December 11, 2006, Huntington Tri-State Airport/Milton J. Ferguson Field, Marshall University Thundering Herd football team, 38 22' 27" N. latitude and 82 34' 42" W. longitude, 2013 Conference USA Football Championship game, 1970 Marshall Thundering Herd football team, List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft, Wichita State University football team plane crash, "Marshall crash still looms after 36 years", "Plane crash devastates Marshall University", "The story of the 1970 Marshall Plane Crash", "Tragedy litters the sports landscape: Marshall remains the worst sports-related air disaster", "Reporter recalls memories from worst sports- related air tragedy in US history", "NTSB Aircraft Accident Report Southern Airways Inc. DC-9, N97S, Tri-State Airport, Huntington, West Virginia, November 14, 1970", "People have not forgotten Marshall Crash 30 years ago", "Emotions of tragedy drew Lengyel to Marshall", "Marshall football, 50 years after plane crash, carries on, and remembers", "Akron Alum Jack Lengyel to Receive AFCA's McLaughry Award", "Memorial Fountain designed to represent 'upward growth, immortality, eternality', "Marshall Memorial Bronze unveiled to mix of emotions", "Marker placed at site of crash, Dec. 11, 2006", "43 years later, Marshall still honors memory of fallen players", "Marshall Football to Don '75' Helmets for Remainder of Season", "ECU, Marshall game postponed due to pandemic", Aviation history synopsis of Southern Airways Flight 932 (with photographs), List of victims of Southern Airways Flight 932, PlaneCrashInfo.Com Southern Airways Flight 932 entry, Marshall University Forensic Science Graduate Program, Marshall University South Charleston Campus, Arthur Weisberg Family Engineering Laboratories, Robert C. Byrd Biotechnology Science Center, Evergreen International Airlines Flight 17, 1990 Wayne County Airport runway collision, Capitol International Airways Flight C2C3/26, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Southern_Airways_Flight_932&oldid=1142434206, Aviation accidents and incidents in the United States in 1970, Airliner accidents and incidents in West Virginia, Airliner accidents and incidents involving controlled flight into terrain, Accidents and incidents involving the McDonnell Douglas DC-9, November 1970 events in the United States, Aviation accidents and incidents involving sports teams, Articles with dead external links from May 2018, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 10:15. The crash took the lives of everyone on board -- the pilot, the first officer, two flight attendants, the charter coordinator, 24 Marshall University football fans, nine coaches and 37 players. If her husband was too hard-nosed or too tough, those notions were dispelled in the days after her world was turned upside down. A week later, he died at age 66 as a result of the injury. That's why, when a vet recommended Mary Jane stay home that weekend of Nov. 14 because a tumor had developed in Sturmisch's toe, there was no hesitation. Patricia Smith was adopted and eventually, after exhaustive research, tracked down the identity of her father at age 30. Southern Airways Flight 932 - Wikipedia Wichita Falls is 1,100 miles from Huntington. His football will didn't come back quickly, but something has changed over the years. In fact, it was stronger than that. About 10 years ago at a reunion, Mary Jane glanced across the room. Yes, we hurt, Marshall athletic director Mike Hamrick said. The 6500 lb, 13 ft-high (2900 kg, 4 m-high) sculpture was completed within a year and a half. 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. A sign of renewed life. 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. "We stayed friends forever," Dawson said proudly. Members of the current team also visited a nearby cemetery, where six players from the 1970 team whose bodies were never identified were buried. 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. Accessibility Statement, Privacy Mary Jane Tolley didn't go because the local veterinarian recommended she stay because the couple's dog was sick. Charles Kautz, MU A/D and coaches, 1970 MU football team, b&w. ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? The five Southern Airlines employees also died in the crash. Does FSU or any ACC power actually have options? 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 | I try to think about all the good times and the memories we made, Slezak said. He was the offensive tackle. Southern Airways DC-9, similiar to plane that crashed with MU footballt team, col. (low-res digital image only). 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. It was raining hard, and he remembered seeing ambulances speeding past the group. "At 21, you haven't been familiar with death. Dennis Foley was not on the plane, Bob Harris was killed in the plane crash. "That's something I've never been able to get over because it was so wrong.". Because it was the Herd's only charter flight of the season, boosters and prominent citizens were on the plane, including a city councilman, a state legislator, and four physicians. It was a funeral that never stopped. Carter maintains he was spared because of God's providence. "Where nobody could see me," Dawson said of his hiding spot. MU_PLANE_CRASH. [24], Marshall was scheduled to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the air disaster in their football season opener on August 29, 2020. Scott would call up and say, 'Any time you want to call, you call me night or day. We Are Marshall starred Matthew McConaughey as Jack Lengyel, the head coach who took over the program in 1971. If he had gone with Art Sr., would they have made the same mistake or would they have flown to the correct city? Slezak has realized how fickle life can be. 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. When Lengyel was hired as Tolley's replacement, Dawson stayed but only for a while. Virginia Tech's coach had a plan for the pregame. The Lord watched over me so that he could save me and put me in the ministry to serve him.". "Lord, the first time they asked me to speak at the anniversary, I was a mess," Dawson said. Couldn't keep my voice straight. ", "I just generally felt we lost a great Hokie that day," Beamer said. Sturmisch lived to be 13. A memorial bell tower is being planned for a location on WV 75 near exit 1 along Interstate 64. But I already knew. 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. The airport was not properly equipped. Trademarked and copyrighted images and insignia are the exclusive property of Marshall University. To be honest, when she told me, I didn't believe her because we had never had a plane trip.". Tolley gladly gave Carter time off -- even bought him the plane ticket -- to travel back to bury his father. His jersey hangs in Passaic High School. This site is a memorial to the lives that were lost on that evening; to honor those men and women who made a mark in the hearts of a school, a community and a nation. 128 Marshall Plane Crash Premium High Res Photos - Getty Images [4][9], The effects of the crash on Huntington went far beyond the Marshall campus. 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. Just before 8 pm, the plane crashed into a hill two miles from the Tri-State Airport in Kenova, W.V., where everyone on aboard were killed on impact. 77 memorials. 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. They all had said great things about him. The bronze 1723 ft (57 m) statue was created by artist Burl Jones of Sissonville, West Virginia, and cost $150,000. He returned to find a city, a university and a program in despair. The pair were listening to country music when the bulletin came across that a plane had crashed in Huntington. Without an official designation, she has become the best historian of the events of 50 years ago. [3] The team was returning home after a 1714 loss to the East Carolina Pirates at Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, North Carolina. December 10, 2006 Herald-Dispatch [Huntington]. It was unveiled to thousands 90 minutes before the game with the Miami University RedHawks. Dawson noticed him wiping his eyes. > He and the sycamore have aged well. "He was a tremendous athlete who could do it all. CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- 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 . _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-16729709-1']); Nepal's army and volunteers carry the body of a victim who died in a Yeti Airlines plane crash in Pokhara on January 17, 2023. The solemn ceremony was held around a fountain dedicated to the crash victims on Marshall's Huntington campus. Dedication of Memorial Fountain to MU plane crash victims, Nov. 12, 1972. After the crash, Red Dawson helped bring together a group of players who were on the junior varsity football team during the 1970 season, as well as students and athletes from other sports, to form a 1971 football team.[12]. Hokie Stone is the native Virginia limestone that makes up many of the buildings on the Virginia Tech campus. I never wanted to miss a chance to see Art play.. "It was something the Lord gave her to tell me," Carter said. Back then, Bowden was the wide receivers coach. He went recruiting. During the 1970 college football season, Marshall suffered a devastating loss to East Carolina in week 9 to drop the Thundering Herd to 3-6 on the year. In the following weeks, Lengyel was aided in his attempts by receivers' coach Red Dawson. Rosanna Blake Library of Confederate History, Jim "Shorty" Moss (Offensive Coordinator), Ed Starling (Assistant Director of Athletics), Mark J. Smaha (Assistant Athletic Trainer), Louis A. Peake (Assistant Athletic Trainer), James H. Wilson (Assistant Athletic Trainer), Mervin G. Black (Assistant Equipment Manager), Eugene Jones (Assistant Football Manager), Gerald Sieber (Assistant Football Manager), David W. Byrd (Student Equipment Manager), Special Collections, Morrow Library, On November 14, 1970 a DC-9 airliner carrying the Marshall University football team, coaches, and supporters crashed on final approach to Tri-State Airport n. This is not what you wanted to hear. The 1970 Marshall Thundering Herd football team was an American football team that represented Marshall University as an independent during the 1970 NCAA University Division football season. 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. On a rainy hill side in Wayne County, West Virginia, the lives of 75 people were lost in the worst single air tragedy in NCAA sports history. His close friend and neighbor, Art Harris Jr., was one of the Marshall players who died. Dawson was not on the plane when it crashed. "Anniversaries are supposed to be happy," Slezak said . The team originally planned to cancel the flight, but changed plans and chartered the Southern Airways DC-9. Charlie had given his wife a manifest before he left. Her flight made it safely back to that same Tri-State Airport the Marshall plane never reached. Shortly thereafter, he surrendered his life to Christ. The event marked a boundary by which an entire community would forever measure time before or after The Crash. The Thundering Herd upset Xavier, 15-13, in an emotional victory for the ages. While in the air, the plane struck a tree on a tall hill and crashed to the ground. "People still talk about that," Hamrick said. Beamer had brought a special Hokie Stone inscribed with Loria's name. Frank Loria is third from left. The two had breakfast together and talked for hours. They even won a couple of games. "I'm still wondering why.". In the next second, though, the co-pilot quickly calls out new readings, "hundred and twenty-six hundred", and the sounds of impact immediately follow. The college town agreed with him. "I got a call from our operations guy. Gone were sons, fathers, mothers, classmates and fraternity brothers. "You have to realize he had to tell several, several players' families, all the ones that he recruited. The return became the subject of the film, "We Are Marshall". Or would he have gotten on the plane himself? I knew as soon as I saw the police car. "Al" Saylor, #88,1970 MU Football team, b&w. This time, they decided if all couldn't go, none of them could go. At that time, I thought I was a pretty bad-ass man.". Loria had been a two-time All-American at Virginia Tech. Classes at Marshall, along with numerous events and shows by the Marshall Artists Series (and the football team's game against the Ohio Bobcats), were cancelled and government offices were closed. Unprepared, Dawson was named acting coach. There are gravesites at Spring Hill Cemetery bearing the remains of six Marshall players from the crash who could never be identified. (aka "The Marshall University Football Team Crash") November 14th, 1970. All 75 people on board died. After the plane crash, she became the only thing that I had.". Tri-State airport installed a glide slope using federal funds in 1972. 13,739 Plane Crash Victim Premium High Res Photos Some who were left off the flight, did not make the trip or lost loved ones spent the next five decades with crippling questions that had no answers. In its second season under head coach Rick Tolley . In its second season under head coach Rick Tolley, the team compiled a 36 record and was outscored by a total of 202 to 138. It was donated to the university by Marshall fans and is attached to Joan C. Edwards Stadium on the west faade. (Sholten Singer/The Herald-Dispatch via AP), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. No one could have imagined how deep a downward spiral Marshall University's football program would face in the late 1960's. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. They did care a lot about him. There was no playbook, and nobody had been in that position before.". They met once a year, Red Dawson and the sycamore tree he picked out that was large enough to hide behind. Four of the crash victims were students in her class, and Marshall faculty were sent to attend the funerals. Griffith died in the 1970 plane crash. Rick played football at nearby Virginia Tech. (Bettmann/Bettmann Archive), "'We Are Marshall' just stuck," Smith said. Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. They couldn't take the tough routine. To this day, she isn't satisfied. 10:00 am ET. Memorial newspaper page from The Herald-Advertiser. Not only that, she happened to be on a flight during 9/11. It really sort of shapes the fiber in you, of what you are.. Art Harris, #22, 1970 MU Football team, b&w. Tolley's grave was moved up there a few years ago. briefly mourned after the 17-14 defeat, but what happened after the game shook the school and the town to its core. (JACK BURNETT/AP), "We carry on the legacy for them, but even after all those who were personally connected are gone, those guys still deserve to be remembered because it's just a travesty, what happened. Most of his teammates were gone, forever. [19], On November 11, 2000, the We Are Marshall Memorial Bronze was dedicated. Al Carelli, Jr., Assistant coach, 1970 MU Football team, b&w. Holliday wants to make a date to come out and hunt turkeys on Dawson's 400 acres outside of town. 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). He was the center. I'll be right over.' "I was wondering when somebody is going to come up and say, 'You can't do that,' " Dawson said. Things were going swimmingly two weeks before the East Carolina game. Home The NCAA made an exception for the Thundering Herd. On a rainy hill side in Wayne County, West Virginia, the lives of 75 people were lost in the worst single air tragedy in NCAA sports history. And on Saturday, the 16th-ranked football team won, defeating Middle Tennessee 42-14. Dawson and Parker were buying boiled peanuts at a country store in rural Virginia when they heard the news over the radio. Middle guard Ed Carter was back in Wichita Falls, Texas, that terrible day to bury his father. "That was the biggest farce you've ever seen," she said. Coach, 1971 Young Thundering Herd, Al Carelli, Jr., Assistant coach, 1970 MU Football team, Allen Gene Skeens, #59,1970 MU Football team, Barry W. Nash, #35, 1970 MU Football team, Bobby Joe Hill, #41, 1970 MU Football team, Center Dennis Foley (#55) centers ball to Bob Harris (#12),1970 MU Football team, Charles A. 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. ". So were the religious types who were too numerous for their messages to get through. A number of the victims are buried in a grave site in the Spring Hill Cemetery in Huntington; 20th Street between Joan C. Edwards Stadium, Marshall's current on-campus football stadium, and Spring Hill Cemetery was renamed Marshall Memorial Boulevard in honor of the crash victims. [4] The controllers advised the crew that "rain, fog, smoke and a ragged ceiling" were at the airport, making landing more difficult, but possible. Please first navigate to a specific Image before printing. Caption on back reads: "Saturday Nov. 14, 1970. About "I didn't do anything except for fishing, hunting and construction work," he said. New Bern National Cemetery. The aircraft was a 95-seat, twin-jet engine Douglas DC-9-30 with tail registration N97S. The tragedy shocked the town of Huntington in the worst way imaginable. Barry W. Nash, #35,1970 MU Football team, b&w. Cemetery Visibility: Public. Roy Slezak refuses to call it an anniversary. They Are Marshall: 50 years after the plane crash, those closest to the That was an overwhelming responsibility.". He recalled talking at length with some of his counterparts at Wichita State, and how they leaned on each other for support. 16 and undefeated at 6-0. The event marked a boundary by which an entire community would forever . Among the losses were nearly the entire Marshall University football team, coaches, flight crew, numerous fans, and supporters. Officials at the site of the Nov. 14, 1970, Marshall University plane crash at Tri-State Airport in Kenova, W.Va., secure a charred engine for removal to an airport hangar. Instead, the descent continued for another 300ft (91m) for unknown reasons, apparently without either crew member actually seeing the airport lights or runway. At age 78, there's a part of Dawson that questions whether fate is the lone reason he is not among those being memorialized rather than those observing it. What good is it going to do anybody?' People would come to the house and say this was meant to happen. College Football Player, Plane Crash Victim. We Are Marshall was the rallying cry for the Thundering Herds football program in 1970. I told him, 'I'm afraid those guys are going to hate you because you're so hard on them.' Sketch is matted and framed. We'll look at what happened to the Marshall University football program as a . [20], On December 11, 2006, a memorial plaque was dedicated at the plane crash site. That was the era before the color barrier had been broken in the SEC. Marshall's Plane Crash Happened 52 Years Ago, But the Memory Still Remains. And then, after the game, if Slezak had been there, would that have deterred Art Sr. from getting on the plane? "They were all crying, all these huge linemen," Mary Jane said. "It was just a little school in the hills," Mary Jane said. - The Yeti Airlines flight with 68. Carter will be thinking about "thanking the Lord for his grace and mercy, watching over me and sparing my life." The Tolleys loved their German Shepherd. Who were the victims of the Marshall University plane crash? "It made you wretch," Brunner said, "and I did several times.". " Carter said. ". Spring Hill Cemetery, site of the Marshall Memorial for the 75 plane crash victims. Every one of the 75 people on board died in the crash. She would just listen to the game on the radio. 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. The following offseason, Dawson went to a national coaching convention. Dawson was retained by Tolley. William Alfred "Red" Dawson, Acting Head Coach, 1971 Young Thundering Herd MU Football team, 1st spring practice, April 1971, b&w. Marshall University, 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. She has all of them, including an image of offensive guard John "Jimo" Adams, whose daughter Patricia was born the day her father was buried. Marshall Plane Crash: Remembering the Tragedy 52 Years Ago - FanBuzz Anniversaries are supposed to be happy, Slezak said from his home in New Mexico. Patient as an elementary school teacher but also unrelenting. [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. "As I listened to the scriptures," Carter said, "the Lord has purpose for each one of our lives.". All six players would later be put to rest underground at the Spring Hill Cemetery just near Marshall University. He played Defensive end. He was like a sounding board.". Harris Sr. told Slezak he had to keep his promises. Officials at the site of the Nov. 14, 1970, Marshall University plane crash at Tri-State Airport in Kenova, W.Va., secure a charred engine for removal to an airport hangar. 1970 aviation accident in West Virginia, United States, A Southern Airways Douglas DC-9 similar to the aircraft involved in the accident, Pinkston, Antwon. 37 of them were members of the football team. Two years ago, Oliver, the personable quarterback, leaned back in a chair. An unfathomable 37 families were forced to mourn the death of their sons that fateful day. "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. Red Dawson was admittedly bitter. [8], The board made three recommendations as a result of this accident, including recommendations for heads-up displays, ground proximity warning devices, and surveillance and inspection of flight operations. It was the worst single air tragedy in NCAA sports history. 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. The next day, Mary Jane was gone. Bear Bryant called Dawson, recommending them. The tragedy was depicted in the movie We Are Marshall (2006) and the documentary film Marshall University: Ashes to Glory (2000). "I didn't want anybody to see me crying. "You couldn't count on it," Dawson said. "Al" Saylor, #88,1970 MU Football team, Charles Kautz, MU A/D and coaches, 1970 MU football team, Dave Griffith, #81, 1970 MU Football team. Across the nation, many expressed their condolences. During the 1970 college football season, Marshall suffered a devastating loss to East Carolina in week 9 to drop the Thundering Herd to 3-6 on the year. The official cause for the crash was either altimeter malfunction or pilot error. Slezak originally agreedbut said it would mean breaking a date. Carter can't recall how a Marshall assistant found his film in the late 1960s. Saylor was killed in the plane crash. When it came time to return, Carter's mother Sarah urged him to stay at home. We Are Marshall.. Dawson eventually became a successful construction company owner. [21], November 14, 2013, marked the first time that Marshall had played a road game on an anniversary of the disaster. 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. They arrived shortly before sunrise. W.Va. State historical marker 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. > 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. The 1970 Marshall University Football Team Plane Crash "I asked her many, many times [why she urged him to stay] before she passed," Carter said. He met with former Marshall coach Red Dawson, who gave away his seat on the plane that night. There are so many stories of folks who either got a spot on the plane at the last minute or were bumped off. Southern Airways Flight 932. "He said: 'Your husband is in the plane, too.' [2][7] The plane burst into flames and created a swath of charred ground 95ft (29m) wide and 279ft (85m) long. She spoke of her husband's early days as an assistant at Ferrum Junior College in Virginia. DeBord died in the 1970 plane crash. This college football 1970s season article is a stub. I couldn't go to all of them. "You're not supposed to let people see you cry.". But for the university and the entire community, it left a huge void. Center Dennis Foley (#55) centers ball to Bob Harris (#12) in a scrimmage,1970 MU Football team, b&w. The actual damage was incalculable. 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. Slezak went to visit Marshall in 2011, saying it was on his bucket list. 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).