My father was stationed at KI from 1970-1973. Was such a beautiful base. makes me sad to what has become of the base. Thank you for sharing. such great memories

@atomicorang

Жыл бұрын

It is very sad.. one of my best friends former crewchief 106 type was assigned. He told me he was lucky when coming home after work and finding the house key broken off in the trailer front door knob.😅

Memories.... I was stationed there in 1972. K.I. was its own city. It had everything a community needed, and now its gone. It's hard for me to imagine. Feeling sad and feeling old. Thanks so much for the video.

Thank you for posting this; it brought back many memories! I was stationed there May 1974-June 1984; it was my first state-side base after spending 2 yrs at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. Yeah, I know....couldn't get enough of the cold and snow, I guess! I was assigned to USAF Hospital, K.I. Sawyer (NCOIC, Med-Surg Ward; NCOIC Outpatient Clinics, then NCOIC Physical Exams eventually back as NCOIC Med-Surg and OB Wards. In 1981, I was selected for special duty as NCOIC NCO PME Center and assigned to the 410th Combat Support Group for the remainder of my tour there. I would eventually go on to Grissom AFB, Indiana as Commandant, 8th AF NCO Leadership School; then to Anderson AFB, Guam as Commandant, 633rd ABW NCO Leadership School. After 4 yrs on Guam, returned stateside as First Sgt, 28th Medical Group, Ellsworth AFB. Then, I completed my 25 yrs, 2 months and 19 days assigned to the 28th Mission Support Squadron as Deputy Director of the Family Support Center. Still....after the passage of 46-plus yrs, the one assignment that still tugs at my psyche, the one place I always felt the most at-home was K.I. Sawyer! I have been back twice since it has closed, once with family (stayed at Queen Cottages/South Shag Lake) and once with only my wife (camped at Horseshoe Lake). Each time, because of further disrepair and neglect, it felt like going to visit a relative at the graveyard! It was once a great place to be stationed, a great place to start a family, with great outdoors, great people-because only the best go North! I lived in a dorm down in the "Hole" for a while; then the trailer park at Little Lake and finally out hwy 460 to Scandia and 545 South. If I had the misfortune to fall into a time loop and had to live my life over and over in one spot, I would hope it would be at K.I. Sawyer AFB, in the U.P. I truly miss that place and those people....it was the best time of my life! Here's to us and those like us who stood the watch in the Great White Frozen North....damn few left! LH

@tracybland2649

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for your service. This was b4 my late spouse n I had met. He was stationed at Ki from 85 to 94. He was one of the last to leave ki. Said it was the best time during his Af career. Sadly he passed 2 yrs ago. But always had a place in his heart for Ki.

@atomicorang

Жыл бұрын

Great story! Thankyou for your service and you made it real. From a fellow Airman. 1979-2004 431X1 Tactical Aircraft Maintenance technician.

Was stationed there with the 87th FIS from 81-85. Left just before they closed the unit. Never thought I’d miss the place but like many I had a lot of good times there and met some great folks. Some crappy ones too! Thanks for posting Jamie. Red Bulls Forever!

I was stationed there from Jan 1974 till January of 1979. We lived in Marquette for a year, the winter drive to make midnight shift was always an adventure. Started out attached to the Bomb wing, then reorganized into the 2001 Comm squadron since we supported the command post digital comms system. One year I worked as a civil engineer augmenter and drove snowplows. It kept me from doing CQ for a year. I was on the runway for 16 hours the day the Edmund Fitzgerald sank, but the base never closed. 2 of my kids were born on base. We lived on Aalbatross drive in a nice little duplex.

I used to be Security Police here and this brings back memories. Thank you very much. I loved that place. It was so beautiful up there and I met some great people.

Served 1967 and 1968 410 SPS , then off to Vietnam. A lot of fond memories and fine people. RIP KI Sawyer AFB you were once a base that the air force looked up too, to many base closures, so sad.

Was stationed there from 92-95. Wow brings back memories. Thanks for sharing, I worked in Base Ops right below the control tower.

@georgeguthrie2962

4 жыл бұрын

JAFZX1207 was your AFAC 271

@JAFZX1207

4 жыл бұрын

@@georgeguthrie2962 271X1 Airfield Management Spec, by the time I retired they changed our AFSC code to 1C7X1

That was trip down memory lane for sure. 410 SPS from 86 to 92. Good times!

I was there in 1972 as an S.P., 401th Security Squadron. Hard now to beleive I was there and around alot of the places shown in the video. I'm 64 now. Watching this really pulls at the heart srings........... Thanks so much for the video Jamie !

cool video, I left there in 94 after 2 years. The snow storm scenes were a total flashback, thanks. The weather there destroyed me and my car. Brutal winters.

I miss Sawyer very much. I lived in a dorm or two till I got married. Then I lived at 324 commando. K I Siberia AFB. The very best part of my life was spent there. 1978-79. Wish I could live there again.

@exmichigansnowskier2150

Жыл бұрын

Siberia AFB, yeah right! Then what was 70 and 80 below zero in Montana and Alaska respectively??? Also the snow in Michigan back then, now, and indefinitely ANI'T SQUATSVILLE!!! I know because I driven out west in Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Colorado, and New Mexico all in winter months. You are reading this from a former USAF person myself who was at Wurtsmith AFB in March, 1976 to August,1977.

Thanks much for this. I was stationed there from January 1975 to June 1977. Pleasant memories. Balmy winters.

Was stationed there twice. Spent 9 years there.....miss it a lot!

WOW great video, I lived on Falcon blv. in 79, and humped them buffs for three years, brought back memories, thanks. But KI is the reason I live in nice hot Florida today, three years at KI was enough cold weather to last me the rest of my life🥶🥶😁

I was stationed at KI Sawyer in the later 70’s. I actually had a great time there. Sad to see it close.

I was there from ‘75 to ‘83, from the age of 4 to 12. We moved there right when the Edmund Fitzgerald went down. We lived at 617 Valkyrie. I went to KI elementary. I still remember some of my teachers, Mrs Lindstrom, Mr and Mrs Parlatto, Mr G the art teacher, Mr Hanuskala the gym teacher (good Finn name) and Mr Corkin. We spent the winters sledding dead man’s hill. Summers were all about BMX. Also, it was the golden age of video games at the bowling alley and the wonder hut. I can’t think of a better place for a kid.

@josephcapen4469

2 жыл бұрын

I moved there in Dec '78 at 10 and left in 81 at 13. It was the perfect place to live those years as a young American boy.

@Acemechanicalservices

Жыл бұрын

@@josephcapen4469 You were probably in my sister’s class.

My wife & I were up dere from May '71 to Oct '83 - 87th FIS. Some good times!

So sad to see the end to these bases. I was stationed at Walker AFB in Roswell New Mexico. Wish there had been a video made there before the closing.

LOVED that base! I was there in the early 1970's. GREAT place to live. GREAT place to work. GREAT bunch of people. I was so LUCKY to have been stationed there! I went back last year to look around. The buildings are still there....although "a bit weathered". The housing area is still active with local people moved in. Many MANY thanks for your great video...done in the winter when most people would have been indoors.

@JamieSmith-fz2mz

2 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it. I was up there skiing at Blueberry Ridge that weekend, and we stayed in one of the officer's housing units. I remember it was very cold and windy, and most of the roads weren't plowed. I go up fairly regularly now.

I was 410th SPS and loved it there so much. Snowmobiling and skiing in the winter, fishing in the spring and fall, and motorcycles and beach in the summer. I actually drove my snowmobile to work 4 months a year which made going to work just way too much fun! The people and the place were amazing. My daughter just deployed yesterday on a mission; the details of which I suspect I don't want to know even if she could tell me. On a difficult day for me, it was nice to look back upon a happy time and place so thank you so much for posting this.

@JamieSmith-fz2mz

3 жыл бұрын

It's good to visit the ghosts now and then, isn't it? In hindsight, I'm really glad I shot this when I did to preserve some sort of image of it. It's so remote that it makes it really hard for former Sawyer-ites to get up there. By the way, the old SPS building is no longer standing.

@badguy1481

2 жыл бұрын

I agree. What a beautiful base and a beautiful assignment. My wife and I had a snow mobile, just outside our back door. Within minutes we were out in those "north woods" plying through feet of snow, enthralled with the beauty of a full moon on a snowy night. I was stationed there in the early 70's, but just got back to see the base this August (2021). Very..VERY...Depressing! The base we LOVED is now run down and, from what the locals tell me, the drug problem is RAMPANT in the housing areas (now leased out to who ever!). I think there's a saying that goes something like: "Never try to relive old memories of that past." Maybe I should have heeded that before I went back there and saw what I saw.

Brings back good memories, Thanks.

I was there from 1986 - 88 and was with the 410th Bomber group. I was admin. and worked in one of the hangers not to far from the NCO Club on the corner. Great memories and glad that the county moved the airport there. Might be going there in Sept. to visit old friend.

My fiance misses that place and often talks of wanting to live there. He was there 91-95, worked in POL, 410 supply.

Actually seeing it all buried in snow is how I mainly remember it. I was there from 87-90, and it was a pretty good place to be.

Great Video - I am 90 - Did 4 Years Active - 16 NYANG THOSE WERE THE DAYS - God Bless Us ALL

Thanks for the memories! I was stationed there 75-79 and worked in the WSA. It was great to see your video as that area is now a lumber processing business.

I was USAF, never stationed there, but it feels eerily familiar. Maybe there is a part of every one of us in the great old military bases.

It was an awesome video!

I was there in 73. The coldest place I have ever been.

I served in the U.S. Air Force from 1986-1997. It has always been sad to see an Air Force base close down......MacDill didnt shut down but we lost our flying mission back in 1995.....we eventually got KC-130s back a few years later. Not the same as the 80+ F-16's that roared the skies over Tampa Bay. So many life's were impacted by these bases as well as friendships......we all grew up on these Air Force bases. The WSA/CSC/LED are all quiet now......life moves on.

Thank you for the video and zooming in on the police station, my dad was a cop on base

i grew up on ki sawyer afb 84-89. Its heartbreaking seeing the place i had so many memories run down. It was one of my favorite bases that i grew up on. i remember watch star wars at the theater and watching the space shuttle challenger blow up in elementary school. And yes i remember freezing my balls off waiting on the bus for school. Alot of fourwheeling my housing unit was on the edge of the forrest.

@oktobergoddess3304

2 жыл бұрын

I lived there and grew up part of my life there (about 1984-1988) on packet lane. Idk if I spelled that right. How old were you?

As a kid I worked for Elmer Dawn at the horse riding academy ... Oh also got my feet frostbit there too !

Station at KI Sawyer fron 75 to 77, sure miss her. Yes it was cold and lots of snow but above all, it's was a great community. I would love to pay a visit someday.

Used to watch the BUFF's fly over Copper Range mine in White Pine. The big stack made an easy visual checkpoint.

1:36 the fire team building. It was always fun when to Packers or Lions played and you could get on that post. It was grand central station. the TV room would be standing room only. Even better when the Packers played the Lions. Usually resulted in a intra-flight civil war.

I served on the front lines of the us and ussr cold war at Minot Air Force Base north dakota. 1977 to 82. Never got to ki sawyer.

Dad was stationed there 91-93, but we lived in Skandia up the road. Many great times at K.I. Went to Gwinn my freshman and sophomore years. Cool place. Miss many aspects of the yoop. Formative years. However, it is not in Marquette.

The UP was a horror show in the winter if you worked on the flight line. Best day of my life was when I left Kinchloe.

@exmichigansnowskier2150

Жыл бұрын

Another wimpie!

I hate to see any base shut down like that and then run down. That base was nice and many there in the area must miss the service members. Many of them lived in the local area and put plenty of money into the local economy.

@atomicorang

Жыл бұрын

It is very sad. So many folks have fond memories. My best Air-force buddy was stationed there. He has lots of stories.. he crewed F-106.

I was based there in the early 1970's. Just went back there this summer to look around. VERY SAD! WHY the government just walked away from this installation and let people rummage around destroying every thing inside these buildings... is beyond me. What would it have taken to keep the grass cut, the windows shut and the doors locked on all those facilities? If nothing else we could have shipped all our "homeless people" there and got them out of our rotting cities.

Just a notification to folks who might not be a part of the "I Survived KI Sawyer AFB" group on Facebook - as of yesterday - the signature, rotating antenna atop the SAGE building is no more. It was shut down a month or so back and it was dismantled and removed. It has been replaced by a standalone unit atop a tower on the northwest quadrant of the runway. You can see the old antenna in operation in this video at the 3:35 mark. It is from this day forward that it will be the only way to see this in operation. The last militarily functional role of the base has come to an end. RIP DC-14 SAGE Antenna 1960-2019.

@josephcapen4469

2 жыл бұрын

Rob, it's Bret Cantwell from the FB group. I must have missed that post. Thanks gor posting it here.

I really hate to see all of these great bases close. I live in Lubbock, Tx and we lost Reese AFB during the Clinton regime. We need a strong military.

@JamieSmith-fz2mz

7 жыл бұрын

I think we have a strong military today. Much more efficient and less bloated than in the past.

@bobgehrls8538

5 жыл бұрын

I was stationed at KIS working on the F106 (MA-1 76-80). What was Reese AFB protecting us from? Base closings after the cold war ended was sad but didn't hurt national security.

@josephcapen4469

2 жыл бұрын

If you think President Clinton personally closed Reese, you must not know that BRAC was a Congressional Committee.

@Bbendfender

2 жыл бұрын

@@bobgehrls8538 Reese was a pilot training base that had the best all around weather than any pilot training base.

Stationed at KI from 84-88 and still visit every few years. Strange feeling walking around the old barracks. I worked as a firefighter on the flightline and always enjoyed the people I served with and the civilians in the department. Gwinn was always fun and Marquette is an amazing place that continues to grow. Those snow scenes are so accurate. Thanks for posting.

There used to be big mounds of dirt between the storage lockers in the weapons storage area when I was there, looks like they removed them.

Who else wants to move back after watching this? 😭

@JamieSmith-fz2mz

4 жыл бұрын

Go visit Marquette. The place is still amazing.

@badguy1481

2 жыл бұрын

I was back there in August (2021). People in Marquette told me there's a MAJOR drug problem in the housing area. The rentals there are in fair condition and are probably pretty cheap. But I don't know if I'd want to live around the "clientele" that inhabit that old housing area now.

@luminous6969

2 жыл бұрын

@@badguy1481 Is it still bad currently? There's no way to know if it used to be bad, the folks in Marquette heard it was bad, then they just kept repeating it for years not knowing that the situation had improved. But even if it's still true, it doesn't mean that the folks that live there are bad people, it could very well mean that they're hurting/depressed/lack hope in which case they still deserve our support.

@badguy1481

2 жыл бұрын

@@luminous6969 I was told that in Aug of this year (2021). Whether its something THEY heard or there's real, up to date, evidence I don't know. The housing area DOES look pretty shabby. I would guess most of the residents are "down and out" and probably prone to take drugs. Best to check with the local Sheriff's office to follow up.

That was VERY hard to watch... :'(

I was there from March 1977 til Jan 81 Sac Alert Force Controller

I was born here in late 81. First time I'm seeing what it was like. Dad transferred to Luke afb.

I was there 1975-79 , 410 CSG Base Administration

So sad. I could have been assigned there but received first duty to Holloman NM in 1979.

@JamieSmith-fz2mz

Жыл бұрын

I swapped for KISawyer from Kirtland in Albuquerque. I traded the desert for snow up to my waist. So glad I did.

I wonder if anyone was still there. Because of the Radar still going

Makes me sad that it closed. My husband and I were there for 18 months in the early 60's. Our oldest son was born in the base hospital there. What is there now if we decided to visit?

@josephcapen4469

2 жыл бұрын

You posted this in 2015. I'm curious as to whether you ever went back or not. I did in 2005 and was so glad that I did.

1986 to 89 lifetime ago if your out there hello woody ,kevin, bush, rehart and steve wilcox from shawn tandy great time and hard work brothers! 57 years old now great life!

Stationed there in AMMS hound dog missile maintenance great base but lousy winters. Remember climbing to hills to get to work slipping and sliding all the way and praying the woman in the car in front does not let up on the gas and lose her momentum.

Miserable weather but had the best maintainers and people.

All the snow........ :)

@firstsgt279

Жыл бұрын

Was near there as it Snowed on July 4 1994, started right before Fireworks show

I found where I was stationed in Germany on Google Earth. They have repurposed most of the main post however the storage bunkers of PSP4J and the NATO site are abandoned and falling apart. I feel the same way those of you who were stationed at KI Sawyer do. It tugs at your heart. I was in Marquette in 2017 and strongly discouraged from going to KI Sawyer or Gwinn because it had become a drug infested hood. Very sad. I grew up near Houghton so the AFB was well known to me.

@JamieSmith-fz2mz

3 жыл бұрын

Go back and visit. It’s not the cesspool of drugs and death that everyone wants you to believe it to be. Yeah, there are problems in the old housing units, but generally it’s just light industrial businesses and the county airport. And ghosts of airmen.

@SilentEcho9194

3 жыл бұрын

@@JamieSmith-fz2mz I really would like to see the static display. Did not know it was there. I live in lower peninsula, so it may be awhile before I get back. My daughter graduated from NMU, so it was a good time to be there. It had been at least 10 years since I had crossed the Mackinac Bridge.

Another abandoned former SAC base, there are a lot of them unfortunately. They all seem to have a Buff on display as well. I had the option of going there in the 80's but since I was already at Griffiss AFB, NY I wasn't about to go from one cold weather base to another. It's sad to see these old bases left to rot.

does anyone have pictures of the hospital really would like to see where i was born at i was born there in 1991

@srobak

8 жыл бұрын

+cory cottrell check out the "i survived ki sawyer" group on facebook. We have about 5000 pictures and almost as many members. Lots of pix from the hospital in the collection.

just wondering, if the base closed up, why was the radar still rotating ?

@firstsgt279

Жыл бұрын

Became "Sawyer International Airport" For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2021, the airport had 18,141 aircraft operations, an average of 50 per day: 54% general aviation, 38% air taxi, 1% scheduled commercial service and 7% military. In December 2022, there were 41 aircraft based at this airport: 36 single-engine, 4 multi-engine and 1 jet.

If this AFB was closed down then why was the radar kept on turning around? As a former USAF person stationed at Wurtsmith AFB in March, 1976 - August, 1977 winters always was and will be is wimpy. You are thinking why am I living here? Well, when I got out of the USAF at my last AFB assignment at Sheppard AFB, Texas; my wife wanted to move back to Michigan because she had relatives her at time in May, 1977.

@JamieSmith-fz2mz

Жыл бұрын

It continued to turn for several years. You’d have to ask the Air Force why that is.

@firstsgt279

Жыл бұрын

Became "Sawyer International Airport" For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2021, the airport had 18,141 aircraft operations, an average of 50 per day: 54% general aviation, 38% air taxi, 1% scheduled commercial service and 7% military. In December 2022, there were 41 aircraft based at this airport: 36 single-engine, 4 multi-engine and 1 jet.

So why was the radar still running? After the Air Force left was somebody taking over the air-traffic control function? Sometimes when an Air Force Base closes the FAA takes over air-traffic control in the surrounding area.

@juikfred

9 жыл бұрын

It is now the Sawyer International Airport: www.sawyerairport.com/index.html

@srobak

8 жыл бұрын

+Christopher DuBois and prior to the airport moving there the tower was still part of the national atc net.

I saw my first computer there .... punch card :D

Kinchelo, Wortsmith same story

I hear that's a lot bigger then Selfridge

@MrJest2

7 жыл бұрын

It was huge. Mostly because the land was "just there" when they built it, and it was always planned as a multi-wing base from the get-go. I guess still is huge, really, even if it's been "re-purposed". We had the largest on-base housing neighborhood in the Air Force, a pro quality golf course, massive parks and recreation areas... all snowed in for half the year, but when spring came it was awesome. For about 12 weeks, then the snow came back. :-) It really was "a special place"; a lot of memories there for me and thousands of others who moved through it. Hard sometimes, but we all pitched in to make it work. For a long time, the base was the second largest city in the Upper Peninsula, with a population of around 20k between service members, family, and contractors. It's weird to see what was once a bustling "town" abandoned in this video, and it's even more run-down today, although the locals are putting forth a pretty good effort at getting it back into shape if at a smaller scale than before.

@nickclayton2517

7 жыл бұрын

One day I'll have to make the ride up there and check it out. A few people I know had to take classes up there. And my friends dad was stationed there. One unit I miss is the 927th wing. Good people

Some of your shots look just like KPSM (Pease AFB)

@Acemechanicalservices

Жыл бұрын

I was at Pease and KI

What was the name of the base in port austin michigan i was too little at the time to really remember what it was

@JamieSmith-fz2mz

7 жыл бұрын

It was just a speck of a radar site like the one up at Empire, MI. Port Austin Air Station. The buildings are still there. I drive past them at least once a year on my way to the beach.

What a waste. Could have alot of good uses. The only thing the state will save, is the golf course.

@JamieSmith-fz2mz

3 жыл бұрын

It's also the regional airport. So it still smells of jet fuel.

Best thing that happened to place was closing it

Anybody remember a Doug and Karen Cooper?