UPDATE: Due to the possibility of high winds and inclement weather, the installation of the Blue Angel F/A-18C Hornet at the Capt. Jeff Kuss USMC Memorial at Lee Victory Recreation Park has been moved to Friday, June 1 at 10:00 a.m. All Coast Aircraft Recovery will oversee the installation and Maxim Crane will provide the crane and support services for the mounting of the aircraft in coordination with CraneWorks who will be providing ground transport. The 350-ton crane being utilized has a telescopic boom length of 210.1 feet, a tip height of 196 feet, and is configured to place the aircraft weighing 21,600 pounds on the memorial pedestal.
The Blue Angel aircraft is on permanent loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida and will be on display as part of the Capt. Jeff Kuss USMC Memorial. The memorial is dedicated to Marine Captain Jeff Kuss who on June 2, 2016, at the age of 32, lost his life in a tragic in-flight accident while flying as Blue Angel #6 in practice for the Great Tennessee Air Show.
The memorial dedication will be held on June 9 at 10:00 a.m. at Lee Victory Recreation Park in Smyrna and is open the public.
About Captain Jeff Kuss, USMC:
Marine Captain Jeff Kuss was a decorated pilot who, through his career, accumulated more than 1,400 flight hours and 175 carrier landings. Captain Kuss served in Afghanistan and earned the Strike Flight Air Medal and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal during his time in the military. He joined the U.S. Navy Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron in September 2014 and flew as Opposing Solo for the 2016 team.
Ways to Contribute to the Memorial:
• Online at CaptJeffKussUSMCMemorial.com
• MobileCause: Text Jeff to 71777
• In person at the Smyrna Town Hall or any Franklin Synergy Bank
