"My prayers still go out"

I'm 62 and was on my way to Viet Nam, when I heard the news.

Mary Poat, the Fight Attendant, was a cousin from my Father's family in Kentucky.

Of course, this terrible tragedy, is forever etched in my heart & my prayers still go out to those who lost their lives and all their families.

-Rand Noel

"They were a great bunch of guys"

I signed a "Letter of Intent" to play football at Marshall in 1969. I chose not play for a variety of reasons, but I did spent my Freshman year at MU before transferring to a school closer to my home the next year. I do remember many great times with the other freshman recruits though. They were a great bunch of guys.


-anonymous

"Life was truly never the same"

I too remember J.D. and John (Bonnie) Stainback. We were neighbors before high school. I visited their parents after the tragic accident. Life was truly never the same for the Stainbacks after that day. My prayers go out to all who lost a love one on that day.

-Anonymous

"What a tragic story"

I saw "We are Marshall" last night on Netflix and had no idea that the plane had taken off from the town I have lived in since 1980- Kinston, North Carolina. What a tragic story and such a loss for the families of those young men. I also was Class of '73. The most touching for me was a rival team with a cross and M U on the back of the helmet -sometimes we just don't understand why....

-anonymous

"I've never been able to bring myself to watch "We Are Marshall" "

I've never been able to bring myself to watch "We Are Marshall."

From reading the online news accounts I know that the movie is either too tragic to sit through or it pales by comparison to the real life moments captured in print in The Herald-Dispatch.

-Anonymous

"I never forgot those guys"

I'm 62 years old and was graduated from Marshall in 1971.

I had 5 fraternity brothers in the crash and I remember that night there was news it wasn't the Marshall team or the Marshall team's plane was lost and turned back, but in the end they were all gone.

It was horrible to go to class and see the seats those guys sat in went unoccupied for the semester

We buried our friends and family and went on to graduate and work but I never forgot those guys.

I had to walk out of "We Are Marshall" several times. I was crying and I had an old Marshall University sweat shirt on and people began to ask me questions.

I just told them those guys were heroes, they're my heroes.

They'll forever be young and the Southern Airways Jet is getting ready to land and we'll all see other on Sunday in Huntington.

God bless you guys.

-Anonymous

"Thank you for your show of respect"

On the 40th anniversary of the plane crash, I am still so sad about the loss of life that fateful day. Art Harris and his dad, Arthur Harris, Sr. were such great people and Art was a 3-sport star at Passaic High.

Thank you for your show of respect to the Marshall team so long ago.

-Ms. Cassutto(now Haden)

"Lest we ever forget, We Are Marshall"

I was at a lodge dinner with my parents in Ceredo. We kept hearing one siren after another. There were no phones in the lodge hall. Jack Hardin, from the Herald-Dispatch, was there and we all walked outside together. The sirens just kept blaring. Jack said "Oh my God! The Marshall plane is due in about now". Unfortunately, he was correct. I am not sure if Jack ever told this story over the years. Lest we ever forget, We Are Marshall.

-Sam Perkey

" I'll see you guys when the final whistle blows."

40 years seems so long ago yet it seems like yesterday too when Art Harris and I were playing football in the mud at our local park, playing baseball in high school and winning championships with our church basketball team. I fondly remember the hours of talking sports with Art's dad who was also lost in the tragedy. I remember pitching against Ted Shoebridge and learning quickly that you never get him out with the same pitch twice. Ted was a great athlete and one of the nicest guys you'd ever want to meet.

I'll see you guys when the final whistle blows.

We are All one Heart, We Are Marshall

Roy Slezak

"Forever a fan of the Thundering Herd"

Several of the children who lost family in the crash were in Knoxville, TN that weekend. The Huntington youth football program had come to Knoxville to play the Baby Falcons and they stayed in our homes. My family hosted Steve Morehouse. Every Nov 14, I think of my parents breaking the news to us after the Huntington buses pulled away.

I will never forget the polite boy who spent the weekend with us, nor the crash. The Knoxville New Sentinel has run stories about the Marshall crash and its connection to Knoxville over the years. I found it difficult to see the movie when came out, I knew it would be hard to watch but I did finally build up the courage to see it after it was released on DVD. Just like the 6 o'clock news about the war in Vietnam, the Marshall crash is a never fading memory of my childhood.

I have prayed often not only for the Morehouse family but all of Marshall, and one year on Nov 14 I hope be in Huntington for the memorial service at the fountain.

A Tennessee Vol who is also and forever a fan of the Thundering Herd

-BA Strickland Rodgers

"I think everyone in West Virginia mourned for all who died."

"I was only 3 years old when this happened but I can still remember this tragedy. I was born and raised in Parkersburg West Virginia. My father was born and raised there a well. My grandparents and father knew Jeff Nathan and were very sad about his death as well as everyone else who died that tragic night. I think everyone in West Virginia mourned for all who died. May they all rest in peace in the arms of God."

-LadyMolly1967

A memory

Ed Carter,is a good friend of mine who missed the plane crash. He told me his story of how a few days or more before the game,his mother called Ed to come home to Texas...his dad was very ill. As Ed started to make plans to return to Huntington,to catch the plane to East Carolina,his mom warned him not to go...she had a very bad premonition about the plane. Ed listened to his mom's intuition and when he heard about the crash, he was devastated. He told me he always thought it was strange that he would always sit alone on the plane every game. Within a few hours, after the crash, Ed had to go on local tv to let people know he had missed the plane because they had already reported he too had perished. Ed and I attended church and college together at Tenn. Temple University where he graduated from seminary and has been very successful planting new African American churches all over the South. I hope he contacts me someday...I haven't seen him since 1977.I trully believe God has had a special work for Ed and his family!!

Joe Dierdorff

"I remember"

I remember making many, many trips to the Wayne County Coroners Office to pick up death certificates for the plane crash victims. I filled insurance claims, visited many funeral homes, and continued to do other work with a large lump in my throat for months upon end.

Roger Hesson, former Payroll/Emploee Dir. 1963-1979

"I remember the night of the crash"

I have watched the movie several times and I remember the night of the crash. I am certain that the memory of those boys and the people who were on plane will be remembered as long as there is a Marshall University.

I often think that the sheer tragedy of that night touched so many lives. I wish all the best and think that as long as we can be citizens of this country and sports fans, and family, We Are All Marshall!

-Anonymous

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"I have never forgotten those guys"

David Griffith was a good friend and fellow classmate at Ferrum College.I had the pleasure of working out with Coach Tolley's team at Ferrum, many of whom transferred to Marshall with the coach. I have never forgotten those guys. Picking up the Richmond paper and seeing David's picture held by his wife with baby in hand is permanently etched in my mind.I miss you David-big time.

Joe Kellington

"Thank you for the kind and touching words about my father"

Pat,

Thank you for the kind and touching words about my father. I'm very happy to hear you have good memories of knowing him and watching him play. While it is very true, life was never the same for the people and community affected by the tragedy. The individual and collective strength of pure love, compassion, and fortitude allow us to move forward.

Daniel Dodson Stainback

"My heart, too, goes out the everyone who lost a loved one that night"

My name is Pat (Grey) Burton. For the first time, I watched We Are Marshall last night on TV... then I watched it again. What a horrible, tragic loss for so many. I graduated high school with John Stainback, the brother of Jerry Dotson (J.D.) Stainback who died in that crash. J.D. was a couple of years older than Johnny and I, and I remember watching J.D. play football while at Warwick. He has a terrific person, fun loving, good looking, down to earth nice guy and great ball player. After seeing the movie, I logged into Goggle and began reading all the stories and seeing all the pictures. It was as though time had stood still, so many years ago. J.D's. MU picture looked just like he did in high school. Just read a story written in a Roanoke newspaper, entitled 35 Years of Pain where it discussed the 7 Ferrum players who transferred over to MU, one of them J.D. Thought I remembered he'd married and sure enough the article mentioned his wife and child at the time. My heart, too, goes out the everyone who lost a loved one that night. I know for the Stainback family, life surely was never the same.

-Pat Burton

"My heart goes out to all the families and their tremendous losses."

My best friend, Shirley Mealey and Ray Hagley, were my friends in Huntington schools many years ago.

I later lived in CA and heard of the crash and phoned quickly..finally reaching a distraught lady who answered Dr. Hagley's office phone and told me they were both in the plane. I felt so helpless!

Shirley and I had often talked and written of getting our families together while they were all young.

My heart goes out to all the families and their tremendous losses.

Barbara (Riggs) Taylor
taylor.barbara@gmail.com

"It really had a very powerful impact on me"

I played football for 6 years total. 4 in high school, 2 in semi pro... and when I saw the movie "We are marshall" it really had a very powerful impact on me. It was probably the most powerful film i've ever seen... My heart and prayers go out to those who were close to the ones who were lost. GO HERD!

-Pete Gaines, Berkshire Mountaineers