He was 37. Three-and-a-half years after the crash in 1974, Carter was working with Carl Hewlett, a former Marshall pitcher. There was no reason to be around. (Sholten Singer/The Herald-Dispatch via AP), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Fr. I don't think I believed it.. 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. [25], The events of the crash are documented in an episode of Aircrash Confidential titled "Disastrous Descents".[27]. Back rfeads: 1st MU practice Spring 1971, Coach Red Dawson. He was 37. Former WSAZ-TV reporter Bob Brunner shared with CBS Sports, in disturbing detail, the sights and smells he experienced that night trudging up the hill and witnessing the wreckage. The report also noted that the craft approached the Catlettsburg Refinery in the final 30 seconds before impact, which "could haveaffecteda visual illusion produced by the difference in the elevation of the refinery and the airport," which was nearly 300ft (91m) higher than the refinery, with hills in between. In 2011, Frank Beamer directed the Virginia Tech team buses to detour on their way to Marshall's Joan C. Edwards Stadium. It is based upon ideas by John and Ann Krieger of Huntington. Her recollections of the crash's aftermath are split. God's providence? There is still a hint of that strapping tight end's body. Rick Tolley had helped him with the plane ticket to get back home. There's no evidence any of those left behind were ever formally diagnosed with survivor's guilt, but you can hear it directly or indirectly when the incident is spoken about. _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); It all began with a three-year long losing streak from season 1966-69. "For a long time, he couldn't handle it," Call said. Digitized University Archives Collections. The airport was not properly equipped. Carter wants everyone to know God chose him to survive for that purpose. During that ceremony, Gilbert spoke eloquently about the 75 souls again. Memorial newspaper page from The Herald-Advertiser. "I got a call from our operations guy. Without any particular reason, Carter stayed. No one could have imagined how deep a downward spiral Marshall University's football program would face in the late 1960's. Dawson's brother had been recruited by Bryant, so there was a relationship. [7], The airliner continued on final approach to Tri-State Airport when it collided with the tops of trees on a hillside 5,543ft (1,690m) west of runway 11 (now runway 12). Reggie Oliver was an outgoing quarterback who eventually made his way into the Marshall hall of fame. Art Shannon, #34, 1970 MU Football team, b&w. [4] By the time the plane came to a stop, it was 4,219ft (1,286m) short of the runway and 275ft (84m) south of the middle marker. [3] The team was returning home after a 1714 loss to the East Carolina Pirates at Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, North Carolina. The Druid Four did and were all killed in the crash. Loria became Marshall's defensive backs coach in 1970. Two weeks before the release of the movie, Call was diagnosed with colon cancer. But I already knew. Tolley gladly gave Carter time off -- even bought him the plane ticket -- to travel back to bury his father. That's the unseen damage left a half century later after a Southern Airways DC- 9 carrying the Thundering Herd back from a game at East Carolina crashed into a hill a mile short of the Tri-State Airport in Huntington, West Virginia. Al Carelli, Jr., Assistant coach, 1970 MU Football team, b&w. He was also the offensive line coach. Six weeks before the Marshall tragedy, a plane carrying members of the Wichita State football team crashed in Colorado, killing 31 people. "I was wondering when somebody is going to come up and say, 'You can't do that,' " Dawson said. White roses are placed along the edge of the Memorial Fountain to honor the 75 lives lost in the 1970 plane crash during the 50th Annual Memorial Fountain Service Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020, at the Memorial Student Center in Huntington, W.Va. Marshall commemorated the 50th anniversary of the worst disaster in U.S. sports history, when 75 people, including most of the football team, were killed in a Nov. 14, 1970, plane crash. This goes deep, Plymale said. It has been so long that the tragedy has been memorialized that Marshall athletic director Mike Hamrick has calculated that the date falls on a Saturday every seven years. [4][9], The effects of the crash on Huntington went far beyond the Marshall campus. On Friday, the 36 players who died in the crash received degrees from Marshall in their fields of study. Prior to the state Senates unanimous vote Wednesday, the chamber held a moment of silence for the crash victims at the request of Upshur County Republican Sen. Bill Hamilton. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. The dog's name was Sturmisch. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: collegefootball | pageType: stories | [12] Lengyel was named to take Tolley's place on March 12, 1971, after Dick Bestwick, the first choice for the job, backed out after just one week and returned to Georgia Tech. 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. At the time of the crash, Harris Jr. led Marshall in rushing and kick returns. He said, 'What the hell is going on with Virginia Tech?' 1970 aviation accident in West Virginia, United States, A Southern Airways Douglas DC-9 similar to the aircraft involved in the accident, Pinkston, Antwon. Virginia Tech's coach had a plan for the pregame. His body could not be identified, and with five other players, they were all buried. [24], Marshall was scheduled to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the air disaster in their football season opener on August 29, 2020. He went to work one day and didn't come home.". We'll look at what happened to the Marshall University football program as a . On Saturday, it will be Middle Tennessee State. Inscription. Artwork by Eugene Payne, Staff Artist, The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, N.C. Shortly thereafter, he surrendered his life to Christ. To this day, she isn't satisfied. Varsity Aces Live: Marshall Football Plane Crash 50th Anniversary. Bobby Joe Hill, #41,1970 MU Football team, b&w. > Marshall decided to continue the football program. We didn't have children, so she was like a child. Marshall is ranked No. 16 and undefeated at 6-0. > The actual damage was incalculable. "Apparently, it was time God saw fit to call them.". Charles Kautz, MU A/D and coaches, 1970 MU football team, b&w. > 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. All six players would later be put to rest underground at the Spring Hill Cemetery just near Marshall University. The victims included 36 football players and 39 school administrators, coaches, fans, spouses and flight crew. Former Marshall cheerleader Lucianne Kautz Call lost her father, Charlie E. Kautz, who was the universitys athletic director. Jack Lengyel was hired as the new coach in 1971. 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. Marshall won just two games, and the first winning season didnt come for another 13 years. Defensive back. [23] The tribute was repeated for the rest of the season, including when Marshall met Rice in the 2013 Conference USA Football Championship game. MU plane crash historical marker, Wayne County, W.Va. Southern Airways DC-9, similiar to plane that crashed with MU football team, Dedication of Memorial Fountain to MU plane crash victims, Nov. 12, 1972, William Alfred "Red" Dawson, Asst. Cabell County Democratic Sen. Mike Woelfel said he was 17 years old driving in his car in Huntington when news of the crash came on the radio. 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. (Associated Press). A sign of renewed life. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Huntington, WV 25755. "The reason it's survivor's guilt is because so many people changed their mind at the last minute," Call said. Art could have played professional baseball or professional football.. Marshall football plane crash was 50 years ago, but victim's friend can't forget that day. | Authorities continually brought "old charred things" to her hoping to gain the identity of victims. Middle guard Ed Carter was back in Wichita Falls, Texas, that terrible day to bury his father. Normally in that situation, the cheerleaders would draw straws to see who went. Police reported a few hours after the crash that "15 bodies had been recovered," but the fire was so intense that they were unable to get into the plane to examine further, The News wrote that year. "Couldn't keep the tears out of my eyes. "We got her when she was 6 weeks old. "The Young Herd" that carried on in 1971 had a new coach, Jack Lengyel. The two didn't get along, according to Dawson. Sketch is matted and framed. He was a defensive end for Marshall in 1970, and was on the chartered plane when it crashed at Tri-State Airport on November 14, 1970. Bear Bryant called Dawson, recommending them. I couldn't go to all of them. Hokie Stone is the native Virginia limestone that makes up many of the buildings on the Virginia Tech campus. We Are Marshall starred Matthew McConaughey as Jack Lengyel, the head coach who took over the program in 1971. That is certainly what was going to happen.". "All these guys, about 50 of them, came out for football. [15], Marshall University President John G. Barker and Vice President Dedmon appointed a memorial committee soon after the crash. Those were diplomas they never had a chance to receive. For Slezak, a retired banker/computer engineer, Saturday's 50th anniversary of the crash is an emotional occasion. The crash was the worst in American sports history. The team and residents of the town still gather together every year in memorial of the fallen fellows. Huntington, West Virginia: The four remaining starters from the 1970 first string team of Marshall University take time out to pause at flower arrangement placed at Marshall Field following the devastating plane crash that killed all 75 aboard. The House of Delegates passed the bill last month. Home Saylor was killed in the plane crash. It was impossible for the remaining Marshall players to forget about their fallen teammates, but they had to when the 1971 season approached. 1970 Marshall Thundering Herd football team, 1970 NCAA University Division independents football records, 1970 NCAA University Division football season, "Memories of Marshall; ex-player says shock of crash never ends", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1970_Marshall_Thundering_Herd_football_team&oldid=1109112752, 1970 NCAA University Division independents football season, Marshall Thundering Herd football seasons, Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using CFB schedule with named parameters, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 8 September 2022, at 01:19. Among the losses were nearly the entire Marshall University football team, coaches, flight crew, numerous fans, and supporters. A bunch of her husband's former linemen were lining the walls of her living room. 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. On November 14, Southern Airways Flight 932, which was chartered by the school to fly the Thundering Herd football team, coaches, and fans to Kinston, North Carolina for a game against the East Carolina Pirates and back to Huntington, crashed on approach to Tri-State Airport after clipping trees just west of the runway and impacting nose-first into a hollow. She traveled to Washington, D.C. for the hearings that were supposed to explain the crash. [22], On Nov. 14, 1970, 75 people died in the worst sports-related air tragedy in U.S. history, when a Southern Airways DC-9 crashed into a hillside nearby.The victims included 36 Marshall University football players, 9 coaches and administrators, 25 fans and air crew of 5.No one survived this horrific disaster.[1]. The trip took 20 hours. In fact, it was stronger than that. "I'm still wondering why.". Mary Jane was persistent. But when the town got together, they decided to continue the team's tradition in remembrance of the loved ones lost on that 1970 night. The five Southern Airlines employees also died in the crash. Mary Jane eventually moved to Richmond, Virginia. It really sort of shapes the fiber in you, of what you are.. Roy Slezak refuses to call it an anniversary. To make matters worse, Marshall was placed on probation by the NCAA because of recruiting violations and alleged payments to its players, the Daily News reported at the time. Lucianne Call hasn't lost much of her cheerleading enthusiasm.
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