Six weeks before the Marshall tragedy, a plane carrying members of the Wichita State football team crashed in Colorado, killing 31 people. A bunch of her husband's former linemen were lining the walls of her living room. Charlie Kautz had lived long enough to give away Lucianne at her wedding only five months earlier. Harris Sr. told Slezak he had to keep his promises. 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. There is still a hint of that strapping tight end's body. But I already knew. His body was not identified and he is buried with five other unidentified players in the Springhill Cemetery. There was no playbook, and nobody had been in that position before.". One year later, the unthinkable happened. HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) Marshall University commemorated the 50th anniversary of one of the worst sports disasters in U.S. history Saturday, a plane crash that killed most of the football team. "My wonder was, 'Why? They turned around, headed back home and immediately got lost. Memorial newspaper page from The Herald-Advertiser. He became acting head coach in 1971, and formed the "Young Thundering Herd". 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. > var _gaq = _gaq || []; "I took the phone, but Mrs. Shoebridge was crying hysterically. In fact, it was stronger than that. Rick, he ran them off. At the time of the crash, Harris Jr. led Marshall in rushing and kick returns. 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. These are some of their stories, 50 years later. (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. This goes deep, Plymale said. The tragedy shocked the town of Huntington in the worst way imaginable. 77 memorials. He went recruiting. I just hung up the phone. "I asked her many, many times [why she urged him to stay] before she passed," Carter said. At 7:34pm, the airliner's crew reported passing Tri-State Airport's outer marker. Joe Hood, Larry Sanders, Robert Van Horn and Freddy Wilson had come from Druid High School. Among those who were not on the Marshall plane were Red Dawson, an assistant coach who was driving on a recruiting trip and was heading home when he learned about the crash. "The Young Herd" that carried on in 1971 had a new coach, Jack Lengyel. It is the center of activity of the campus. [21], November 14, 2013, marked the first time that Marshall had played a road game on an anniversary of the disaster. 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. They told the police they want to go to Spring Hill Cemetery. That included 37 Marshall football players, 25 team boosters, multiple coaches and team doctors, and Marshalls athletic director. They couldn't see. The actual damage was incalculable. 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. 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. "I didn't want anybody to see me crying. Tolley's grave was moved up there a few years ago. Following its plane crash, Wichita State was granted similar permission to use freshmen on the varsity to resume its 1970 season. Banners will be raised across the Marshall campus bearing their images. Smith became the football team's spokesperson at the annual ceremony, where he delivers an annual message to parents, siblings, friends and coworkers of the victims who are still heartbroken by the tragedy that takes them back in time. "It was losing faith in these ministers. The NCAA granted Marshall permission to use freshmen on the varsity squad, something which was not allowed at the time. "You couldn't count on it," Dawson said. We Are Marshall starred Matthew McConaughey as Jack Lengyel, the head coach who took over the program in 1971. He wanted them to learn about the Frank Loria he admired so much. It has taken her more than a year. He was taken away way too soon.". Forty years from the time they had last seen each other -- the day before the crash -- the teacher saw the student and asked, "Soletta, is that you?". [7]:37, On November 15, 1970, a memorial service was held at the indoor, 8,500-seat Veterans Memorial Fieldhouse with moments of silence, remembrances, and prayers. He said, No, you keep your commitment, that is what you do, there will be other games, Slezak said. Charles A. var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); The Unexpected Death of University of Connecticut Football Player Jasper Howard. Marshall's defensive coordinator did not return home with the team. Most of his teammates were gone, forever. At 7:36 p.m. Nov. 14, 1970, Southern Airways Flight 932 crashed into a hill just short of the Tri-State Airport, killing all 75 people on board. The event marked a boundary by which an entire community would forever measure time before or after The Crash. "This was the first time dad was so proud that we were going [to fly] first class," Call said. Carter maintains he was spared because of God's providence. 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. A memorial fountain will be turned off the same time it is every year only to be turned back on in the spring. Instead, the descent continued for another 300ft (91m) for unknown reasons, apparently without either crew member actually seeing the airport lights or runway. She traveled to Washington, D.C. for the hearings that were supposed to explain the crash. I'll be right over.' Dawson eventually became a successful construction company owner. "It was not a premonition. Dennis Foley was not on the plane, Bob Harris was killed in the plane crash. Prior to the state Senate's unanimous vote Wednesday, the chamber held a moment of silence for the crash victims at . Offering Aviation History & Adventure First-Hand! "He had a great future in front of him. Pure chance, some cases. The two played in the same defensive backfield for Virginia Tech in the late 1960s. That is certainly what was going to happen.". "The Lord has been good to me," he concluded. "Straightforward, old time" is how Dawson described him. [4], The NTSB investigated the accident and its final report was issued on April 14, 1972. Charles Kautz, MU A/D and coaches, 1970 MU football team, b&w. New Bern National Cemetery. The two didn't get along, according to Dawson. He recalled talking at length with some of his counterparts at Wichita State, and how they leaned on each other for support. Southern Airways DC-9, similiar to plane that crashed with MU footballt team, col. (low-res digital image only). They did care a lot about him. Plymale said 64 children lost one or both of their parents in the crash. The return became the subject of the film, "We Are Marshall". Jack Lengyel was hired as the new coach in 1971. "God has a time for each one of us," Carter said. Patricia Smith was adopted and eventually, after exhaustive research, tracked down the identity of her father at age 30. 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 University's football team. The airport was not properly equipped. He was the center. Dedication of Memorial Fountain to MU plane crash victims, Nov. 12, 1972. Sort By. After suffering the loss to East Carolina on Nov. 14, 1970, a majority of the Marshall team boarded Southern Airlines Flight 932. "That had taken a toll on my football coaching, a lot of bad things. The crash was the worst in American sports history. The solemn ceremony was held around a fountain dedicated to the crash victims on Marshall's Huntington campus. It is based upon ideas by John and Ann Krieger of Huntington. [1][2], The plane was carrying 37 members of the Marshall University Thundering Herd football team, eight members of the coaching staff, 25 boosters, two pilots, two flight attendants, and a charter coordinator. The inspiring story even made it to the big screen in 2006. The pair were listening to country music when the bulletin came across that a plane had crashed in Huntington. The House of Delegates passed the bill last month. They had met in Roanoke, Virginia, where she taught. At age 69, the former Marshall defender calls himself a "traveling preacher." The Flight Crew of Southern Airways Flight 932: Captain Frank H. Abbott, Jr. , aged 47, was employed by Southern Airways, Inc., on July 21, 1949. Dawson and Parker were buying boiled peanuts at a country store in rural Virginia when they heard the news over the radio. 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. "I can remember the hurt in my stomach like it was yesterday," Beamer said. The weather conditions were poor, mist and light rain with broken clouds at 500 feet. An Equal Opportunity University. Please first navigate to a specific Image before printing. Before the trip, they were scheduled to go on a recruiting mission to Ferrum College after the ECUMarshall game, in an ultimately unsuccessful effort to recruit junior college linebacker Billy Joe Mantooth. As part of an annual rite, the fountain was turned off at the end of the service and will be turned back on in the spring. 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. 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. He said, 'What the hell is going on with Virginia Tech?' - The Yeti Airlines flight with 68. Among them were Dr. Ray Hagley, who was a Marshall team physician, and his wife. All Rights Reserved. After the plane crash, she became the only thing that I had.". The rebuilding was the subject of the 2006 movie We are Marshall starring Matthew McConaughey as Lengyel. "They were all crying, all these huge linemen," Mary Jane said. Her recollections of the crash's aftermath are split. Authorities continually brought "old charred things" to her hoping to gain the identity of victims. God's providence? After the crash, Carter took a bus back to West Virginia. 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. 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. Near Huntington, West Virginia. 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. Her flight made it safely back to that same Tri-State Airport the Marshall plane never reached. Loria had been a two-time All-American at Virginia Tech. Plymale said his mother was a professor at Marshall. Patient as an elementary school teacher but also unrelenting. 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. She would just listen to the game on the radio. " Carter said. [11] Dawson was a coach from the previous staff who had driven back from the East Carolina game along with Gail Parker, a freshman coach. 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. 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. 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,
37 of them were members of the football team. After the game, 37 members of the Marshall football team, its coaching staff, team doctors, University Athletic Director Charles E. Kautz, and some 25 team fans and boosters boarded Southern Airway Flight 932 and departed from Kinston, North Carolina at 6:38 p.m. en route to the Tri-State Airport outside Kenova, West Virginia. [21] The ceremony featured guest speakers Dawson and Hardin. "Kenova to dedicate crash memorial Monday." It was the worst single air tragedy in NCAA sports history. Report: Big 12 in recent contact with Pac-12 schools, Rules committee proposes change to speed up games, Saban unhappy over proposed permanent rivals, USC coach Lincoln Riley builds the perfect QB. Holliday wants to make a date to come out and hunt turkeys on Dawson's 400 acres outside of town. Accessibility Statement, Privacy In 2000, at age 50, Call became a flight attendant with USAir Express. This college football 1970s season article is a stub. "I kept thinking he [Arthur Sr.] would drive up in the car," said Maja Harris, Art Jr.s mother and Art Sr.s wife. "[7]:36 At least one source says that water that had seeped into the plane's altimeter could have thrown off its height readings, leading the pilots to believe the plane was higher than was actually the case. 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. Among the losses were nearly the entire Marshall University football team, coaches, flight crew, numerous fans, and supporters. Marshall decided to continue the football program. ", "I just generally felt we lost a great Hokie that day," Beamer said. Huntington, WV 25755. He was 37. Carter wants everyone to know God chose him to survive for that purpose. 00:00 / 00:00. When it came time to return, Carter's mother Sarah urged him to stay at home. "He wasn't a real big guy, but I don't know how many ballcarriers he hit and knocked them back in the direction they came from," Beamer said. His body could not be identified, and with five other players, they were all buried. briefly mourned after the 17-14 defeat, but what happened after the game shook the school and the town to its core. Griffith died in the 1970 plane crash. Tri-State airport installed a glide slope using federal funds in 1972. On November 14, 1970, the team was flying back from a game against East Carolina. "Shoulda, coulda, woulda.". If her husband was too hard-nosed or too tough, those notions were dispelled in the days after her world was turned upside down. Allen Gene Skeens, #59, 1970 MU Football team, b&w. Skeens was killed in the plane crash. Dave Griffith, #81, 1970 MU Football team, b&w. Although the airport runway has since been lengthened past its original threshold, making historical measurements more difficult, the NTSB official report provides, "the accident occurred during hours of darkness at 38 22' 27" N. latitude and 82 34' 42" W. "Nobody did anything. That begins to describe some of that enduring guilt. I try to think about all the good times and the memories we made, Slezak said. He never did try to preach to me. Roy Slezak refuses to call it an anniversary. Loria became Marshall's defensive backs coach in 1970. It was raining hard, and he remembered seeing ambulances speeding past the group. 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. 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. The following offseason, Dawson went to a national coaching convention. The NCAA made an exception for the Thundering Herd. 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. "It made you wretch," Brunner said, "and I did several times.". Libraries I had 75 angels there.". Football seeped out of his life. "It was horrible because it was a non-ending funeral. HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) Marshall University commemorated the 50th anniversary of one of the worst sports disasters in U.S. history Saturday, a plane crash that killed most of the football team. This event taught me how to celebrate someones life. Later in the season, Marshall also upset Bowling Green State, 12-10. From that moment, we became one family.. "You have to realize he had to tell several, several players' families, all the ones that he recruited. It forever changed my life, Smith said. "I could hear the speeches and see what was going on [from behind the tree]," he said. There are so many stories of folks who either got a spot on the plane at the last minute or were bumped off. Al Carelli, Jr., Assistant coach, 1970 MU Football team, b&w. (Bettmann/Bettmann Archive), "'We Are Marshall' just stuck," Smith said. NFL player and Marshall alum Joseph "Lee" Smith, told buffalobills.com that at one point, there would "never be another football team" at Marshall following the devastation the town faced. Roy Slezak refuses to call it an anniversary. "We got her when she was 6 weeks old. Kautz died in the 1970 plane crash. Its still considered the worst air disaster in American sports history. At 7:36pm on November 14, 1970, the aircraft crashed into a hill just short of the Tri-State Airport, killing all 75 people on board in what has been recognized as "the worst sports-related air tragedy in U.S. On November 12, 1972, the Memorial Fountain was dedicated at the entrance of the Memorial Student Center. Rick Tolley is behind him. ". The Ceredo and Kenova fire departments were recognized at the event. "As I listened to the scriptures," Carter said, "the Lord has purpose for each one of our lives.". In 1968, Dawson was hired by new Marshall coach Perry Moss as defensive coordinator. He was the center. 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. Red Dawson was admittedly bitter. [2], The original proposal to charter the flight was refused because it would exceed "the takeoff limitations of their aircraft". No one prepared her for what was next. In 2006, Hollywood turned that inspiring slogan into one of the greatest sports movies ever made. I don't think I believed it.. On the 50th anniversary, they're both still around. 1. 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. Frank Loria was one of Beamer's best friends. "All of them were fighting and arguing over each other about whose fault it was. Caption on back reads: "Saturday Nov. 14, 1970. David Debord, #76, 1970 MU Football team, b&w. 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. "For years, it was just a total devastating thing," Call said. Spring Hill Cemetery, site of the Marshall Memorial for the 75 plane crash victims. There were 64 children who became orphans after losing one or both parents on the flight. The two had breakfast together and talked for hours. If he had gone with Art Sr., would they have made the same mistake or would they have flown to the correct city? Does FSU or any ACC power actually have options? 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." They left behind six children who were being babysat by Dan DAntoni, a 23-year-old assistant with the Marshall basketball program in 1970. My Account He was an incredible all-around athlete. When Lengyel was hired as Tolley's replacement, Dawson stayed but only for a while. There were injured players who stayed behind. "Where nobody could see me," Dawson said of his hiding spot. "I'm still wondering why.". "He was a tremendous athlete who could do it all. The team finished the 1971 season with a 2-8 record, but just winning a single game was a miracle after what Marshall went through a season prior. Mary Jane was the perfect coach's wife. They became friends and fished together. That game did not occur due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [20], On December 11, 2006, a memorial plaque was dedicated at the plane crash site. 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. Marshall University. Normally in that situation, the cheerleaders would draw straws to see who went. We Are Marshall.. The Thundering Herd upset Xavier, 15-13, in an emotional victory for the ages. And then, after the game, if Slezak had been there, would that have deterred Art Sr. from getting on the plane? On Friday, the 36 players who died in the crash received degrees from Marshall in their fields of study. 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. Marshall fans and residents of Huntington, W.V. (Sholten Singer/The Herald-Dispatch via AP), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. 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. Frank Hall Abbott Jr. 18 Mar 1923 - 14 Nov 1970. New coach Jack Lengyel, Marshall University students, and Thundering Herd football fans convinced acting Marshall president, Donald N. Dedmon, to reconsider cancelling the program in late 1970. The official cause for the crash was either altimeter malfunction or pilot error. Fifty-two years ago, Huntington, West Virginia, was home to what has been called the worst disaster in United States sports history. Saylor was killed in the plane crash. Carelli was killed in the Mu plane crash. 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. Im glad that were going to honor them for each year in this way from here on out.. The Druid Four did and were all killed in the crash. [12] Lengyel led the Thundering Herd to a 933 record during his tenure, which ended after the 1974 season. Marshall is ranked No. Beamer had brought a special Hokie Stone inscribed with Loria's name. "That was the biggest farce you've ever seen," she said. 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. Charles Kautz is third from right, with tie. FAQ Among those in the fountain audience were four football players from East Carolina who played in that 1970 game. He has accomplished that goal. Marshall University honors the 75 lives lost in the 1970 plane crash tragedy during the 48th Annual Memorial Service on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018 . For Slezak, a retired banker/computer engineer, Saturday's 50th anniversary of the crash is an emotional occasion. Virginia Tech's coach had a plan for the pregame. Lives were shattered. 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. 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 . He was the offensive tackle. Scott would call up and say, 'Any time you want to call, you call me night or day. In the days before instant news, the fog of tragedy took time to lift. (AP Photo/John Raby, File), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news, left behind six children who were being babysat. On the way down, he realized -- only by the light of a fire -- that the log was actually a body. Some who were left off the flight and did not make the trip or lost loved ones spent the next five decades with crippling questions that had no answers. From there, he could see them talk, cry, even reminisce about the largest air disaster in United States sports history. William Alfred "Red" Dawson, Acting Head Coach, 1971 Young Thundering Herd MU Football team, 1st spring practice, April 1971, b&w. 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. Artwork by Eugene Payne, Staff Artist, The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, N.C.". Eventually, Rick won over their hearts and minds. 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. To this day, she isn't satisfied. Following a 17-14 loss, he was driving down with a graduate assistant to recruit a linebacker -- out of Ferrum of all places -- Billy Joe Mantooth. At that time, I thought I was a pretty bad-ass man.". The NCAA repealed that prohibition at its annual convention in January 1972. 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. "It was something the Lord gave her to tell me," Carter said. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Parker flew to the game, but did not fly back, having switched places with Deke Brackett, another coach. His close friend and neighbor, Art Harris Jr., was one of the Marshall players who died. If you play football at Marshall University, you have a role to make sure that's never forgotten.". Back rfeads: 1st MU practice Spring 1971, Coach Red Dawson. Fr. With 37 players gone due to the horrific tragedy, the NCAA allowed Marshalls freshmen players to suit up the next season. The bill establishes that Nov. 14 will become a special memorial day in remembrance of the crash. Slezak believes Harris Sr. flew to the wrong city Greenville, South Carolina, instead of Greenville, North Carolina, where East Carolina is located. We each lost one or more family members, said Call, the ceremonys keynote speaker. [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. > Digital Collections 16 and undefeated at 6-0. The flight shouldve been nothing more than a formality, but the team would never reach their destination back in Huntington. One John Marshall Drive,
Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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 the hillside nearby. [15], Marshall University President John G. Barker and Vice President Dedmon appointed a memorial committee soon after the crash. "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. In the transcript of their cockpit communications in the final minutes, the pilots briefly debated that their autopilot had "captured" for a glide slope descent, although the airport was only equipped with a localizer. The team and residents of the town still gather together every year in memorial of the fallen fellows. Tottenham Hotspur players observe a minutes silence for the victims of the plane crash involving the Brazilian club Chapecoense prior to the Premier. He was also the offensive line coach. 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.