Nearly 100 Wichita State University student-athletes turned out to the Memorial ‘70 service on Wednesday morning. 

The service was held to honor the victims of the plane crash on Oct. 2, 1970. The former WSU football team was flying to Logan, Utah, in two planes — the “Gold” and “Black” plane — to play against Utah State University. 

The “Gold” plane crashed near Silver Plume, Colorado, claiming the lives of 31 football players, university staff, boosters and flight crew members. Eight people survived. 

John Potts, a WSU freshman at the time of the crash, said the memorial isn’t always so well attended. 

“For a few years, it was just our group, basically the 1970 team and family and friends … it’s impacted a lot of people,” he said. “It helps us (for) the younger generation to maybe spread the word on campus that this did happen. This is part of the university. This is part of being a Shocker.”

Mike Green had several friends from the football team and was a student at the time of the crash. He said the support at the memorial service was “fantastic.”

“It shows good school spirit and also respect for people that have lost their loved ones,” Green said. “I think it’s really nice of them to show (up). It was a pleasant surprise, to tell you the truth.”

Calvin Herrill was a student trainer at the time of the crash. He said, while choking up, that the support of the student-athletes was like a “brotherhood.”

“We’re all one family,” Herrill said. “It means a lot (for them to show up).”

Kingston Selmon was one of the only current, non-student athletes in the crowd. He said current students “just don’t know” about the memorial, which is why more didn’t show up.

“I feel like definitely underclassmen probably don’t know,” Selmon said. “Being new to the campus is something that you got to kind of do research on and maybe come over to the memorial and see for yourself.”

Selmon’s grandfather is Rick Stephens, one of the survivors of the plane crash.

“You know my grandpa, I see him all the time,” Selmon said. “He tells me about it all the time, and it matters to me how close to home it hits. I think it should matter to other people because (of) the effect that it had on so many people’s lives.”

For students who didn’t make it to the memorial or don’t know what it’s for, Potts said to “look into the history of your school.”

“Understand what happened here on that day; it’s really important,” Potts said. “I’ve traveled across the country in my professional career, and it’s amazing how many people know about this and understand it. Once they hear that I played for that team … they instantly remember that day.”

Potts said the university needs to keep the memorial going because “it’s part of the soul of the university.”

“We need to keep honoring it and its history to the school and students going forward need to understand what happened on that day.”