The Capt. Jeff Kuss USMC Memorial hosts the annual Top Gun Night Run 6k on Friday, September 12 at 7:30 p.m. in Lee Victory Recreation Park in Smyrna. The 3.7 mile course includes the Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport and Smyrna Municipal golf course with the finish line at the memorial. Spectators and runners will enjoy live music and vendors in the park. The run will be chip-timed and USATF certified and limited to only 650 participants.
On June 2, 2016, our nation was deeply impacted by the plane crash of USMC Captain Jeff Kuss during the US Navy Blue Angels performance at the Great Tennessee Air Show, in Smyrna. Following this tragedy, the Smyrna community and Blue Angels fans around the country mourned and showed an outpouring of support for the Kuss Family. Town of Smyrna officials called upon the community to help establish a living memorial in tribute to the life, honorable service, and high ideals exhibited by Captain Kuss. The illuminated memorial is located in Smyrna’s Lee Victory Park along the beautiful greenway across from the Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport. As centerpiece to the memorial, the National Naval Aviation Museum has generously provided, on permanent loan to the Town of Smyrna, recently retired Blue Angel F/A-18 Hornet aircraft, BUNO 163498, which depicts Captain Kuss’ plane number 6.
Proceeds from the annual Top Gun Night Run 6k are applied directly to ongoing maintenance and upkeep of the Captain Jeff Kuss USMC Memorial in addition to funding the Memorial Scholarship created in 2023.