Dingess honors Donald Tackett Jr., Marshall plane crash victim, after 9-year effort

Former Marshall University football coach Bob Pruett presented special signs to Tackett's siblings. Pictured from left to right: Earsie Tackett, Bob Pruett, Mary Ann May-Tackett and Michael Tackett

Shana Nelson & Aaron Stone | WVOW News 

DINGESS  Community members, elected officials and the family of Donald Tackett Jr. gathered Saturday in Dingess for the official dedication of the Donald Tackett Jr. Memorial Road, honoring one of the 75 victims of the 1970 Marshall University plane crash.

The tragic plan crash on November 14, 1970 took a total of 75 lives.

Donald "Donnie" Tackett was a 23-year-old Marshall University senior and student trainer aboard Southern Airways Flight 932 on November 14, 1970, when it crashed just short of Tri-State Airport in Kenova following a football game at East Carolina University.

All 75 people on board were killed, including members of the Thundering Herd football team, coaching staff, Athletic Director Charles Kautz, radio announcer Gene Morehouse Sr., the flight crew and supporters of the university.

A 1966 graduate of Lenore High School, Tackett was just one month away from earning his degree at the time of his death. Marshall University posthumously awarded him his diploma in 2020.

The dedication marks the culmination of a nearly nine-year effort to establish the memorial road.

Speaking on an episode of WVOW's “What's Your Opinion?”, Delegate Margitta Mazzocchi and community members reflected on the years-long process to secure the designation.

Community member and road dedication advocate Bruce Baisden and Delegate Margitta Mazzocchi with Donald Tackett Jr.'s sister, Earsie Tackett, at the dedication ceremony

According to community member Jason McCoy, the effort began in 2017 when a resolution to name the road was introduced but died in committee. The proposal was revived in January 2025 with the support of Delegate Mazzocchi. It passed the House of Delegates but did not advance in the Senate.

The measure was reintroduced during the 2026 legislative session and ultimately passed as Senate Concurrent Resolution 1.

McCoy credited the success to cooperation among residents and leaders across Southern West Virginia.

"There was no boundaries at play here, there was no 'this is my territory, you stay out.' It was a group of people from Southern West Virginia working together with a common cause. If we can work together on something like this, why can't we work together on other things?" McCoy said.

Family and friends of Tackett gathered to honor his legacy and celebrate the dedication of the Donald Tackett Jr. Memorial Road

More than 100 people attended Saturday's ceremony, including members of the Tackett family, the Tug Valley and Mingo Central High School football teams, and former Marshall University head football coach Bob Pruett.

Coach Pruett spoke with the Tackett family, the local community, and football players at Tug Valley and Mingo Central High School

Pruett addressed those in attendance, offered condolences to the Tackett family and presented them with commemorative signs.

Mazzocchi said one of the ceremony's most memorable moments was watching Pruett interact with the family and the young athletes in attendance.

“Coach P was there, and it was such a delight to meet a man of that stature who embraced those sisters and kissed them on the head and have him hug them and sharing all that grief that came just pouring out at that same time,” Mazzocchi said. “And it was just wonderful to see him, to be there at the place and seeing all those young football players and the interaction from Coach P with those players.”

A tribute to Tackett created by the Southern Flight 932 Foundation

The Donald Tackett Jr. Memorial Road now serves as a permanent tribute to the former Lenore High School graduate and Marshall University student, ensuring his legacy remains part of the community he called home.

PHOTOS | Delegate Margitta Mazzocchi, Southern Flight 932 Foundation & The Herald-Dispatch