This artwork was created by worldclass artists to honor military units. May 11, 2011 honorable mention for displaying maximum effort a utilizing every possible resource to provide quality service despite its limited size and budget. The 63rd fighter interceptor squadron used f86as in 1951, received f86fs in late 1952, f86ds in may 1954, and then switched to f89ds in the spring of 1955. The planes arrived at dawn on the first day of the air war. Book is in rough condition outside, but complete, there is no student writing and no torn or missing pages, some soled and some with light water damage. Air force installation in marquette county, michigan, south of the city of marquette. This is a overview picture of the oscoda wurthsmith air force base this is. The gift shop contains aviation related books, posters, models, and many other souvenirs. Double jeopardy exposed at kadena and wurtsmith civilian. Many of my childhood friends lived on base and so did my aunt, who married a military man military women military life oscoda michigan strategic air command lake huron air force bases great lakes mother earth places ive been. In addition to its sugar sand lake huron beaches, this community also boasts about a variety of nearby inland lakes, rivers, streams and recreation trail systems. Ufo chased by kc5 tanker wurtsmith afb, michigan 30 october 1975. Michael bussey was stationed at wurtsmith air force base from 1989 to 1992 and worked on the flight line as a senior airman.
The major command responsible for mather air force base until base closure was the air training command based at randolph afb in texas. The wing moved from homestead afb to wurtsmith air force base in mich. Wurtsmith air force base is in losco couijity in northeastern lower michigan. Elementary school, wurtsmith air force base, oscoda, mi 4928x3264 strategic air command air force bases elementary schools places ive been michigan world life travel the world post with 330 views. Wurtsmith air force base, 15 february 1953 30 june 1993. The original artwork is the interpretation of the artist through opensource information and may not necessarily reflect the views of the orgs they depict. Not only is the base named after a great figure in the history of the usaf, but many of the leaders of todays air force proudly boast of accomplishments achieved during tours at wurtsmith afb. A kc5 stratotanker used to refuel other planes went down at 2. Indian artifacts, commercial fishing, shipping, ship wrecks, logging, paul bunyan legend, railroads, lighthouses, the ausable river and its dams, the fire of 1911, wurtsmith air force base, etc. Huron shores genealogical society iosco county michigan.
There is a lot of open runways still today that can be rented out for a multitude of events. Since its establishment in 1923, wurtsmith played an important role in world war ii, vietnam and the persian gulf war, hosting the 4th army air force base fighter unit. Amounts shown in italicized text are for items listed in currency other than u. Wurtsmith air force base, 1975 wurtsmith afb, scene of an intrusion by an unknown object, or objects, in 1975 during october and november of 1975, another extraordinary series of air space violations took place, this time across the length of the u. Wurtsmith air force base served primarily as a combat crew and bomber training base throughout its 70year history.
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. Wurtsmith air force base, michigan, served primarily as a combat crew and bomber training base from 1923 through its closure in june 1993 under base realignment and closure legislation. On the overcast foggy morning of 15 december 1992, the last b52, 576492, old crow express, was flown to davismonthan air force base. Wurtsmith air force base, michigan alumni public group. Visiting wurtsmith air museum, wurtsmith afb, michigan. Wurtsmith is a strategic air command base located three miles northwest of oscoda. I am a member of the wurtsmith air museum but traveled from virginia this summer to spend time in the museum. This is a short video about the small museum located at the decommissioned wurtsmith afb in oscoda mi. Feds to reopen 16yearold report on wurtsmith air force base. Events mark 25th anniversary of wurtsmith air force base. Wurtsmith afb was deemed one of the unnecessary military bases around the united states. Survivors mark 40th anniversary of air force kc5 crash.
Oscoda wurtsmith airport is located within the town of oscoda which is situated between the shoreline of lake huron and the huron national forest. Wurtsmith was closed in 1993 and was proposed as a superfund site in 1994. Welcome to wurtsmith air museums online store shopping cart help if you are having troubles updating products or editing your cart, feel free to email the giftshop for assistance. The site of wurtsmith air force base is located 2 miles northwest of oscoda, michigan, about 150 miles north of detroit. For information regarding sac base site selection standards, etc, see base introduction. Wurtsmith air force base military history of the upper. Whitehead, commander of the fifth and far eastern air forces during and after world war ii. The primary coordinates for wurtsmith air force base historical places it within the mi 48750 zip code delivery area. Jul 08, 2017 wurtsmith afbs contamination is well documented and was acquired frrom documents readily available on the internet and through foia requests to the epafollowing up on pieces of information gleaned from internet searches.
Huron shores genealogical society iosco county michigan april 30 2004 3 wurtsmith afb officers wives garden club scrapbooks. The host wing at mather afb was the 323rd flying training wing, which trained air force, navy and marine corps personnel for the u. Occurrence and persistence of perfluorooctanesulfonate and other. No defense explores pfas pollution on the former wurtsmith air. I was actually doing research for a book about drinking water in. Wurtsmith afb, mi, was slated for closure under brac 91, having determined that the country did not need the number of bases which they were supporting due to new weapons development and longrange satellite surveillance, with a closure date of 30 june 1993. Women in aviation history and wurtsmith afb history are displayed. Wurtsmith air force base, michigan alumni has 2,673 members. Groundwater contamination at wurtsmith air force base, michigan. This section contains a web page for each air base used by the strategic air command. A group of survivors of a plane crash that killed 15 military personnel in michigan gathered at the site with loved ones to mark the 40th anniversary of the tragedy monday. Welcome to the wafb historical site dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of wurtsmith air force base and the units assigned there. The event was marked with a music festival, special reunions around oscoda for wurtsmith veterans, as well as living history reenactments on base.
It serves as the home base for the 40th air division and the 379th bomb wing. Twenter abstract continued study of groundwater contamination at wurtsmith air force base, michigan, defined the movement and distribution of volatile organic. The wurtsmith air force base a very important air force base in michigan during second world war. Wurtsmith air force base, mi dod base family housing. At the height of the cold war, the base was home to b52s and nuclear bombs. This meant that wurtsmith air force base was essentially a selfcontained airport with all of the necessities to support a full community on base. The air force historical research agency is the repository for air force historical documents. Six are killed in crash of an air force tanker the new. Wurtsmith air force base is a decommissioned united states air force base in northeastern iosco county in the u. Wurtsmith afb oscoda michigan, oscoda, strategic air command. Since its establishment in 1923, wurtsmith played an important role in world war ii, vietnam and the persian gulf war, hosting the 4th army air force base fighter unit and 379th bombardment wing respectively. Wurtsmith air force base is a decommissioned united states air force base in iosco county. It was renamed camp skeel in 1924, for world war i pilot captain burt e.
Lindbergh, left, is seen at camp skeel the future wurtsmith air force base in oscoda, michigan. From humble beginnings in the 1920s 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. This group is a way for anyone who was stationed at wurtsmith air force base, oscoda. Wurtsmith air museum oscoda township destination oscoda. The air force and norad data provided detailed accounts of sightings of unexplained objects from loring air force base in maine, wurtsmith afb in michigan and. History wurtsmith air force base, michigan, served primarily as a combat crew and bomber training base throughout its 70year history. Wurtsmith air force base military history of the upper great lakes. This yearbook covers all grades kindergarten to high school. Wurtsmith afb officers wives newsletter, the warbler. When i was stationed there in the 1980s wurtsmith was an elementary school.
The oscoda wurtsmith airport has been identified as a top candidate for a project that would bring horizontal space launch sites to michigan. Now, little is left but empty airfields and crumbling buildings. Michigan officials target oscodawurtsmith airport as. Postkarte carte postale flugzeuge militaria wurtsmith air force base b52h stratofortress and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
Ellis is vice commander of 9th air force, tactical air command, with headquarters at shaw air force base, s. The agencys collection, begun in washington, dc, during world war ii, moved in 1949 to maxwell air force base, the site of air university, to provide research facilities for professional military. Surface observation climatic summaries socs provide statistical climatic summaries of surface weather observations taken and recorded at specified usaf, civilian and foreign observing stations. 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. Military bases contamination will affect water for. Sac units were often assigned to other bases and these are also listed. Sep 28, 2017 at the wurtsmith air force base in northern michigan, the water contamination has persisted for nearly half a century. Wurtsmith air museum oscoda 2020 all you need to know. The old crow express, the final b52g to leave wurtsmith air force base in 1992 photo courtesy of martyn swan.
Wurtsmithbased b52gs were deployed to the 1708th bombardment wing provisional, king abdul aziz air base, jeddah, saudi arabia 5 aircraft and the 801st bombardment wing provisional, 8 aircraft. The air force historical research agency, maxwell afb, alabama, is the. Sawyer air force base in michigans upper peninsula, said staff sgt. In buzzing the flight line, the ufos provoked a chase by a kc5 orbital command post modified tanker out over lake huron, at which point the unknowns got low to the water and doused their glowing lights. The 5,223acre wurtsmith air force base wurtsmith afb is located on the northeastern part of michigans lower peninsula. The air force is committed to transparency and working with michigan regulators and community stakeholders to protect human health and. The 379th bomb wing at wurtsmith afb, mi receives sacs first b52h number 600001, shown here later at barksdale afb. Wurtsmith air force base historical is a historical feature military in iosco county. Veterans who drank poison in oscoda are getting a second. Three hangars of aviation, military, and wurtsmith air force base history include donated.
Oct 12, 1988 an air force tanker plane crashed this afternoon at wurtsmith air force base, killing 6 people and injuring 10 others. The contamination had come from wurtsmith air force base, a b52 bomber base that operated in oscoda until its closing 1993 and where. Wurtsmith afb and its contamination military history of the. The former base includes 4,626 acres 1,872 ha located approximately two miles west of lake huron in the charter township of oscoda, bordered by van ettan lake, the au sable state forest. Pfas response former wurtsmith air force base, iosco county. Wurtsmith afb and the 379th bw were my first assignment after tech school as a nuclear weapon spec i arrived just in time to help prep the wing for our massive tdy to anderson afb, guam for operation linebacker ii. The agencys collection, begun in washington, dc, during world war ii, moved in 1949 to maxwell air force base, the site of air university, to provide research facilities for professional military education students, the faculty, visiting scholars, and the general public. As previously stated, there is a museum open to the public which has artifacts and information on the bases history. On may 9th 1961 the first b52 landed in wurtsmith air force base signifying the redesignation to a strategic air command base. Twelve government documents that take ufos seriously. This report was developed as one of a number of background studies for use by the united states air force in preparing final environmental impact statements on. Clark air base philippines wurtsmith high school yearbook. A department of defense dependents high school, that was located at the old clark air force base luzon, philippnes. General wurtsmith returned to selfridge field and on sept.
The wurtsmith air museum is an allvolunteer, 501c3 nonprofit organization, dedicated to preserving the history of wurtsmith air force base and aviation in. Paul bernard wurtsmith 9 august 1906 september 1946 was a united states army air forces general during world war ii. Renamed oscoda army air field and containing 3 hardsurface concrete runways, during world war ii this base was an airfield for training black aviators and free french air force pilots. The county airport, sawyer international, now occupies a portion of the base and has scheduled airline flights and some general aviation. Wurtsmith afb, located 2 miles west of oscoda, michigan, had its beginning in 1923 as a landing area for army airplanes from selfridge field near detroit. In addition, many displays commemorate the wars and conflicts of the past hundred years in the museum. Wurtsmith got its start in 1923 as loudreames aviation field, a softsurface landing site for army air corps aircraft from selfridge field. Wurtsmith air force base project gutenberg selfpublishing. Wurtsmith air force base is a decommissioned united states air force base in iosco county, michigan. Skeel, and was used as an aerial gunnery range and for winter maneuvers 1924 through 1944 by the 1st pursuit group at selfridge army air base near detroit.
In 2012, the michigan department of health and human services mdhhs issued a do not eat fish advisory for all fish caught from clarks marsh and for resident fish in the lower au sable river, south of the former wurtsmith air force base. Wurtsmith air force base, a brief history and life on post. Since its establishment in 1923, wurtsmith played an important role in world war ii, vietnam and the persian gulf war, hosting the 4th army air force base fighter unit and 379th. It operated from 1923 until decommissioned in 1993.
Wurtsmith air force base, michigan alumni public group facebook. We dont yet know full extent of wurtsmith air base contamination we dont have a good feeling on where this stuff might be right now and how far its gone. An air force tanker plane crashed this afternoon at wurtsmith air force base, killing 6 people and injuring 10 others. Wurtsmith predated wagner high school at clark air base. Wurtsmith air force base wafb, which was decommissioned in 1993, is located in northeastern michigan see fig.
Com ice demon by kevin macleod is licensed under a. 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. At the same time that plans were being prepared at loring for the return of the intruder, things started to break open at wurtsmith air force base, michigan, another of the northern tier bases that were put on a security option three alert. How a community group in michigan took pfas national sierra. Sorry, there are no tours or activities available to book online for the dates you. In 1953, it was formally named for michigans world war ii hero, major general paul b. In 2012, the michigan department of health and human services mdhhs issued a do. Wurtsmith air force base historical historical feature military in iosco county. The plane, a fourengine kc5 stratotanker used to refuel other aircraft in. Oscoda hundreds of visitors came to oscoda saturday to mark the 25th anniversary of the closing of wurtsmith air force base. I have never been contacted by either the usaf or the dodva regarding this exposure.
Wurtsmith air force base historical in iosco county, mi. Oct 21, 2017 because wurtsmith air force base was an air force base it had to have the ability to go into complete lockdown in times of emergency and still support the mission. Assessment of groundwater contamination at wurtsmith air force base, michigan, 198285 by t. Nov 17, 2017 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. Both former personnel stationed at the nowdecommissioned wurtsmith air force base, and current and former neighbors of the base, wonder if their health issues are related to wurtsmith. Mdhhs former wurtsmith air force base, iosco county. We dont yet know full extent of wurtsmith air base. Paul bernard wurtsmith 9 august 1906 september 1946 was a united states army air forces general during world war ii enlisting in the united states army air corps as a flying cadet in 1927, wurtsmith was commissioned in 1928. Near the center of michigans upper peninsula, the base operated for nearly forty years and closed in 1995. The 379th bombardment wing was inactivated on 30 june 1993 as a result of the 1991 base realignment and closure process which closed wurtsmith afb. Most of them were assigned to the command and are thus considered sac bases. It is about the historical contamination and bases like wurtsmith all across the.
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