"It was really touching"

I just saw the movie dedicated for the Marshall Football Team entitled "We Are Marshall". I could say that it was really touching and deeply emotional knowing that it happened in the real. Years have passed but the people who died on that crash would always be remembered by everyone.
-Anonymous

"I can't believe what this town has endured."

Incredible. I can't believe what this town has endured. The actors have done a great service and honor to those who remained after the crash. Tragic story/moving emotional movie.

-Diane

'Compelled to journey to Huntington'

This story & movie touched me so that I was compelled to journey to Huntington West Virginia in late August, 2007 on my way to an event in Indiana. It was the first week of classes and as I breathed the air and anonymously walked down some of the halls of the University, visited the fountain, walked through the stadium and by the steel mill, I knew that it would be an experience I would never forget.

Dave N.
Kitchener, Ontario

'God bless you'

God bless you and all of those whose lives this terrible tragedy affected.

I can't even begin to imagine the pain you have endured.I just watched the movie and was brought to tears many times during it. How beautifully the town has pulled together, helping one another get back on their feet.

They did a wonderful job with the movie. When I put it on, I wasn't sure what to expect.

Again, God bless you.

-Sue From MA

"You Are Marshall"

I know the movie has been out for a while now, but me & my husband just had the pleasure of seeing it. We are both big football fans, but being from TX and only born in 83 & 84 had never really heard this tragic story. I have to say I have not cried so much or been so touched by a story in a long time! The movie was very well done & I thought paid very good tribute to all the lives that were lost. We are also from a small town & know how much of a tragedy loosing home town people can be. Loosing one person is bad enough much less 75 young to old. I have looked over the web site & read numerous blogs on how much those people are missed.

I just wanted to say that YOU ARE MARSHALL & you can continue to make it through with all 75 in your hearts! Good luck to the future Thundering Herds!-

Staci RetzlaffLexington TX

Online site about the 1970 Marshall plane crash available again

During the transition to new content management software, we had to temporarily take down our "1970 Marshall Plane Crash: The Real Story" site in order to move it to the new platform.

I am pleased to announce the site has returned.

The site features:

* original game stories and rosters of the 1970 and ’71 teams.
* photo galleries of the teams, Fairfield Stadium and more.
* biographical information about the victims.
* stories about Jack Lengyel, Nate Ruffin and Red Dawson.
* a history of Marshall football.
* coverage of the filming of the movie.

Explore the site by clicking here.

If you should find any technical glitches, please e-mail to me at acopley@herald-dispatch.com.

Thanks,
Andrea Copley-Smith
online editor
The Herald-Dispatch

"God Bless both those who are gone and and those living"

I grew up in Huntington and we had just moved to Welch when the crash happened. I was young, about 12 however I still remember the gut wrenching feeling I had when I heard the news. The reporters talking about the shortage of funeral home space. My sister who still lives near the airport heard the explosion but didn't know what it was at the time, and never dreaming it was a plane until she turned on the news. Marshall has fought a long battle back and God Bless both those who are gone and and those living who played a part.

-Anonymous

"We are all Marshall"

I have heard the phrase "We are Marshall" many times for years and have dismissed it as simple college pride. After seeing the film I will dismiss it no more. "We are all Marshall"
Danny Milner- Buford, Ga.

Young memory of the crash

Young memory of the crash:I was 8 years old and living in a suburb of Charleston when the news of the crash that evening came across the tv set,a plane had crash at tri-state airport. It was'nt until the next morning I awoke to find my mother reading the morning paper and weepingthat I learned it was the Marshall football team. Although we had no connection to Marshall, It was a sad time for us and I could'nt put the connection of our personal greif into perspective at that young age and even to this day the tragedy seems forever etched in my memory. Someone once spoke of the 1970 football team "THEY WILL ALWAYS BE SON'S OF MARSHALL" perhaps that explains the greif I saw in my mother the morning after the crash and yes of course that explains why... "We Are Marshall"

-Anonymous

"My heart goes out to those who lost a loved one"

I just watched We Are Marshall last night, and I will forever remember this movie, and the tragedy. My heart goes out to those who lost a loved one that day.
-Ashley

"Not just about football"

First off I'm a big Texas Longhorn fan. I never heard about the Marshall tragedy until recently mostly due in part because it happened before I was born. After watching the movie, I was just blown away. I've seen so many football movies, Rudy, The Program, Remember the Titans, the list goes on. But, I have to say, this movie tops the list. It had to have been the best football movie that I've ever seen. This movie was not just about football, it was about overcoming tragedy together as a "family", which is what We are Marshall entails, and overcoming that tragedy head on with strength, love, and compassion for all. I know that it had to be devastating to lose an entire football team, but most importantly to lose loved ones. After watching this movie, I was truly moved. This movie will always be one of my favorites of all time. The heart can be a big place if you have one, for me there will always be a place in my heart for Marshall. WE ARE MARSHALL!!!!!GOD BLESS

Jerry

"One of the most emotional movies that we have seen this year"

I was watching the Marshall vs WVU game on opening day of ncaa football when the commentater was talking about the movie. Me and my wife saw the movie last night,it was one of the most emotional movies that we have seen this year,the annoucer was right when he said if this film dosent bring tears to your eyes you better check to see if you have a heart beat..GO MARSHALL.

-Anonymous

'The best football movie'

This was an amazing movie!! Has to be the best football movie I have ever seen. I am from Kentucky when I was a kid I can remember visiting Huntington when I visited family in Ashland. We drove bye the college and my uncle told me of the tragedy that happened there. I can still remember the day we was going out to eat at Jim's I think it was called it served spaghetti I think it was a restaurant in town in Huntington. After seeing the movie I really wanna visit the memorial and pay my respects. Thanks for sharing your story with us younger generations.

Jeff Sexton- Whitesburg, Ky

In memory of Joe Hood

Hi my name is Monica Hood my uncle was #33 Joe Lee Hood he was a great player and a teriffic person and i love and miss him very much.

" it truely shows the strength and compassion of the human spirit"

My girls and i have just watched the movie WE ARE MARSHALL i had no knowledge of this dreadful tragedy until watching this movie.

I went through so many emotions in this movie that took me by surprise the movie was great it really took you to the place and time of these events. I can only imagine the utter grief saddness loss disbelief this community would have felt but it is truely amazing the way these tragedies tend to bring a community together under such difficult circumstances you all should be so proud of yourselves for what you have had to endure it truely shows the strength and compassion of the human spirit. God bless you all xoxo

-Catherine

'Never forget'

I grew up near Huntington. I was 12 when the plane crashed. For years, the crash haunted the town, the school and the area. When I attended Marshall from 1976 to 1980, there was always a hushed reverence for those who died so young, so needlessly. Over the years, the Crash still reveberates in my mind. In fact, I still wonder why the pain never really fades away. I live hundreds of miles away from Huntington and when I visit every year, the campus still reminds me of that terrible, foggy, fateful Saturday night in November 1970. We must never forget where we've been so that we know where we can go. Go Herd!

-Anonymous

"I remember"

I am a native of the state of West Virginia. Although I have lived 20+ years of my life in an larger Eastern city. I was only 7 when the Marshall accident happened but, I remember that night well. I remember mainly the SADNESS my parents felt. I remember the look on their faces to this day. I remember the news reports and people talking about this horrible accident. I still remember those who passed each year on the date. God bless those we lost and the families and friends they left behind. May your memory NEVER be forgotten. For WE ARE.....MARSHALL!!!

-Anonymous

'We are all Marshall'

I saw “We are MARSHALL” last night it was a toss up between it and “Norbit” I had seen the trailers but being from Jamaica, living in Jamaica American Football is not that important. We are a nation of Football (Soccer), Track and Field and Cricket. I saw the movie mainly for the two Matthew’s but I came away with so, so much more.

I felt every pain and heartache every joy and triumph of this film in fact it is more than a film it’s a blueprint of overcoming adversity and carving out a successful future, this could have turned out so different had it not been for the people who were willing to fight, cry and stand up. In playing that first season they honoured those who loved the game and died still loving it. Marshall football had a future after the accident maybe it didn’t before. I know that if you love something you want it to live on, all the persons on that flight that night opened a door of togetherness of the fighting spirit in their loved ones and friends left behind to go on. and go on they did. I now feel like... we are all Marshall.

One love

Natalie Campbell,

Kingston, Jamaica W.I

Where is Frank Loria buried?

I live near Virginia Tech where Frank Loria is a hero. I was wondering if anyone could tel me where he is buried, the town and the cemetery? I would like to visit and pay my repects this summer. I saw the Marshall movie and it was very touching. I am now a Hokie/Thundering Herd Fan. You can email me at godrulz@valink.com

-thanks, Dylan

'Tradition and persistence'

I grew up outside Chapmanville W.Va on a farm, born in 1947 and I am a MU graduate of 1973 with a major in Physics.

In the summer of 1970 I went back to MU after getting out of the U.S. Army Special Forces at Fort Bragg and getting married to the young Mindi Ingram of Raleigh, N.C. I had previously attended MU before the Army, and being somewhat of a B-Ball Gym Rat I played basketball that summer in Gullickson Hall with some of the 1970 Football team members.

I remember Ted Shoebridge, the 1970 Football team QB as a nice guy. B-Ball can be pretty competitive but Ted was always good to everyone. We later attended the MU Branch at Logan because my mother was sick that fall and we lived at home.

After listening to the game that Saturday on a crackly radio, I remember going outside that night and noting that it was overcast, foggy and very still, telling my wife that something felt odd that night. We later learned that night of the plane crash.

I remember the memorial services and thinking of the players I had played basketball with and how hard that was for their families. It also made many of us realize our mortality and what a great gift that life was to all of us.

We later attended MU that Spring in Huntington and I remember playing b-ball at lunch with Red Dawson and some of the faculty members, one of the main characters in the movie. I remember watching the MU football players that spring running up and down the stairs in Gullickson Hall and I knew some of them from living off campus and playing b-ball.

I was tempted to play and Red brought it up a couple of times but never pushed. I was always impressed with Red and his friendliness. I remember how unassuming he was and his telling us of his football career at Florida State as a wide reciever, most likely the Bobby Bowden connection and why Red knew him.

There was always a sadness there though and it did not surprise many of us that he did not come back after the 71 season, but I was always impressed with the kind person he was, he never lost control in B-Ball, even though he was a competitor.

My wife remembers me talking about playing football but I passed on that, I graduated in less than 3 years after coming back and with a wife and a child one feels a responsibility to get a job.

I always went to the home games and I remember the Xavier game so well and what a "miracle" that seemed, Bill James and the James Gang (his family) and Reggie Oliver and his dogged determination, the team leader and Nate Ruffin. MU football in 1971 was more than football, it taught a lot of us what people, coaches and players could accomplish.

Although only winning 2 games that season MU football showed over the years how valuable persistence really is. If the school had not put a team on the field I really believe that a lot of us might not be the people we are today, at least in not having heros and realizing that tradition does affect our lives.

I am also a WVU grad with a major in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics or Mechanical Engineering. I was pleased to see the connection brought out in the movie between MU and WVU, I hope the fans of both schools realize the two universities are more friends than foe, it's always tough when they play each other, especially when you bleed Green and White and Blue and Gold.

When Mindi and I were married she remembers my nightmares of a plane crashing in the mountains of W. Va., dreams that I had ever since a kid. They stopped after the 1970 football team crash. I had reservations about seeing the movie but after going with my wife I remember all the good times at MU. I have seen it 4-5 times and I have not gotten tired of it. Yes, the film may be a bit hammy in places but it truly is inspirational, especially having known many of the people in it. Tradition and persistence. Those guys and coaches are still my heroes.

-Dr. Scott Lucas, Class of 73