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. Charles Kautz, MU A/D and coaches, 1970 MU football team, b&w. Virginia Tech's coach had a plan for the pregame. Dawson was not on the plane when it crashed. "I believe I want to be buried up there with my boys," Dawson said. The next day, Mary Jane was gone. Digitized University Archives Collections. They further stated, "The Board has been unable to determine the reason for this [greater] descent, although the two most likely explanations are (a) improper use of cockpit instrumentation data, or (b) an altimetry system error. It all began with a three-year long losing streak from season 1966-69. Carter can't recall how a Marshall assistant found his film in the late 1960s. His body was not identified and he is buried with five other unidentified players in the Springhill Cemetery. 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. - The Yeti Airlines flight with 68. During that ceremony, Gilbert spoke eloquently about the 75 souls again. If her husband was too hard-nosed or too tough, those notions were dispelled in the days after her world was turned upside down. DAntoni is now Marshalls basketball coach. Loria became Marshall's defensive backs coach in 1970. But that begs the very human question of why God spared him and not those on the plane? At the time of the crash, Harris Jr. led Marshall in rushing and kick returns. 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. Patient as an elementary school teacher but also unrelenting. Shannon died in the plane crash. "Straightforward, old time" is how Dawson described him. 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. That bitterness lingered. 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. "Oh sure, you ask yourself, 'Why did I miss it and all my friends and coaches were killed?' In the following weeks, Lengyel was aided in his attempts by receivers' coach Red Dawson. When he passed, Loria's wife was pregnant with Frank Loria Jr. Beamer guided the buses to the memorial. Back rfeads: 1st MU practice Spring 1971, Coach Red Dawson. > The pair were listening to country music when the bulletin came across that a plane had crashed in Huntington. Loria had been a two-time All-American at Virginia Tech. It was a rainy night. 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). Sketch is matted and framed. W.Va. State historical marker 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. He was the center. I try to think about all the good times and the memories we made, Slezak 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. "He was a tremendous athlete who could do it all. On Saturday, it will be Middle Tennessee State. "I'm still wondering why.". It signified the teams unity as not just a football team, but one family. Middle guard Ed Carter was back in Wichita Falls, Texas, that terrible day to bury his father. Offering Aviation History & Adventure First-Hand! [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 really sort of shapes the fiber in you, of what you are.. 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. On Friday, the 36 players who died in the crash received degrees from Marshall in their fields of study. Red Dawson was admittedly bitter. The NCAA granted Marshall permission to use freshmen on the varsity squad, something which was not allowed at the time. It forever changed my life, Smith said. The movie details the tragic deaths of nearly the entire football program in 1970 and the rebuilding of a school and town all at once. | 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. "Nobody did anything. 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. Marshall's defensive coordinator did not return home with the team. Her recollections of the crash's aftermath are split. No one will ever know exactly how Harris Sr. ended up on the plane. Charles Kautz is third from right, with tie. The Hokies were in town to play the Herd. Normally in that situation, the cheerleaders would draw straws to see who went. MU plane crash historical marker, Wayne County, W.Va., col. (low-res digital image only). From that moment, we became one family.. 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. When police needed a list of those on the plane, they came to the Kautzes' home. Aircraft and crew. That day nine years ago, "Frank Beamer became a very special person in my mind," Hamrick said. Charlie Kautz was Marshall's athletic director in 1970. 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. Wichita Falls is 1,100 miles from Huntington. Shortly thereafter, he surrendered his life to Christ. 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. "You sissy," Dawson said. A sign of renewed life. This is not what you wanted to hear. "They were all crying, all these huge linemen," Mary Jane said. And on Saturday, the 16th-ranked football team won, defeating Middle Tennessee 42-14. "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. Marshall football plane crash was 50 years ago, but victim's friend can't forget that day. By JOHN RABY February 15, 2023. Thats what we are doing today.. Bear Bryant called Dawson, recommending them. "All these guys, about 50 of them, came out for football. The Lord watched over me so that he could save me and put me in the ministry to serve him.". 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. [21] The ceremony featured guest speakers Dawson and Hardin. "He said: 'Your husband is in the plane, too.' Marshall decided to continue the football program. 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. The tragedy was depicted in the movie We Are Marshall (2006) and the documentary film Marshall University: Ashes to Glory (2000). Printing is not supported at the primary Gallery Thumbnail page. Harris, I have bad news.' [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. The House of Delegates passed the bill last month. > 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. Dawson and Parker were buying boiled peanuts at a country store in rural Virginia when they heard the news over the radio. In its second season under head coach Rick Tolley . One day, she rounded a corner in her house. I had 75 angels there.". "I could hear the speeches and see what was going on [from behind the tree]," he said. 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. No one prepared her for what was next. [3] The team was returning home after a 1714 loss to the East Carolina Pirates at Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, North Carolina. 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. The airliner's crew was Captain Frank Abbot (47), First Officer Jerry Smith (28), plus two flight attendants. 2023 Marshall University. All 75 passengers on the team plane were killed in the crash, including 37 members of the Marshall University football team, eight football coaches, including head coach Rick Tolley, athletic director Charlie Kautz, 25 boosters and five flight crew members. After a year as Wake Forest's defensive line coach, Tolley was hired at Marshall in 1969. [21], November 14, 2013, marked the first time that Marshall had played a road game on an anniversary of the disaster. "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. David Debord, #76, 1970 MU Football team, b&w. [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 was also the offensive line coach. I couldn't go to all of them. Charlie Kautz had lived long enough to give away Lucianne at her wedding only five months earlier. 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]. 1970 Crash Victims. history.[6]. The following offseason, Dawson went to a national coaching convention. Anniversaries are supposed to be happy, Slezak said from his home in New Mexico. 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. Among those in the fountain audience were four football players from East Carolina who played in that 1970 game. "[7] The remains of six passengers were never identified. I knew as soon as I saw the police car. Home Carter will be thinking about "thanking the Lord for his grace and mercy, watching over me and sparing my life." Private. All three were killed in the plane crash. | He and the sycamore have aged well. He said,'Mrs. That was the era before the color barrier had been broken in the SEC. "I got a call from our operations guy. 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. "[7] The airliner left Stallings Field at Kinston, North Carolina, and the flight proceeded to Huntington without incident. 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. [2], The original proposal to charter the flight was refused because it would exceed "the takeoff limitations of their aircraft". Just like winter leads to spring, these bad memories now lead us to, I think, a day of celebration, Woelfel said. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. When it came time to return, Carter's mother Sarah urged him to stay at home. 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. Wayne County Democratic Sen. Robert Plymale was 15 at the time and was with friends in Kenova, near the airport. 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. The Tolleys were ingrained in the community. [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.