In April 1961, the 923d was inactivated and the 46th Air Refueling Squadron organized and activated as a replacement unit. Nationwide flew shuttles to Detroit from Marquette, with stops in Escanaba, Iron Mountain, and Menominee. Updated: October 14, 2020. Although the U.S. nominally controlled Michigan after the 1783 Treaty of Paris, several forts remained in British hands for more than a decade. The British assumed control of French forts in Michigan after defeating the French in the French and Indian War. Background.
Did you know Michigan has an abandoned cold war era radar base? Before receiving the KC-135A tanker and heavy B-52H bomber aircraft of SAC, an all-weather, heavy-duty concrete runway was built, measuring 24 inches (61 cm) thick and 150 feet (46 m) wide. The instructor pilot, who remained on board, landed the aircraft just short of the runway overrun, bounced and rolled to a stop on the runway.
[4] The one factor which most likely influenced the establishment and final location of the airport was the growing mining industry in the local area.
672. Sawyer as inventor, Strategic Air Command in the United Kingdom, Aerospace Defense Command Fighter Squadrons, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=K._I._Sawyer_Air_Force_Base&oldid=975707574, Installations of the United States Air Force in Michigan, Populated places in Marquette County, Michigan, Strategic Air Command military installations, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 1993, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2016, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Air Force Historical Research Agency, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Opened as: K. I. Sawyer Airport, 8 April 1956, Redesignated: K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base, 8 May 1959 – 30 September 1995. In 1957, civilian commercial operations from the base moved to a new Marquette County Airport erected at the site of the old Negaunee Airport. In recent years, a group of local citizens interested in preserving the historical significance of the base have collected six aircraft of the types used actively at various times through the base's history to be displayed near the airport. A portion of the operational section of K. I. Sawyer AFB has been converted into Sawyer International Airport, which opened its passenger terminal for service in September 1999. The first aircraft assigned to K. I. Sawyer were F-102 Delta Daggers from the 438th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Kincheloe AFB, which were temporarily stationed at K. I. Sawyer during the summer of 1958. The ALCM was powered by a 600 lb.s.t. SAC FB-111 bombers assigned to the 509th Bombardment Wing (Medium) from Pease AFB in New Hampshire, on satellite alert at Sawyer in 1974 and 1975. The SAGE system was a network linking Air Force (and later FAA) General Surveillance Radar stations into a centralized center for Air Defense, intended to provide early warning and response for a Soviet nuclear attack. With 12,000 people, the base and the area around it functioned as the Upper Peninsula's second-largest city,[12] and the U.S. Air Force's annual spending in the region totaled $157 million. 43 minutes ago. Numerous military installations have been located in Michigan since the earliest French fortified trading posts appeared to modern National Guard bases. See also Michigan World War II Army Airfields. The base was used as a stop for planes heading to Alaska or to defend the locks of Sault Ste. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.27. Locals maintained that the K. I. Sawyer runway was built over some of the best blueberry fields in the state. This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/. Prior to the expansion, ADC replaced the 473d Fighter Group with the 56th Fighter Wing, along with its 62d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, to Sawyer as the host unit. hide. There were 1,659 housing units at an average density of 196.6 per square mile (75.9/km2). However, the tanker aircraft and aircrews participated in the "Young Tiger" TDY effort, and the bomber aircrews went through RTU (Replacement Training Unit) training to fly B-52Ds out of Andersen AFB, Guam and U-Tapao RTAFB, Thailand and were active participants in many of the notable campaigns that took place in Southeast Asia, such as Operation Arc Light. Mueller, Robert (1989). In February 1954, the U.S. Air Force announced plans to enlarge its forces, and new bases were needed. Numerous other sites around the state had antiaircraft gun or missile installations during the Cold War.
K. I. Sawyer Airport officially opened as a joint civil-military facility on 8 April 1956, and it was not long before the Air Force proposed a $447,000 appropriation for construction of a civil airport in Negaunee Township, which would allow the Air Force sole use of the base. Upon activation, K. I. Sawyer was placed under the Jurisdiction of Air Defense Command (ADC) on 8 April 1956. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.15% of the population. Sawyer died in 1944, and the following year the airfield, consisting of a single airstrip, was completed and named K. I. Sawyer Airport in his honor. Later some installations would be in use for over a century (Fort Wayne, Fort Mackinaw) and spread over large areas (Fort Custer - 14,000 acres (57 km2), Camp Grayling - 147,000 acres (590 km²)). The 87th maintained four T-33 aircraft to provide target support for the squadron interceptors, simulating Soviet bomber tactics. Wurtsmith Air Force Base served primarily as a combat crew and bomber training base … Further expansion of the base occurred in 1959 when the runway was extended to its present 12,366 feet. The wing did not deploy bomber aircraft to Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, as the B-52H was dedicated to strategic deterrence. Senator Homer S. Ferguson was printed in The Mining Journal and reported more than 900 military personnel were to be stationed at K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base with an annual income in excess of $3 million. Also on that date, the 644th Bombardment Squadron was activated replacing the 526th, and the 46th Air Refueling Squadron was reassigned to the 410th. The one factor which most likely influenced the establishment and final location of the airport was the growing mining industry in the local area. The base was built before World War II and has three 5,520' x 300' runways shaped like a triangle. Marie with it's impressive arsenal. Archived. The government entered into negotiations with the county for Sawyer's lease, and offered to build a $12 million jet base which could be jointly used by the Air Force and Marquette-area citizens. Males had a median income of $27,679 versus $18,333 for females.
[1] The CDP was previously much larger at the 2000 census, encompassing 8.5 square miles (22.01 km2) until the Sand Township portion was removed—leaving only the smaller portions within Forsyth and West Branch townships. The county airport, Sawyer International, now occupies a portion of the base and has scheduled airline flights and some general aviation activity. In January 1955, a public meeting was held in the county courthouse to discuss the proposed lease. The majority of the wing's present support squadrons were also activated on this date as well. Prepared for United States Air Force Headquarters Air Combat Command. Michigan's northern location made it a good site for several Cold War air bases, especially Strategic Air Command B-52 / KC-135 bases. As the demand for iron ore increased, the need for travel increased. Almost immediately, construction of military support facilities began. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations said in a release Thursday the remains found in November 2017 were matched this past July to those of Sgt. Berry patches remained on many other parts of the base, and families of aircrew members often picked them near the alert barracks and the family center. [13] In the end, the closure led to the loss of 5,000 jobs and 14,000 residents. The base closed in 1972 and became a winter auto testing ground. Winkler, David F. (1997), Searching the skies: the legacy of the United States Cold War defense radar program. Officials say foul play is suspected but they have unanswered questions. When inactivated, the 87th FIS was the second-to-last F-106 squadron on active duty. The Native Americans of the area established only temporary war camps although some were quite large (Chief Pontiac's 6-month encampment during the siege of Fort Detroit had around 1,000 warriors). Volume 1: Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982. About 850 people were employed during the construction of the base and another 262 were actively employed during the winter months. The Air Force … The 473d Fighter Group was activated as the host unit, under the ADC 4706th Air Defense Wing at O'Hare International Airport, Illinois. There were 501 households, out of which 55.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% were married couples living together, 19.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.1% were non-families. K. I. Sawyer was a favorite base among the SAC community. The 87th was scheduled to convert to the F-15 Eagle in 1984. On 24 Jan 1955, the U.S. government signed a 99-year lease. Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Oscoda, Iosco County. Shortly thereafter, the United States was drawn into World War II. His remains were discovered near the former K.I. The origins of K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base begin in the mid-1930s when Kenneth Ingalls Sawyer (1884–1944), a civil engineerand Marquette County road commissioner, desired to build an airport which would aid the development of the Marquette area. The CDP is known as K. I. Sawyer and had a population of 2,624 at the 2010 census. All Wurtsmith Documents.
The F-101s provided the SAGE unit with the required intercept and destroy capabilities that gave the base teeth. In addition, they flew NORAD radar evaluation and logistic support sorties.
The program is known as the "Sawyer 6" project.
The per capita income for the CDP was $10,029. Pardon my geographic ignorance, but is that on the UP? It replaced the smaller Marquette County Airport, just southwest of Marquette, as the region's primary civilian airport. On 4 September 1985, the last three F-106 Delta Darts from the 87th FIS departed K. I. Sawyer for AMARC at Davis-Monthan AFB at Tucson, Arizona. In the early 1980s, K. I. Sawyer's B-52s were modified to carry the new Boeing AGM-86 Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM). The 56th FW received its first aircraft, a McDonnell F-101 Voodoo, in 1959, after the expanded runway was completed. The B-52 could carry six AGM-86Bs on each of the two underwing pylons. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 38.5% under the age of 18, 12.3% from 18 to 24, 37.8% from 25 to 44, 9.1% from 45 to 64, and 2.3% who were 65 years of age or older.