I worked on the flight line. Wurtsmith Air Force Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force base in northeastern Iosco County in the U.S. state of Michigan.
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. During World War II, P-47 fighters were assigned to Oscoda.
Veterans 'likely' drank PFAS at Wurtsmith air base It has found from testing this area that some places to have over 1000 parts-per-trillion for PFOS and PFOA. As long as these assignments were under 180 days they were considered Temporary Duty Assignments.
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Feds: Wurtsmith veterans could get cancer, other health problems from [5] However, the B-52H aircraft maintained nuclear alert at Wurtsmith, Air Force 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. At the time, George was a hub of F-4 Phantom fighter jets and OV-10 Bronco reconnaissance planes. 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).
PFAS & Military Bases: Here's What We Know! At one point, they had to use these toxic foam chemicals to put out a fire at the Oscoda High School in 1995. Only afterthe plains were airborne would the crew be notified if it was a drill or not. The ROAM system ensures that aircraft are serviced . The cockpit canopy offered exceptional all-round visibility for the pilot. The single enlisted airmen who lived on base were housed in barracks. A total 9589 Airacobras were built before production finally ended on July 25, 1944. We knew we had some kind of plane.. The Arrow Street purge system, installed in 1982 to remove contaminants from the Building 43 plume, has lowered concentrations o 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. Weve done quite a bit of documenting and measuring, David Losinski said. [4] Its mission was tomaintain half of the fleet on a 15 minute alert, meaning the plane could be inthe air in 15 minutes, to reduce vulnerability to a Soviet preemptive missilestrike. 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. In July 2018 the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), set the table for Congress to consider legislation that would force the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to extend health benefits to base veterans without making them prove their illnesses are linked to chemical exposure.
Peters, Stabenow, Kildee, Slotkin Press | Senator Gary Peters These planes arrived at dawn on the first day of the Gulf War. The P-47 Thunderbolt fighter and fighter-bomber was used by the Allied air forces during World War II. Some areas of the site are still under investigation. In fact the only time B-52s would travel was for training missions, or actually delivering ordinance to its target. 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. Over the 50 years of operation Wurtsmith Air Force Base had manydifferent missions. [1] As tensions increased around the world and the likelihood of an actual mission being flown while on ready alert increased, the weekbecame more stressful. 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. 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. The state says, We dont have jurisdiction over that; its the Air Force, Losinski said. 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. From: Members of the ground crew move a maintenance cart into position next to a B-52 Stratofortress aircraft parked on the flight line. The last was delivered in December 1930. There were frequently extremely large and loud airplanes taxiing, taking off, and landing in the base. The military has not begun cleanups at any of the 50 Department of Defense sites Congress has identified as highly contaminated with the "forever chemicals" known as PFAS - and it could be years before cleanups are complete. In a fly off against the contemporary Boeing P-12B, the P-6E was faster, but the P-12B was more maneuverable. [1] As tensions increased around the world and the likelihood of an actual mission being flown while on ready alert increased, the week, The typical activities while not on ready alert varied greatly, from person to person. These planes arrived at dawn on the first day of the Gulf War. 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. This would cause some big problems for the fish and other life that lives beneath the surface. We didnt know really what we had.. Continued study of ground-water contamination at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan, defined the movement and distribution of volatile organic compounds in the glacial sand and gravel aquifer at known sites of contamination, and has defined new plumes at two other sites. During the Pacific conflicts personnel and the KC-135Stratotankers were deployed to forward bases in the Pacific to support landoperations. 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.
Air Force - DOD Base Family Housing Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. 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. 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. 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. There is a lot of open runways still today that can be rented out for a multitude of events. Photos of P-47s flown by French Pilots at Oscoda. In 1932, Capt. The Au Sable River is an attraction for families all around Michigan. 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. While the vast majority of personnel on Wurtsmith Air, Force Base were not part of a flight crew rotating through ready alert, their, respective jobs all served to ensure those planes could take off at a moments, notice. [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.
Ground-water contamination at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan - USGS The Wurtsmith Air Force Base, created in 1923, played a large role in WWII. He brought this idea to the attention of his squadron commander Major Carl Spaatz. During the Cold War, the base became part of Strategic Air Command. Fast forward to 1992, with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the US Air Force inactivated Strategic Air Command. The Lackland Air Force Base Education Center is located at 1550 Wurtsmith Street, Suite 5. . Veteran Compensation Programs. Even after the base closed in 1993, the base maintained a fire staff for many years. 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. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Wurtsmith Air, Force Base was constructed with a runway layout specifically for this. 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). This year, we went out diving, and we could see these points of interest from the surface, Losinski said. Veteran Compensation Programs (www.veteranprograms.com) does not monitor, pre-screen or moderate posts, surveys, topics, comments, blogs or responses.
Wurtsmith Air Force Base, MI - DOD Base Family Housing Maximum speed was 178 mph at sea level, 171 mph at 10,000 feet. It is one of the most famous bases located in our state. I lived in base housing, I want to say 8607H Ohio from 82-84. The P-6E was quite a good-looking airplane, and became the most famous of the Hawk line of biplane fighters. Survived stage 3 oral cancer and per medical review, origin unknown since I have never smoked. The Realignment of Griffiss Air Force Base. The former Wurtsmith Air Force Base (WAFB), located in Oscoda, Iosco County, MI operated from 1924 to 1993. Wurtsmith earned recognition during the war as the leader of the group of pilots using P-40 and P-38 fighter . [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. The 5,223-acre Wurtsmith Air Force Base (Wurtsmith AFB) is located on the northeastern part of Michigans lower peninsula. OSCODA, Mich. - Oscoda residents and PFAS activists today held a press conference on the shores of Van Etten Lake to set the record straight on the Air Force's contamination of their community from the former Wurtsmith Air . P-6E, serial number 32-156, 17th Pursuit Squadron from Selfridge Field Michigan. After one week in the bunker on ready alert the flight crew would be relieved. Wurtsmith Air Force base was one of fivenorthern tier bases in the Strategic Air Commands arsenal. Senators Gary Peters (MI) and Debbie Stabenow (MI) and U.S. That plane actually crashed April 11, 1944, which was 70 years to the date that the picture was taken, Drew Losinski said. 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 . He flew from Dayton, Ohio to Washington, D.C. at a speed of approximately 266 mph, at an altitude of 25,000 ft. I was stationed there 1988-1992. Typical occurrences on Wurtsmith Air Force Base included planes flying in and out on missions. Why are you focusing only on chlordane and other organochlorine pesticide (OCP) contamination at the Family Housing? [1] On May 9th 1961 the first B-52 landed in Wurtsmith Air Force Base, signifying the re-designation to a Strategic Air Command Base. 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. [1], The northern tier Strategic Air Command Ready Alert Strike Force bases were considered less than desirable duty stations for one main reason. [5] One crew flew 29mission out of Jeddah, setting the record for most missions flew by a bombercrew in theater. It is primarily a large jet airplane salvage, jet engine maintenance and light general aviation . "It was a city within a city. A bomber squadron for example would be sent out to destroy a target and return to its home base within a week. 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. Aircraft upper wing, left lower wing, rudder and propeller damaged. 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. [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. Weights were 2450 lb. 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. 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.
Wurtsmith airforce base bomb bunkers - YouTube 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. 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.
Environmental groups issue report, 'setting the record straight' about 1942 -- Camp Skeel is renamed Oscoda Army Air Field and becomes a P-47 fighter base. 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. The base came to be because of chance. 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. The Strategic Air Command activated a wing there on August 1, 1958.
Military challenging states on $2 billion chemical liability - Unwell Water 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. In their letter, the members expressed their concerns that the Air Force's proposed remediation plan .
What are PFAS, how toxic are they and how do you become exposed? . distance from the bunker. Within a few days, a mere 28 Airmen established housing for over 400 personnel, replete with . This unfortunately happened on October 11. , 1988 when KC-135 crashed with 6 crew members and 10 passengers on board. [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. The aquifer overlies a thick clay layer at an average depth of 65 feet. Poison Spring: The Secret History of Pollution and the EPA. 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). (Superstorm) Sandy came along (in October) and moved things around, David Losinski said. 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 . These contaminants are harmful to the environment. Home Buyers Guide; Find a Real Estate Agent; Price: $299,000. 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. During the Gulf War these planes were run practically 24/7, landing only to swap flight crews to meet the flight crew rest requirements. Our biodegradation . 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. Mr. Norton remarked that they were flying the wings off of the planes. The single officers who lived on base lived in a dorm type building. These high levels of PFOA elevate the risks of kidney cancer, mesothelioma, and diabetes.
Wafb.net They have been detected in air, water, soils, sediments, and in rain at levels that would be considered unsafe in drinking . It still haunts me today that we had to do that and were told to just follow orders. out of Prince Abdullah AB in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The airplane operated on a flight from Oscoda Wurtsmith Airport, MI to Oscoda-Wurtsmith AFB, MI (OSC). Wurtsmith AirForce Base was constructed with a runway layout specifically for this. In 1977 the 379th Bomb Wing upgraded the B-52H fleet to B-52Gaircraft.
Contaminated water still plagues lakeside community in Michigan [4] On August 1st 1958 the 4026th Strategic Wing was formed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base. Wurtsmith got its start in 1923 as Loud-Reames Aviation Field, a soft-surface landing site for Arm Air Corps aircraft from Selfridge Field. 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. 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. The base is influential in Michigan, as well as the United States military history. 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. The KC-135s would finish one mission and there would be another one waiting for them as soon as they were available. Tests in Michigan near the former Wurtsmith Air Force base have found PFOS in groundwater at levels as high as 42,000 ppt. 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. My first daughter was born there at their hospital.my ex husband now, is very sick. The human-made chemicals are in your blood, your clothes, your cosmetics. 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. to the proper paperwork being completed to allow the missions to continue. At least thirty French piloted P-47 aircraft accidents were reported at Oscoda AAF during the time period 1944-1945 and resulted in at least four pilots killed. Aircraft rolled 630 feet before nosing over. 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.
Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport - Wikipedia I saw a big splash, and then the plane went out of sight.. This resulted in KC-135 squadrons spending a greater amount of time on temporary duty assignments than other squadrons from Wurtsmith Air Force Base. [1] This includes on base housing, a daycare center for children, a doctors office, a fully equipped gym, and a store where basic necessities were available, military police, office space, and everything necessary to ensure the planes are fully functioning and ready to fly missions. USVCP Not A U.S. Government Publication. The presumptive disabilities from contaminated water at Wurtsmith AFB would lead to automatic compensation to potentially thousands of veterans. The majority of married enlisted and officers preferred to live on base because of the free daycare for children. The Wurtsmith Air Force Base, created in 1923, played a large role in WWII. [2] The flight crashed at 2:20PM while returning from K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base in the Upper Peninsula. Lt. Ennis also thought it would be a great place for young Army Air corps to test aircraft (WAFB.net). Michigan Radio. 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. This, flight crew would spend one week in the bunker and be confined to an undisclosed. More individuals impacted by these chemicals are Cindi and Lawrence Ashbeck. I was shocked when we drove to a wooded area not far from bomber alert pad and WSA up the road of the k9 area where a bull dozed had dug a large trench and we were ordered to dump the shit. The B-52 is being serviced under the Strategic Air Command Recovery Oriented Aircraft Maintenance (ROAM) system. Facebook: Wurtsmith AFB Water Health Issues via water Created to serve as a reference point for former WAFB residents to share information regarding health issues, and probable chemical exposure via base water sources. Because of the economic impact of Wurtsmith Air Force Base the community was generally supportive of the airmen, and the base itself.
Lackland AFB, TX | Educational Services High blood serum levels of PFOA are associated with infertility, decreased semen quality, and a higher risk of thyroid disease. Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Mich., served primarily as a combat crew and bomber training base throughout its 70-year history. [1] This would result in a large amount of paperwork and extra expenses for the Air Force. Pieces include the engine, the tail, part of the door and the 37-millimeter cannon that fired through the propeller hub. The pilot apparently noticed it and tried to lift his ship. 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. This is a very big issue for the people of Oscoda and the surrounding areas for obvious reasons. The M&FRC is located at 1550 Wurtsmith St .
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. My mom was recently diagnosed a month ago with colon cancer and skin cancer and still being treated by a dr, my broth had sever ulcers his entire early childhood. [6] The 379th Bomb Wing wasdisbanded on June 30th 1993.
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