It has found from testing this area that some places to have over 1000 parts-per-trillion for PFOS and PFOA. 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. Mr. Norton would occasionally return to fresh fish left by his neighbor on his porch. "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. The main mission of Oscoda Army Air Field, at the time, was to defend Sault Ste. The "Red Tail" P-51 Mustangs flown by the Tuskeegee Airmen []. This, flight crew would spend one week in the bunker and be confined to an undisclosed. A total 9589 Airacobras were built before production finally ended on July 25, 1944. The ROAM system ensures that aircraft are serviced . 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. They resumed the investigation last spring. 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. We thought that was kind of unbelievable.. This is heinous, and my heart goes out to so many. 2 talking about this. 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. He said the wreckage from the plane is scattered across the lake bottom. A new report compiled by a local group, Need Our Water (NOW) and the National Wildlife Federation . [5] However, the B-52H aircraft maintained nuclear alert at Wurtsmith, Air Force Base. Then everything happened so fast it seems unbelievable. Stay tuned for further developments. To gain a measure of the extremely high levels of contaminated drinking water, according to the ATSDR, TCE levels in a well at the corner of Arrow Street and N. Skeel Avenue were as high as 5,173 parts-per-billion (ppb) during 1977, 1978, & 1979 tests, which is more than 1,000 times the EPA's current limit of 5-ppb for TCE in drinking water. 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 . Theyve seen lots of things underwater, but the story of the P-39 fighter lost just off the Port Huron beachfront touched them. Wurtsmith Today The former Wurtsmith Air Force Base (AFB) properties are being reutilized by 28 businesses and agencies that collectively employ more than 1,660 workers (representing 240 percent of civilian jobs lost). After being relieved, the flight crew had until the following Monday morning, off. Theseplanes would regularly fly missions from Wurtsmith Air Force Base during thecold war. WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. 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. I still stay in touch with Gary but do not know if he has an e-mail account. If you are interested in any particular aircraft of time period please let me know. https://www.oscairport.com/index.php/available-properties/, https://www.oscairport.com/index.php/development-site/, https://www.afhistory.org/wp-content/uploads/APH-Winter2016.pdf, http://www.armytimes.com/story/news/2014/07/30/divers-find-wreckage-of-world-war-ii-era-plane/13354373/, https://wurtsmithairmuseum.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Air-Refueling-Squadron-_-Real-People-_-George-Schlatter720p.mp4. I have had sever kidney problems since 1983 that carried on into my mid teens. It was renamed Camp Skeel in 1924, for the World War I Pilot Captain Burt E. Skeel, and was used as an aerial gunnery range and for winter maneuvers 1924 through 1944 by the 1st Pursuit . Maximum speed was 178 mph at sea level, 171 mph at 10,000 feet. Our biodegradation . [1] This would result in a large amount of paperwork and extra expenses for the Air Force. The former Wurtsmith Air Force Base (WAFB), located in Oscoda, Iosco County, MI operated from 1924 to 1993. 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. 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. Typical occurrences on Wurtsmith Air Force Base included planes flying in and out on missions. VA counselor "don't waste your time". 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. 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. Over the course of Mr. Nortons career as both a KC-135 Navigatorand a DC-10 Pilot, Mr. Norton served as a flight commander, served numerousdeployments during the Gulf War escorting fighter squadrons from the UnitedStates into theater, supporting fighter squadrons and bomber squadrons intheater, served multiple temporary duty assignments to England, Spain, SaudiArabia, Alaska, and other Air Force Bases around the globe. The B-52 is being serviced under the Strategic Air Command Recovery Oriented Aircraft Maintenance (ROAM) system. The married enlisted airmen who lived on base lived in a condo type set up with their family. [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. 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 There were frequently extremely large and loud airplanes taxiing, taking off, and landing in the base. Published August 24, 2021 at 4:15 PM EDT. Lt. Ennis Whitehead was part of a unit at Selfridge Army Air Field. . Because of this KC-135 squadrons would routinely fly 175 day assignments and return to their home base. 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. When the Gulf War started in 1990, the 379, Bomber Wing sent B-52s as well as their accompanying KC-135s into the Middle East. Two years after release I started to experience very visible loss of musculature and strength. As seenin the picture of the runways, there is a Christmas tree coming off of thebeginning of the runway with a building next to it. The letter never said what I was objecting to, but that I was refusing to for a lawful order. Welcome to The WAFB Historical Site dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of Wurtsmith Air Force Base and the units assigned there. There is no amount of PFOA that is officially recognized as harmful. However, many studies have shown otherwise. [5] However, the B-52H aircraft maintained nuclear alert at WurtsmithAir Force Base. 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. The Wurtsmith Air Force Base, created in 1923, played a large role in WWII. Chanute Air Force base, Illinois. With this long list of negative effects it is clearly a big health issue for local residents. We didnt know really what we had.. 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 . Smoke started coming from the tail of the second plane, and I could see it was in trouble. 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. There were frequently extremely large and loud airplanes taxiing, taking off, and landing in the base. 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. During World War II, P-47 fighters were assigned to Oscoda. View All Homes - Homes for Rent [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. [5] The 379th flew with a Triangle K tail flash to continue thetradition from their World War II counterparts. out of Prince Abdullah AB in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. I saw a big splash, and then the plane went out of sight.. This is a very big issue for the people of Oscoda and the surrounding areas for obvious reasons. Military History of the Upper Great Lakes, Over the 50 years of operation Wurtsmith Air Force Base had many, different missions. 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. I have had many other health issues since and have recently found all of this. Drinking Water At Wurtsmith AFB Contaminted. I am pretty sure Diabetes and Sleep Apnea I have now and neuro dammage in both arms are related , So Presumptive Claims puzzleing I have a claim in and never heard anything I know Senator Kilddee of Michigan is trying to help veterans on this matter but congress are dragging this out. The aquifer overlies a thick clay layer at an average depth of 65 feet. [5] Wurtsmith AFB, Mich SAC 379th Bomb Wing B-52, www.strategic-air-command.com/bases/Wurtsmith_AFB.htm. By comparing the concentrations of known fluorosurfactants with the total organofluorine, less than 10% of the fluorosurfactants were identified in half of the samples. There were four planes, and I was watching them from our front window, as I usually do when theyre engaged in gunnery practice. It is primarily a large jet airplane salvage, jet engine maintenance and light general aviation . Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. Most Air Corps/Force types used Oscoda at one time or another. On May 9, 1961, the base took delivery of its first new Boeing B-52 H Stratofortress, The State of Michigan. 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. These high levels of PFOA elevate the risks of kidney cancer, mesothelioma, and diabetes. One of these men were named Lt. Ennis Whitehead. Wurtsmith AirForce Base was constructed with a runway layout specifically for this. 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. "It was a city within a city. He brought this idea to the attention of his squadron commander Major Carl Spaatz. [1] This includes on base housing, a daycare center for children, a doctor's office, a . Even studies on fish have been done, where it was found that PFOA is a liver carcinogen in rainbow trout. It is one of the most famous bases located in our state. .. did this bill die in the committee s? GitHub export from English Wikipedia. These mission were into Iraq. The Wurtsmith Air Museum is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, dedicated to preserving the history of Wurtsmith Air Force Base and aviation in Northeastern Michigan. Because of the restriction of being close to the Christmas tree they, resorted to playing cards, working out, reading, and sleeping while they were, not conducting recurrent training to stay up to date and proficient on their, equipment. [1] The KC-135s had many more opportunities to travel because they would fly in support of any craft capable of refueling in flight. We came across the gauge cluster, which had the radio call tag, David Losinski said. Deliveries of the first P-6s were late, the first example not appearing until October 1929. Because of the economic impact of Wurtsmith Air Force Base the community was generally supportive of the airmen, and the base itself. 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. The pilot apparently noticed it and tried to lift his ship. It is perhaps the best-known of all the between wars Army pursuits. To all who are interested in the Camp Skeel/Oscoda AAF/Wurtsmith AFB History. The Air Force knew that due to the method used to apply the pesticide, the building design flaw, that a completed exposure pathway (CEP) existed at a large percentage of its tenantable/habitual . 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. [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. 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. 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. It remained named Camp Skeel until 1942 when it was renamed Oscoda Army Air Field (WAFB.net). These levels were published by the Enviromental Protection Agency (Mlive.com). They were stationed at the air base from 1986 to 1993. Anyone know the status on this? 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. Pieces include the engine, the tail, part of the door and the 37-millimeter cannon that fired through the propeller hub. 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. Poison Spring: The Secret History of Pollution and the EPA. Today the Wurtsmith district is integral to the community's economic potential. Over the 50 years of operation Wurtsmith Air Force Base had manydifferent missions. Marie and the straights of Mackinac. The Au Sable River is an attraction for families all around Michigan. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The Arrow Street purge system, installed in 1982 to remove contaminants from the Building 43 plume, has lowered concentrations o 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 . distance from the bunker. [ 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 . Mrs. Cecil V. Fowler saw the crash, according to the Times Herald article. But these days, the county is becoming a haven for retired people such as the Kuhlmans . I have also read about the PFAS via fire retardant foam. Ellsworth Air Force base, South Dakota. [1] The KC-135s had many more opportunities to travel because they would fly in support of any craft capable of refueling in flight. [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. [THE FLINT JOURNAL VIA AP] 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. Located in Oscoda, Michigan this base is positioned no more than two miles off the shore of Lake Huron. I worked on the flight line. 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. [5] The 379th flew with a Triangle K tail flash to continue the, tradition from their World War II counterparts. 1942 -- Camp Skeel is renamed Oscoda Army Air Field and becomes a P-47 fighter base. 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. There are many different ways that PFOA and PFOS can affect the human body.