The town died. var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); (Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images). [4] The following Saturday, another memorial service was held at the outdoor, 18,000-seat Fairfield Stadium. 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. Ferrum won the national junior college championship his first year there in 1965. The crew established radio contact with air traffic controllers at 7:23 pm with instructions to descend to 5,000ft (1,500m). And then, after the game, if Slezak had been there, would that have deterred Art Sr. from getting on the plane? Artwork by Eugene Payne, Staff Artist, The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, N.C.". But I already knew. We Are Marshall.. > Southern Airways DC-9, similiar to plane that crashed with MU footballt team, col. (low-res digital image only). Back in 1970, he had already attended a pair of Marshall games with Harris Sr. (Huntington, W.Va. is about a nine-hour drive from Passaic) and was approached to go down to see the Thundering Herd play East Carolina. He had to rent a car to get to the game,then asked if there were seats on the plane to get back to Marshall. Roy Slezak refuses to call it an anniversary. New Bern National Cemetery. She went to the premiere in a wheelchair prior to her first chemotherapy treatment. The Mid-American Conference also expelled the team for similar offenses. Banners will be raised across the Marshall campus bearing their images. (Sholten Singer/The Herald-Dispatch via AP), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. "The teammates liked the Tuscaloosa boys unbelievably," Dawson said, "especially when Reggie got there.". A mass funeral was held at the field house and many of the dead were buried at the Spring Hill Cemetery, some together because bodies were not identifiable. My Account "I kept thinking he [Arthur Sr.] would drive up in the car," said Maja Harris, Art Jr.s mother and Art Sr.s wife. His body was not identified and he is buried with five other unidentified players in the Springhill Cemetery. From that moment, we became one family.. When it came time to return, Carter's mother Sarah urged him to stay at home. They had met in Roanoke, Virginia, where she taught. The co-pilot, monitoring the altimeter, called out, "It's beginning to lighten up a little bit on the ground here at seven hundred feet We're two hundred above [the descent vector]," and the charter coordinator replied, "Bet it'll be a missed approach." All except team chaplain Robert Scott. Pure chance, some cases. "Oh sure, you ask yourself, 'Why did I miss it and all my friends and coaches were killed?' One day, she rounded a corner in her house. Just like winter leads to spring, these bad memories now lead us to, I think, a day of celebration, Woelfel said. William Alfred "Red" Dawson was one of the best players Bobby Bowden ever saw. Jack Lengyel was hired as the new coach in 1971. Not only that, she happened to be on a flight during 9/11. DAntoni is now Marshalls basketball coach. Holliday wants to make a date to come out and hunt turkeys on Dawson's 400 acres outside of town. Dawson eventually became a successful construction company owner. You see, out of the tragedy has come not a celebration but an annual realization that some good has been made out of the worst thing imaginable. Every one of the 75 people on board died in the crash. From there, he could see them talk, cry, even reminisce about the largest air disaster in United States sports history. Please first navigate to a specific Image before printing. Tottenham Hotspur players observe a minutes silence for the victims of the plane crash involving the Brazilian club Chapecoense prior to the Premier. On November 12, 1972, the Memorial Fountain was dedicated at the entrance of the Memorial Student Center. Rick Tolley had helped him with the plane ticket to get back home. Slezak went to visit Marshall in 2011, saying it was on his bucket list. They told the police they want to go to Spring Hill Cemetery. They stayed in Marshall for a fundraising event. The late Jack Hardin, then a Huntington Herald-Dispatch reporter, once recalled stepping over a log on his way up the hill to cover the story. [12] Lengyel led the Thundering Herd to a 933 record during his tenure, which ended after the 1974 season. Offering Aviation History & Adventure First-Hand! There was no reason to be around. The ceremony was held by invitation-only due to the coronavirus pandemic and was made available online. section: | slug: they-are-marshall-50-years-after-the-plane-crash-those-closest-to-the-tragedy-are-still-healing | sport: collegefootball | route: article_single.us | " Carter said. Lyndhurst's Tom Shoebridge, brother of crash victim Ted Shoebridge, and Elmwood Park's Keith Karl, a freshman on the 1970 Marshall team, join the show. There are so many stories of folks who either got a spot on the plane at the last minute or were bumped off. The subsequent negotiations resulted in a reduction of the weight of passengers and baggage and the charter flight was scheduled. "Where nobody could see me," Dawson said of his hiding spot. On Saturday, 75 candles surrounded the fountain. So I think this is another step along in that healing process., FILE - A memorial plaque is displayed at the site of a 1970 plane crash that killed 75 people, including 36 Marshall football players, on Oct. 24, 2020, near Huntington, W.Va. A bill has won final legislative approval Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, in West Virginia, that would establish an annual day of recognition for the worst sports disaster in U.S. history. With 37 players gone due to the horrific tragedy, the NCAA allowed Marshalls freshmen players to suit up the next season. "There are a ton of people out there still hurting and still in pain and still every day of their lives, as soon as their eyes open in the morning, that's the first thing they think about because their 18 year-old son was killed," Smith said. There is already a plot there for one more. Tolley's grave was moved up there a few years ago. 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. The corresponding flight recorder shows that the craft descended another 220ft (67m) in elevation within these 12 seconds, and the co-pilot calls out "four hundred" and agrees with the pilot they are on the correct "approach." Dawson goes to games again. history.[6]. Carter will be thinking about "thanking the Lord for his grace and mercy, watching over me and sparing my life." We Are Marshall starred Matthew McConaughey as Jack Lengyel, the head coach who took over the program in 1971. An Equal Opportunity University. "I was wondering when somebody is going to come up and say, 'You can't do that,' " Dawson said. Woelfel, who had a speaking part in the movie, said it brought a lot of people back together to deal with the loss and they did it collectively. [4][9], The effects of the crash on Huntington went far beyond the Marshall campus. All six players would later be put to rest underground at the Spring Hill Cemetery just near Marshall University. "That was the biggest farce you've ever seen," she said. But the town came back.. Marshall University honors the 75 lives lost in the 1970 plane crash tragedy during the 48th Annual Memorial Service on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018 . (Bettmann/Bettmann Archive), "'We Are Marshall' just stuck," Smith said. It really sort of shapes the fiber in you, of what you are.. "Anniversaries are supposed to be happy," Slezak said . [4] The controllers advised the crew that "rain, fog, smoke and a ragged ceiling" were at the airport, making landing more difficult, but possible. Lives were shattered. The dog's name was Sturmisch. On Nov. 14, 1970, the chartered jet crashed in fog and rain into a hillside upon approach to an airport near Huntington as the team was returning from a game at East Carolina, killing all 75 on board. Hokie Stone is the native Virginia limestone that makes up many of the buildings on the Virginia Tech campus. "That had taken a toll on my football coaching, a lot of bad things. | "They were all crying, all these huge linemen," Mary Jane said. CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) A bill has won final legislative approval in West Virginia that would establish an annual day of recognition for the worst sports disaster in U.S. history, a plane crash that killed most of Marshall Universitys football team. "Apparently, it was time God saw fit to call them.". In its second season under head coach Rick Tolley . 16 and undefeated at 6-0. "[7] The remains of six passengers were never identified. Marshall fans and residents of Huntington, W.V. Members of the current team also visited a nearby cemetery, where six players from the 1970 team whose bodies were never identified were buried. Her recollections of the crash's aftermath are split. As part of an annual rite, the . 00:00 / 00:00. 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. All were qualified for the flight. Does FSU or any ACC power actually have options? "He didn't tell anyone what he was going to do until the last minute," Hamrick said. [15], Marshall University President John G. Barker and Vice President Dedmon appointed a memorial committee soon after the crash. The crash was the worst in American sports history. Home Memorial Fountain on the Marshall University campus, dedicated in 1972. Kenova native and Grammy-award winner Michael W. Smith opened the ceremony by singing Amazing Grace. He told the audience that he was 13 when the plane crashed eight minutes from his house. Dave Griffith, #81, 1970 MU Football team, b&w. No one prepared her for what was next. "'The phrase is about respect, and it makes you realize you can't take anything for granted. It is the center of activity of the campus. 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. Sturmisch lived to be 13. A plaque was placed on the base on August 10, 1973, reading: They shall live on in the hearts of their families and friends forever and this memorial records their loss to the university and the community. 6-keys: media/spln/collegefootball/reg/free/stories, at "It was something the Lord gave her to tell me," Carter said. Three-and-a-half years after the crash in 1974, Carter was working with Carl Hewlett, a former Marshall pitcher. Carter wants everyone to know God chose him to survive for that purpose. Captain Frank H. Abbott, Jr. , aged 47, was employed by Southern Airways, Inc.. Marshall University Football Team Players: James Michael Adams, of Mansfield, Ohio - Guard, Mark Raeburn Andrews, of Cincinnati, Ohio - Offensive Guard, Mike Francis Blake, of Huntington, West Virginia - Linebacker, Dennis Michael Blevins, of Bluefield, West Virginia - Wide Receiver, Willie Bluford Jr., of Greenwood, South Carolina - Wide receiver, Larry Brown, of Atlanta, Georgia - Defensive Guard, Thomas Wayne Brown, of Richmond, Virginia - Defensive Guard, Roger Keith Childers, of St. Albana, West Virginia, Stuart Spence Cottrell, of Eustis, Florida - Defensive Back, Richard Lee Dardinger, of Mount Vernon, Ohio - Center, David Grant DeBord, of Quincy, Florida - Offensive Tackle, Kevin Francis Gilmore, of Harrison, New Jersey - Halfback, David Dearing Griffith, Jr, of Clarksville, Virginia - Defensive End, Arthur W. Harris, of Passaic, New Jersey - Halfback, Robert Anthony Harris, of Cincinnati, Ohio - Quarterback, Bob Wayne Hill, of Dallas, Texas - Defensive Back, Joe Lee Hood, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama - Halfback, James Thomas Howard Jr., of Milton, West Virginia - Offensive Guard, Marcelo H. Lajterman, of Lyndhurst, New Jersey - Kicking Specialist, Richard Adam Lech, of Columbus, Ohio - Defensive Back, Barry Winston Nash, of Accoville, West Virginia - Tight End, Patrick Jay Norrell, of Hartsdale, New York - Offensive Guard, James Robert Patterson, of Louisburg, North Carolina - Offensive Tackle, Scottie Lee Reese, of Waco, Texas - Defensive End, John Anton Repasy Jr., of Cincinnati, Ohio - Wide Reciever, Larry Sanders, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama - Defensive Back, Charles Alan "Al" Saylor, of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio - Defensive End, Arthur Kirk Shannon, of Greensboro, North Carolina - Linebacker, Lionel Ted Shoebridge, of Lyndhurst, New Jersey - Quarterback, Allen Gene Skeens, of Ravenswood, West Virginia - Center, Jerry Dodson Stainback, of Newport News, Virginia - Linebacker, Donald Tackett, Jr., of Paden City, West Virginia, Robert James Van Horn, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama - Tackle, Roger Arnie Vanover, of Russell, Kentucky - Defensive End, Freddie Clay Wilson, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama - Tackle, John Patton Young, of Buckhannon, West Virginia - Tight End, Thomas Jonathan Zborill, of Richmond, Virginia - Defensive End, Charles Arnold, of Huntington, West Virginia, Rachel Lynette Arnold, of Huntington, West Virginia, Dr. Joseph Chambers, of Huntington, West Virginia - Local physician, Margaret Chambers, of Huntington, West Virginia, Dr. Ray Hagley, of Huntington, West Virginia - Local physician, Shirley Ann Hagley, of Huntington, West Virginia, Arthur L. Harris, of Passaic, New Jersey - Father of player Art Harris, E.O. After the plane crash, she became the only thing that I had.". After an 0-9-1 season and investigation that ended with Marshall being kicked out of the MAC, Moss was gone. 77 memorials. "That's something I've never been able to get over because it was so wrong.". Marshall is ranked No. On the 50th anniversary, they're both still around. They became friends and fished together. [25], The events of the crash are documented in an episode of Aircrash Confidential titled "Disastrous Descents".[27]. Slezak bought a wreath and some rose petals for the crash site and remembers how the store didnt want to let him pay for the items when he said what they were for. By JOHN RABY February 15, 2023. Dawson was not on the plane when it crashed. [4], At the time, Marshall's athletic teams rarely traveled by plane, since most away games were within easy driving distance of the campus. Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. So were the religious types who were too numerous for their messages to get through. He returned to find a city, a university and a program in despair. 10:00 am ET. What they witnessed was dystopian. Not surprisingly, Call will be the keynote speaker at Saturday's memorial. })(); (aka "The Marshall University Football Team Crash"). A fireman on Nov. 15, 1970, looks over the wreckage of a DC-9 jet that crashed the day before on approach near a mountaintop airport a few miles from Huntington, W.Va. Bobby East, driver of the #21 Ford during the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, died Wednesday, July 13, 2022, after being fatally stabbed at a gas station in Westminster, Calif. So why would anyone living with all that baggage intentionally go up in the air? In 2006, Hollywood turned that inspiring slogan into one of the greatest sports movies ever made. About 10 years ago at a reunion, Mary Jane glanced across the room. 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. Among the losses were nearly the entire Marshall University football team, coaches, flight crew, numerous fans, and supporters. The solemn ceremony was held around a fountain dedicated to the crash victims on Marshall's Huntington campus. The report additionally notes, "Most of the fuselage was melted or reduced to a powder-like substance; however, several large pieces were scattered throughout the burned area. [10], The crash of Flight 932 so devastated the local community that it almost led to the discontinuation of Marshall's football program. I dont know what to call it.. ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? After a year as Wake Forest's defensive line coach, Tolley was hired at Marshall in 1969. "He was a tremendous athlete who could do it all. briefly mourned after the 17-14 defeat, but what happened after the game shook the school and the town to its core. Nobody went anywhere.". White roses were laid by the fountain as each victims name was read at the ceremony. [2][7] The plane burst into flames and created a swath of charred ground 95ft (29m) wide and 279ft (85m) long. But as a freshman in 1970, Oliver didn't travel. It was the second college football team plane crash in a little over a month, after the October 2 crash that killed 31 (head coach, 14 Wichita State players, and 16 others). This event taught me how to celebrate someones life. Instead, the descent continued for another 300ft (91m) for unknown reasons, apparently without either crew member actually seeing the airport lights or runway. "Just a very smart guy. She spoke of her husband's early days as an assistant at Ferrum Junior College in Virginia. "You couldn't count on it," Dawson said. All were on the travel squad list before the plane crash. Marshall captured Division I-AA national championships in 1992 and 1996 and amassed the most wins of any team in the nation in the 1990s, many of them during a step up to Division I-A, now known as the Football Bowl Subdivision. In the report, the NTSB concluded, "[] the probable cause of this accident was the descent below Minimum Descent Altitude during a nonprecision approach under adverse operating conditions, without visual contact with the runway environment". Southern Airways Flight 932. The Harris family detailed thatevening in a 1995 article in The Record. [18], Each year on the anniversary of the crash, those who died are mourned in a ceremony on the Marshall University campus in Huntington, West Virginia. Slezak, who lived in Passaic, New Jersey,at the time,could have been on the plane that, on Nov. 14, 1970, crashed and took the lives of 75 passengers including 44 Marshall University football players and coaches, 26 fans and a crew of five. "My mom got on the phone, and then she just passed out, said Carolyn Harris, the youngest daughter. All Rights Reserved. Griffith died in the 1970 plane crash. Two-and-a-half months ago, Dawson remarried. [21], November 14, 2013, marked the first time that Marshall had played a road game on an anniversary of the disaster.