Echoes of Loss, Strength and Victory

 

By Craig T. Greenlee

It's hard to believe ..... 54 years have passed since the night of November 14, 1970. A time that shook us to our core when a plane carrying the Marshall University football team crashed into a hillside, taking 75 lives.

Pure heartbreak.

It was a night that left me, and so many others, reeling. My former teammates—"the fellas"—gone. 

The image of my best friend, Scottie Reese, remains vivid with each passing year. I’ll never forget him waving goodbye before he boarded the team bus to the airport. The events of those days didn’t feel real then. In some ways, they still don’t.

Memories never fade

Every November, those recollections come rushing back. For a long time—52 years to be exact—I didn’t attend the annual fountain ceremony held in their honor. I thought staying away would make the pain easier to bear.

I was wrong. Being a no-show didn’t dull the ache; it only left it unspoken. Eventually, I learned that avoiding the ceremony was a mistake.

There’s a powerful sense of healing in coming together to remember, even in the midst of sadness. Standing with others who share this journey, I feel not only grief, but a bond with those who knew and loved "the fellas" too.

But somehow, after all that darkness, brighter days did come.

Triumph over tragedy

Marshall football rallied, rebuilt, and bounced back in grand fashion. I remember one game in particular—the 1992 Division 1-AA National Championship against Youngstown State. 

The crowd’s energy was electric. On our home turf, with just seven seconds left, Willy Merrick kicked a 22-yard field goal to seal the Herd's first national title in football. 

For all of us, that victory felt like the triumph of an entire community. A golden moment. A full-circle moment.

MU reaches the mountaintop

By the end of the 20th century, the Thundering Herd had become one of the nation’s most successful college football programs.

So, how did this comeback come about?

Grit, perseverance, and an unbreakable spirit.

I feel incredibly fortunate to witness what I believe is the greatest comeback in sports. But just so you know, the pain of "that night" is still there. It always will be.

Even so, there’s more to the story.

Saving grace

Yes indeed, the night of the crash was devastating, but the aftermath carried a quiet grace—a new beginning. The real victory lies not in any scoreboard or trophy, but in the resilience of those who kept going.

That’s where you see strength, determination to carry on, and hope emerging from the bleakest of times. 

Thankful to the utmost

Being part of this journey has been a blessing and a saving grace in my life. That’s why I’m forever thankful that the Marshall football saga is part of who I am.

What could resonate more deeply than a story of tragedy turned into triumph?