The Blue Angel pilot who died this week while practicing for an upcoming Great Tennessee Airshow is being hailed a hero.
More than a dozen police officers and community members waved American flags in honor of Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss.
Kuss purposely did not eject from his aircraft in order to maneuver away from an apartment building before crashing.
"My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the Blue Angels after this tragic loss. I know that the Navy and Marine Corps Team is with me. We will investigate this accident fully and do all we can to prevent similar incidents in the future," Adm. John Richardson, the Navy's top officer, said.
The procession for Kuss followed a candlelight vigil held this week by Residents in Smyrna, Tenn., where he was scheduled to fly.
Kuss' body was flown out of Smyrna early Saurday on a Navy plane.
The Blue Angel pilot did not eject, it appears so he could ensure his aircraft did not hit an apartment building. That is a hero, folks.
— Dan Isett (@DanIsett) June 2, 2016
Kuss joined the elite aviation team in 2014. He served in Afghanistan before joining the aerobatics team.
"It's hard to put into words right now, but it's beautiful that a person can live and die engaged in their life's pursuits," his grandfather Dolph Kuss told Horn News. "This was his dream since he was a child, to be an aviator, a flier."
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