"Unexploded ordnances" and airports don't usually go hand in hand. So when a viewer read that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was looking for them at Northern Michigan's busiest airport, she contacted me to find out why.
In 1943 Cherry Capital Airport wasn't around, but there were planes, a runway and naval aviators in Grand Traverse County. Northern Michigan's war effort took the form of a training facility for Navy pilots. It is those same grounds, about 1000 acres that years later would become the area's busiest airport.
But it's what happened from 1943 to 1946, when it was a naval training facility that prompted a public notice this past week. A viewer emailed me and asked "should I be concerned by what I read in this public notice?" I made some phone calls to get an answer. David Dierken the district project manager with the Corps explains "its sort of a standard response we put in the papers."
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is behind the posting. In it, they ask anyone who may have served at the facility more than 60 years ago to come forward if they know of any unexploded devices or ammunition that may be under the current airport.
Dierken says "We are really not expecting any large revelations from this. This was small arms ammunition which is very common and if someone does have some information they can share with us, we would be happy with just an email that would be fine."
I asked the engineers if there was something that prompted this after more than 60 years. They say no, this is routine, they do this at all former military sites and its just Traverse City's turn. They say site inspections have taken place in the past. They've looked everywhere that blue prints and maps showed ammunition storage locations. This time they're asking former airmen if they know of any dumping of ammunition on the property.
So does our concerned viewer have much to worry about? The answer is probably not.
Dierken says "The phase we are in is the site investigation which is the initial phase after we complete this we would expect we would take no further action and close this site out with this concern."
