Marshall U. marks anniversary of infamous plane crash

By Courtney Williamson

The plane crash that took the lives of 75 Marshall U. football players will never be forgotten.

Shawna Hatten, senior psychology major at Marshall, said she remembers one player in a particularly different way.

“I had heard throughout my life about how good a person my cousin was,” Hatten said. “I wanted a lasting memory that will be with me no matter where I go.”

Hatten said remembering the entire team is important to her.

“I wanted something to commemorate not only his memory but keep other players’ memory alive as well,” Hatten said. “This way, people can ask what my tattoo is, and I can tell them the story.”

Hatten’s cousin was sophomore Michael Blake, who played on the offensive line and perished in the 1970 crash.

The words, “From the ashes we rose” are tattooed on Hatten’s foot and caught the eye of one of her professors, Louis Peake.

Peake, history professor, said he is all too familiar with the crash.

He was one of five athletic trainers for the 1970 Thundering Herd football team who alternated game coverage. Two trainers attended each away game, but when it came time for Marshall to play East Carolina, Peake would not make the flight with the team.

“I can remember my brother calling and asking if I had heard the news. A few minutes later, Jim Hickman (team doctor who also stayed in Huntington) called to say there were no survivors,” Peake said.

“I can still remember the cars parked along I-64 as we made our way to the scene of the crash,” Peake said. “All I could do was think, ‘Maybe someone survived.'”

The Herd had just suffered a disappointing 17-14 loss to ECU when the team left Greenville, N.C. Southern Airlines Flight 932 was set to arrive in Huntington after leaving Kinston at 6:38 p.m., with the team, fans and coaching staff on board.

At 7:23 p.m., the crew contacted Tri-State Airport tower and were granted clearance for a localizer approach on runway 11. The flight would instead strike trees on a hillside, crash then burn about one mile from the runway. There were no survivors.

The next month was filled with several funerals and memorials. On the day after the crash, there was a service in the Veterans Memorial Field House. There, empty chairs represented the lives lost in the tragedy that is known as the worst single air tragedy in NCAA sports history.

“Seeing those empty chairs was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do,” Peake said.

“It was the saddest time of my life.”

Marshall did not play the final game of the 1970 season against Ohio University.

Though Hatten was not born at the time of the crash, she still is affected by the devastation her family experienced.

“Since I was little, any time my family mentioned the crash and what happened, I came to realize how much it affected me,” Hatten said.

A 1970 Plane Crash Memorial stands at Spring Hill Cemetery in honor of the lives who perished.

“I go there (Spring Hill Cemetery) probably every six months,” Hatten said.

“I love to take pictures of the memorial and take time to remember. It is so quiet and peaceful,” Hatten said.

Now in Marshall’s Marching Thunder, Hatten dons the Kelly green with pride.

“Coming here to Marshall made me gain a new perspective on everything,” Hatten said.

Every November 14, Marshall organizes a ceremony to honor those who passed at the Memorial Fountain located in the center of campus.

“It’s just one way we can honor their memories,” Peake said. “Bringing people together from various places and tying them to something that affected them all is a powerful thing.”

Hatten remembers her first fountain ceremony.

“I went to my first ceremony in 2007, and I was so amazed at everyone coming together for support,” Hatten said. “I remember standing on the balcony of the student center as someone sang ‘Amazing Grace’ as they turned off the fountain.”

The ceremony is required for Peake’s students. No matter what they may be studying, he cancels class for the day and tells them to attend.

He commemorates players and coaches who passed by sharing his memories. Peake shares photos, jerseys and other memorabilia from the season.

“Whether you’re from the area or from somewhere else, you’re here for a reason. You’re tied to Marshall, and in turn, tied to its legacy. This is part of your heritage,” Peake said.

That heritage lives on in the community.

“There is a void that will never be filled in Huntington. It is up to us to remember and honor them as much as we can,” Hatten said. “We’re all in this together.”

The 41st annual plane crash ceremony, presented by the Student Government Association, will be this morning at 11 a.m. at the Memorial Student Center Plaza.

Read more here: http://www.marshallparthenon.com/life/student-remembers-1970-crash-in-unique-way-1.2670358
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