I was stationed at George A.F.B. from 1973 to 1977. I was at the FMS Squadron. The last year I was transferred to the Wheel and Tire Shop. They brought in a large Trichlorethylene tank in order to clean wheel bearings that came off the wheels of the F-4. We would lower the bearings into this large. 5 x 4 x 7-foot long tank. The Trichloroethylene would be heated to a steam and we would spray down the bearings. We would let them sit in the steam for about 20 minutes…then we would raise the grate out of the tank and….presto…clean as a whistle. We were never taught how to handle the bearings…..never given instructions regarding a respirator. Well….after I got out I came down with Diabetes. I have struggled with the Disease for 30 years now. Recently I filed a claim with my local VA Benefits Office in Klamath Falls. They responded by saying there is no record of the tank being brought in. And if I was going to have a problem with the exposure to Trichloroethylene….it would have manifested itself within the first year. Really???
Anyway…these articles may help with my claim. Maybe…..any thoughts or opinions on this? By the way….we were directed by my Superiors to drive the 55-gallon drums filled with used Trichlorethylene out to the edge of the Base landfill….there we were told to just dump the fluid out.
No wonder it is on a Superfund list.
William, I worked on GAFB, in wheel and tire, right after you left. Yes there was a Trike Tank, I used it, and have experienced health issues. Please contact me if you like.
Bill, I’m pretty sure I worked with you in the 35th FMS Aero Repair shop at George from 1973 to 1975, and the setup you described is exactly how I remember it. I also remember the Trichlorethylene. My grandfather owned several laundries where they used it for dry cleaning. The smell is distinctive and unforgettable. Didn’t you replace Ed Rivera? I ran into him in Torrejon, Spain around 1980. I seem to recall him telling me that both he and his son had been having health problems. FYI – I was TDY to RAF Alconbury in the summer of 1977 and worked in their wheel and tire shop. I was surprised when the NCOIC briefed me not to get close to the tank in the shop. There was only one person allowed to use it, and that person had to report to the hospital once a month to provide a blood sample for analysis. Did you ever do that George?