[chris]

The Marshall University football team tragedy, a heart-wrenching event that deeply impacted the college sports community, occurred over five decades ago. On November 14, 1970, a chartered Southern Airways Flight 932, carrying the Marshall University football team, coaching staff, and fans, met with a catastrophic accident. The plane crashed into a hill just short of the Tri-State Airport in Kenova, near Huntington, West Virginia, resulting in the tragic loss of all 75 passengers on board.

This calamity is one of the deadliest disasters in U.S. sports history. The aircraft was returning from a game against East Carolina University when it crashed in inclement weather. The victims included 37 football players, eight coaches, 25 boosters, and five flight crew members. This loss left the Marshall University community and the city of Huntington in profound grief.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, the university faced the daunting task of rebuilding its football program. Jack Lengyel was appointed as the new head coach in 1971, tasked with the monumental challenge of resurrecting the team from the ashes of the disaster. The story of the team's emotional journey and recovery was later depicted in the 2006 film "We Are Marshall," starring Matthew McConaughey as Coach Lengyel.

The impact of the crash went beyond just the Marshall University community. It led to significant changes in NCAA rules, particularly regarding the recruitment of student-athletes, allowing schools that had suffered catastrophic events to replenish their rosters.

Every year, Marshall University honors the memory of those lost in the crash. The annual memorial service at the Marshall Memorial Fountain on campus serves as a solemn reminder of the lives cut short. The fountain, which is turned off every November 14th, symbolizes the everlasting effect of the tragedy on the Marshall community and the enduring spirit of the victims and their families.

[Susan]

i love the old photos, they always seem to have something creepy about them.

[Faline]

Great old pics

[chris]

I just watched the movie We Are Marshall so I had to do some research and add these. Great movie by the way, if you have never seen it.

[Kelseecat65]

One of my friends works at the University. She sent me the movie a few years ago - heartbreaking story - awesome movie.

[kellyhound]

tragic.
reminds me of this.

The Munich air disaster occurred on 6 February 1958, when British European Airways Flight 609 crashed on its third attempt to take off from a slush-covered runway at Munich-Riem Airport in Munich, West Germany.

On board the plane was the Manchester United football team, nicknamed the "Busby Babes", along with a number of supporters and journalists.

Twenty of the 44 people on board the aircraft died in the crash. The injured, some of whom were knocked unconscious, were taken to the Rechts der Isar Hospital in Munich where three more died, resulting in a total of 23 fatalities with 21 survivors.

[JohnFrash]

My father played for Marshall. He graduated the year before the crash. I heard that story a lot growing up. Dad would like to make me feel awkward by saying things like, "If I'd have flunked a year, you'd have never been born."

[blancadon]

Thats alot of scrap alumni....err, I mean aluminum.

[diannegrow1]

Rest in peace!

[boominator]

1970 wasn't that long ago and they had color film back then. Wonder why they used b&w film? Sad to lose so many strong healthy young men in an instant.