Remember KI Sawyer... Wurtsmith too?

I grew up in a sleepy town on the tip of Wisconsin and when the Cary Mine and the Montreal Mine closed we had to move.  My father, a machinist, found work with another mining company in Michigan.  Michigan has never been my home... it's never felt as comfortable as Wisconsin where the past two generations of my family lived.  When we moved from Wisconsin we settled in the UP (Upper Peninsula) of Michigan a few miles away from the Strategic Air Command Base known as KI Sawyer.  I could tell by my hearing alone if a KC 135, B 52 or anything else was heading towards me.  Actually anyone can if you're hearing it every day.

So when KI Sawyer closed, and Wurtsmith too these bases just became part of the memory that soon forgets.  KI is now a municipal airport handling most of the UP air traffic in and out of Marquette County, with a verrry long runway for any 747 making the long haul flight from ORD to Asia that may need a safe spot to touch down....

So what of KI Sawyer's sister B-52 SAC Base Wurtsmith?... I never knew until last week.

We stopped in for some fuel and I was really surprised to see

...it has been re-purposed!

Kalitta now does maintenance here...

All types of maintenance going on here!

Some 747's w/o engines

No longer is the flight line a string of B-52's

Yup, a museum too...

Fly-ins are part of the summer time activities.

If you ever need jet fuel this is a great stop!

Now known as Oscoda Airport!

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