HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) — Marshall University has commemorated the 50th anniversary of one of the worst sports disasters in U.S. history Saturday, a plane crash that killed most of the football team.
The solemn ceremony was held around a fountain dedicated to the crash victims on Marshall’s Huntington campus.
During an address, university President Jerome Gilbert called the fountain area a sacred place.
On Nov. 14, 1970, the chartered jet crashed in fog and rain into a hillside upon approach to an airport near Huntington, killing all 75 on board.
The victims included 36 football players.
Marshall athletic director Mike Hamrick says the annual commemoration has taught him how to celebrate someone’s life.
