These are simply the specific . The letter never said what I was objecting to, but that I was refusing to for a lawful order. [1] As soon as the wheels touched down the clock would be reset and they could be sent out on another assignment. 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. The Losinskis havent abandoned their quest to bring this long-forgotten chapter in the history of World War II to light. Traci Kroushour, an Oscoda resident until the age of 12, had her uterus removed at the age of 28 and can never have children. Investigation determined a defective tire caused the accident. 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. In 1932, Capt. [1], As new technologies and mission goals evolved with time the need for the Strategic Air Commands need for the northern tier became obsolete. Typically, brown-ish water occurs when there is large change in pressure/flow in a distribution system. How is it that these large and respected scientific organizations can continue to be ignored in the face of statistically overwhelming data and human impacts. As previously stated, there is a museum open to the public which has artifacts and information on the bases history. out of Prince Abdullah AB in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The state says, We dont have jurisdiction over that; its the Air Force, Losinski said. We thought that was kind of unbelievable.. Dover Air Force base, Delaware. 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. The result was an airplane which had a much deeper and broader fuselage than did the P-1. . Paul B. Wurtsmith Air Force Base closed in 1993, dealing a sharp blow to the economy of rural Iosco County. 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. 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. 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. 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 an ongoing project to decontaminate the area. We came across the gauge cluster, which had the radio call tag, David Losinski said. I am not a doctor or attorney, and cannot give medical advice or legal advice. Here is a list of military bases that are known to have had their drinking water contaminated with PFAS chemicals: Alameda Naval base, California. The Lackland Air Force Base Education Center is located at 1550 Wurtsmith Street, Suite 5. . According to Robert Delaney, a Michigan Department of Environmental Quality specialist, If you pull the water out of the ground in that training area, it still foams, theres so much in there. Since this entire problem stems from the fact that the foam used to extinguish fires on the base is what carried the toxic chemical, that goes to show just how invasive and problematic this contamination can be. 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. Beginning in July 1944, the P-47 Thunderbolt was used extensively to train Free French Air Force pilots at Oscoda Army Air Field (AAF). The former Wurtsmith Air Force Base (WAFB), located in Oscoda, Iosco County, MI operated from 1924 to 1993. ircraft operated from Oscoda Army Airfield. "Keeping Wurtsmith AFB and Aviation History of NE MI Alive" Opens on Armed Forces Day in May, hosts a Welcome Home. Neither Michigan nor any U.S. officials have conducted a comprehensive study on the contaminants and pollutants under the base. The Airacobra reached its peak usage in the USAAF in early 1944, with over 2100 in service. Wurtsmith Air Force Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force base in Iosco County, Michigan.It operated from 1923 until decommissioned in 1993. Our biodegradation . Prior to our IOC inspection for the SRAM we were ordered to clean out igloos full of barrels 5gal to 55gal drums,1,000s of gallons which had been ordered by mistake to start the system. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The main mission of Oscoda Army Air Field, at the time, was to defend Sault Ste. The documentary by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Sara Ganim focuses on PFAS contamination at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda, Michigan. These chemicals have been shown to cause problems with thyroid, liver, kidney, reproduction, and other health problems. [4] Enchanted Forest Web Page Design Service. [5] The B-52s did not get to travel nearly as much as the KC-135s. The Wurtsmith Air Force Base, created in 1923, played a large role in WWII. High blood serum levels of PFOA are associated with infertility, decreased semen quality, and a higher risk of thyroid disease. The human-made chemicals are in your blood, your clothes, your cosmetics. 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. There are a lot of stories to tell. 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 . This cycle was from Wednesday to Wednesday. 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. [1], The ready alert flight crews were rotated on a three week cycle. This happened a couple weeks before the IOC which is in the wing,ahistorical records on microfilm. WAFB closed in 1993 and is gradually being turned over to the Oscoda Airport Authority for reuse as an industrial park and airfield (EPA 2012). 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. 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. [1] Wurtsmith Air Force Base was 2nd Lt. Nortons firstpermanent duty station in the United States Air Force.[1]. [5] Assuming the equipment, personnel and aircraft of the 4026th Strategic, wing as it was disbanded. [THE FLINT JOURNAL VIA AP] empty, 3310 lb gross. This cycle was from Wednesday to Wednesday. After one week in the bunker on ready alert the flight crew would be relieved. The Au Sable River is an attraction for families all around Michigan. [5] While the 379th, Bomb Wing was stationed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base they were part of the Ready, Alert Nuclear Strike Force. Mr. Norton remarked that they were flying the wings off of the planes. 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. to the proper paperwork being completed to allow the missions to continue. [1] This was further broken down by marital status. Even after the base closed in 1993, the base maintained a fire staff for many years. 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. It was also possible for these missions to originate in the United States. 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. One of the unfortunate risks in flying is a crash. He saw the surrounding land and figured it would make a great place for a gunnery range. The presumptive disabilities from contaminated water at Wurtsmith AFB would lead to automatic compensation to potentially thousands of veterans. 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 379th was reassigned to Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan without personnel or equipment in January 1961, assuming the aircraft, personnel and equipment of the discontinued 4026th Strategic Wing. Wurtsmith AFB has a better paper trail showing irrefutable evidence of contamination of the base drinking water with Trichloroethelene (TCE) first discovered in 1977 as a result of a complaint from a base housing resident. The pilot apparently noticed it and tried to lift his ship. I worked on the flight line. These Air Force bases were remote. This is extremely important because harsh chemicals can negatively impact the future of children and infants as well as the elderly. [1], Over the course of Mr. Nortons career as both a KC-135 Navigator, and a DC-10 Pilot, Mr. Norton served as a flight commander, served numerous, deployments during the Gulf War escorting fighter squadrons from the United, States into theater, supporting fighter squadrons and bomber squadrons in, theater, served multiple temporary duty assignments to England, Spain, Saudi, Arabia, Alaska, and other Air Force Bases around the globe. Theseplanes would regularly fly missions from Wurtsmith Air Force Base during thecold war. 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. 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. Everyone from the mechanics keeping the planes flyable, to the cookspreparing food for the airmen stationed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, to thecommanders who ensured that everything from the flight schedules being correctto the proper paperwork being completed to allow the missions to continue. I served at Wursmith AFB from 1982 to 1989, living in base housing the entire time and drinking the water. Off Base Housing. Thisflight crew would spend one week in the bunker and be confined to an undiscloseddistance from the bunker. In 1977 the 379th Bomb Wing upgraded the B-52H fleet to B-52Gaircraft. Kelly mentioned she'd been thinking about getting . View All Homes - Homes for Rent If you are interested in any particular aircraft of time period please let me know. [1] Wurtsmith Air Force Base was 2nd Lt. Nortons first, permanent duty station in the United States Air Force. 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 unfortunately happened on October 11th, 1988 when KC-135 crashed with 6 crew members and 10 passengers on board. I like combining historical photographs with the stories behind them. Wurtsmith Air Force base (Oscoda), Michigan; PFAS Water Contamination Map . If there's a main break, sections of the base will . These planes arrived at dawn on the first day of the Gulf War. Deliveries of the first P-6s were late, the first example not appearing until October 1929. After being relieved, the flight crew had until the following Monday morning, off. The base came to be because of chance. Thanks for sending to you and Pat.
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