Photos by Matt Hempel/The Herald-Dispatch Former Marshall University assistant coach Red Dawson speaks Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2006, during Marshall University's 36th memorial service for the 75 people who died in the 1970 plane crash. Dawson, who contributed to the rebuilding of Marshall's football team, spoke at the ceremony for the first time in its 36-year history.

William “Red” Dawson is not usually comfortable taking center stage at the annual Marshall memorial service of the 1970 plane crash.

The former Thundering Herd receivers coach usually watches from afar, leaning against an old sycamore where he can watch what’s going on but stay just out of sight.

It’s a role much like he was forced into on Nov. 14, 1970. As one of the coaches and players not killed in the plane crash that night, Dawson was made observer, just one decision away from a tragedy that would have claimed his life.

He was soon brought from the periphery to become part of the healing, a role he returned to on Tuesday as the featured speaker at the 36th annual memorial ceremony.

Dawson recalled returning to Huntington after the crash (he drove instead of flying) and the weeks on end he spent comforting the families of the victims.

“I knew that we would face a storm when we got back to Huntington, it was unbelievable,” Dawson said. “Words couldn’t describe it.”

In the coming months, Dawson would help to rebuild the fallen team, which will be the subject of a feature film, “We Are Marshall,” being released later this year.

Some of those involved with the making of that film were also on hand for the memorial, like director McG, who introduced Dawson. He said that doing right by the plain-spoken Dawson, who’s played by Matthew Fox in the film, was one of his major inspirations while working on the movie.

“That was the engine that got me up every morning that got me up every morning and motivated me to be the best that I could,” McG said. “I think it’s the heart of Red Dawson that’s had a lot to do with the foundation of this community.”