Murfreesboro Post
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Blue Angel aircraft to be installed at Smyrna memorial




A Blue Angel F/A-18C Hornet will be installed at the Capt. Jeff Kuss USMC Memorial at Lee Victory Recreation Park on Wednesday, May 30, at 10 a.m.

A portion of Sam Ridley Parkway East will be rerouted during the installation process.

The Blue Angel aircraft is on permanent loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Fla., and will be on display as part of the Capt. Jeff Kuss USMC Memorial. On June 2, 2016, Kuss, 32, lost his life in a tragic in-flight accident while flying as Blue Angel No. 6 in practice for the Great Tennessee Air Show.

Kuss was a decorated pilot who, through his career, accumulated more than 1,400 flight hours and 175 carrier landings. He 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.

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 provide ground transport. The 350-ton crane being utilized has a telescopic boom length of more than 210 feet, a tip height of 196 feet and is configured to place the aircraft weighing 21,600 pounds on the memorial pedestal.

The memorial dedication will be held on Saturday, June 9, at 10 a.m. at Lee Victory Recreation Park in Smyrna and is open to the public. Contributions to the memorial may be made online at CaptJeffKussUSMCMemorial.com, by texting ‘Jeff’ to 71777 or in person at Smyrna Town Hall or any Franklin Synergy Bank.

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