 PM EDT. Mr. Norton would occasionally return to fresh fish left by his neighbor on his porch. Here is a list of military bases that are known to have had their drinking water contaminated with PFAS chemicals: Alameda Naval base, California. It was the most horrible thing I have ever witnessed, she said. The average person has around 3 or 4 parts per billion of these chemicals present in their blood. Stay tuned for further developments. There is an ongoing project to decontaminate the area. History. The P-6 could climb to 10,000 feet in 6.6 min. Because of this KC-135 squadrons would routinely fly 175 day assignments and return to their home base. Wurtsmith AirForce Base was constructed with a runway layout specifically for this. Wurtsmith earned recognition during the war as the leader of the group of pilots using P-40 and P-38 fighter . [1] As soon as the wheels touched down the clock would be reset and they could be sent out on another assignment. 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. [1] I have had sever kidney problems since 1983 that carried on into my mid teens. I have had many other health issues since and have recently found all of this. 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. This cycle was from Wednesday to Wednesday. . Marie and the straights of Mackinac. The Air Force's decline to commit to Michigan's standards is among a litany of frustrations Oscoda residents say they have . U.S. Im slowly working my way up from 1924 to the present. The cockpit was fairly easy to enter and exit, but the doors had a tendency to fly open in midair at high speed if improperly secured. [1], The northern tier Strategic Air Command Ready Alert Strike Force bases were considered less than desirable duty stations for one main reason. At the time, George was a hub of F-4 Phantom fighter jets and OV-10 Bronco reconnaissance planes. At the time, it was considered a vital Air Defense Command base and was equipped and manned with interceptor aircraft capable of flying over the North Pole into the Soviet Union. Smoke started coming from the tail of the second plane, and I could see it was in trouble. 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. [5] While the 379th, Bomb Wing was stationed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base they were part of the Ready, Alert Nuclear Strike Force. This cycle was from Wednesday to Wednesday. 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. These bases were, responsible for a housing a Ready Alert Nuclear Strike Force. 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. As a young airman, assumed we were returning the stuff to supply to send to the next base. All Rights Reserved. I recall we lost a tanker on touch and goes which had to be extinguished with a massive amount of this chemical. The 5,223-acre Wurtsmith Air Force Base (Wurtsmith AFB) is located on the northeastern part of Michigans lower peninsula. 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. The aquifer overlies a thick clay layer at an average depth of 65 feet. In their letter, the members expressed their concerns that the Air Force's proposed remediation plan . The Losinskis said they want to preserve the site for people to dive on. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. . The P-6 was generally similar to the P-1 in construction and appearance. 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. On May 9, 1961, the base took delivery of its first new Boeing B-52 H Stratofortress, The State of Michigan. It had everything in it. 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. They included chemicals like MEK, PD 680, TRI CHLOROFLOIANS, ACIDS, ALODIANS, ALL KINDS OF PAINTS, SPECIAL MISSILE SKIN REPAIR KITS. 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. Weights were 2450 lb. A total 9589 Airacobras were built before production finally ended on July 25, 1944. 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. He brought this idea to the attention of his squadron commander Major Carl Spaatz. In a nutshell, this is what were trying to do get permission to relocate the parts so they would resemble a plane, David Losinski said. 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. The Au Sable River is an attraction for families all around Michigan. Located in Oscoda, Michigan this base is positioned no more than two miles off the shore of Lake Huron. The P-39 had a unique configuration with the engine placed behind the pilot and the drive shaft running under the cockpit to the propeller. Mrs. Cecil V. Fowler saw the crash, according to the Times Herald article. WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Having high amounts of this chemical directly underneath their high school could have serious long-term effects on the kids that attend school as well as the faculty. It has recently been discovered that that the base has been leaking chemicals into the surrounding waterways. This air field was in dire need of a gunnery range because they being forced out of their gunnery range on Lake St. Clair.