SMYRNA, Tenn. (WKRN) – A pilot was killed after a U.S. Navy Blue Angels jet
crashed Thursday afternoon in Smyrna ahead of the Great Tennessee Airshow
this weekend.

The F/A-18 aircraft crashed at 3 p.m. behind the Sam Davis Home, about 2 miles
from the runway, while practicing for the now-cancelled demonstration. Authorities arrived within minutes.

The U.S. Navy confirmed the pilot died in the crash. While military officials have
not identified the pilot, the Associated Press said it is Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss
(shown above).

Kuss is said to have maneuvered his jet away from populated areas when he
crashed, possibly saving lives before he was killed.

During its history, 27 Blue Angels pilots have been killed in air show or training
accidents.

      Jerry Mathers in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, 1966.

Gerald Patrick "Jerry" Mathers was born in Sioux City, Iowa.

Mathers is known for his classic role as a child on the CBS television
sitcom, Leave It To Beaver from 1957-1963. He made his first TV
commercial at age 2 for PET Milk and was a model for a department
store ad. Following his acting career, he became a successful banker
and real estate investor.

In 1981, Jerry Mathers worked as a disc jockey at KEZY-AM
radio in Anaheim, California.

On August 31, 1949, Louis Johnson, who was the United States’
Secretary of Defense, announced the creation of an Armed Forces
Day to replace separate Army, Navy and Air Force Days. The event
stemmed from the armed forces’ unification under one department
– the Department of Defense. The Army, Navy and Air Force leagues
adopted the newly formed day. The Marine Corps League declined
to drop support for Marine Corps Day but supports Armed Forces
Day too.

The first Armed Forces Day was celebrated on Saturday, May 20, 1950
with the theme “Teamed for Defense”, which expressed the unification
of all military forces under one government department. According to
the U.S. Department of Defense, the day was designed to expand public understanding of what type of job was performed and the role of the
military in civilian life.

Louis Arthur Johnson
(January 10, 1891 – April 24, 1966)