On Friday, the fountain in the middle of the Memorial Student Center Plaza on Marshall University’s campus will be shut off during an annual ceremony that is unique to the Marshall community. It commemorates the 75 sons and daughters of Marshall who were lost on November 14, 1970.

It has now been 55 years since Southern Airways Flight 932 crashed on a rainy, foggy night, just shy of Huntington Tri-State Airport. For those who lived through the tragedy, the pain is still evident when they share their experiences.

Growing up, I was familiar with the story. My uncle, Ed Wilson, was a freshman with the Thundering Herd in 1970 and a member of the Young Thundering Herd in 1971.

I admit that for many years, I did not have a true appreciation for the tragedy. I grew up a generation removed from

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