As part of 21 Days of Clemente—Latino Sports shares the following article “53 years ago, Roberto Clemente’s life ended in a tragic plane crash – Who were the others on the plane?” which was written by a friend and contributor of Latino Sports, Aristotle “Mugsy” Sakellaridis
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We decided to publish this piece as a fitting way to end “21 Days of Clemente” by also honoring and recognizing the other passengers that also died on that fatal airplane crash. It is only fitting that we do so as those “other passengers” also sacrificed their time leaving their families on a festive New Year’s night to help Clemente deliver those supplies to Nicaragua.
Unfortunately, Clemente and “those other passengers” never made it to Nicaragua and all, but one is still lying in the deep Atlantic Ocean floor where the plane rest with Clemente.
The front page of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on January 2nd, 1973 – Image Credit: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/CBS Sports
Happy New Year to you and yours.
Fifty three years ago on New Years Eve, a DC-7 cargo plane crashed shortly after its 9:20 pm takeoff. Perishing was pilot Jerry Hill, co-pilot Arthur Rivera, engineer Francisco Matias, and Rafael Lozano, who was an associate to the other passenger aboard that flight.
Most of these names are unknown to society, except for the fifth passenger, Roberto Walker Clemente. The legendary Pittsburgh Pirates player and Pride of Puerto Rico was on a mission to Nicaragua. The tragedy has been well documented over the years, but the names of the other occupants has been hardly mentioned. They were simply identified as “four other passengers.”
Major Jerry Carroll Hill was 47 years old and the father of six children. His was the only body found, still strapped into the seat. Arthur Rivera, was president of Interstate Air Service Corp., which owned the plane. Not much else is known on the others, and that’s a damn shame. It makes you wonder, would even one Major League At Bat have given these “four other passengers” a profile?
Roberto Clemente’s legendary life ended on New Years Eve of 1972, with him doing what he loved most—helping others and those who needed him – Image Credit: The Clemente Museum
Major League Baseball has once again dropped the ball. It would have been appropriate to finally retire Clemente’s number 21, as they did with Jackie’s 42. But for the mere fact that a patch on every player’s sleeve, to be worn during the entire season, wasn’t even thought about to honor Clemente’s death, shows how clueless MLB has become. That’s what happens when you flood the game with non-baseball personnel.
Another error goes to the media from back in the day, for not making more of the “Four other passengers.”
Clemente’s life has been well-documented. His heroics on and off the field are well known. On this New Years Eve, my mind is on the great Pirates player and those so called “four other passengers.”
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