I think “hero” is a word is thrown around fairly frequently. I often refer to people as my hero when they bring me a coffee, or if they help me carry a bag to my car. Last week I called my assistant a hero for answering an email. If I client remembered to post an article or if the mechanic flips that little switch that makes my check engine light turn off. If the Fedex guy delivers a shipment of wine. Hero. I say it a lot.
A lot.
Last week, however, I discovered what hero really means. I live in Smyrna Tennessee, home of the Great Tennessee Air Show. Every other year, our home is buzzed by planes for a several days and, while it makes it difficult to work from home, it’s glorious. I complain about the traffic and the road closures, but, deep down, I enjoy every single moment of it. I love running outside to check out the practice runs, the planes, and the Blue Angels are always the highlight.
Their precision is simply majestic.
Thursday, June 2, I woke up and felt an odd ping, fearing that our little town was going to be on the news; that something bad would happen at the show. Turns out two of my neighbors did too. While I felt pulled all day to run outside and watch the practices, I decided to be responsible.
We would have all weekend to enjoy the planes, right?
Here’s a little video I shot that day at noon as the Blue Angels did a little practice over our house.
https://youtu.be/aty5PXUMOhs
I stayed in and just laughed about the extreme noise on work calls while I babysat our dogs who were having slow meltdowns over the loud noises.
And then we heard a loud boom. We felt our house shake. We walked outside to the smell of jet fuel. Just down our road, a pilot, a husband, a father did the unthinkable.
Capt. Jeff Kuss became a hero. Undoubtedly he saved hundreds of lives by making sure his plane went down in a cotton field instead of ejecting to safety. This became very real as we realized just how close he was to our home. To our gym. To our neighbors. To businesses, apartments, gas stations…
The cotton field was actually a part of a museum, the home of the “Boy Hero of the Confederacy” – Sam Davis. Sam was a young soldier who, at 21, was executed by the Union. He was in possession of Union battle plans, but chose to be executed instead of giving up his source. He’s credited with saying “I would rather die a thousand deaths than betray a friend.”
I’m sure that Capt. Kuss had no idea that cotton field was part of a museum. Likely he just saw a rare large undeveloped plot of land. He couldn’t know an elementary school is next to the museum. He wouldn’t know if people were in their homes and offices, being responsible and waiting to watch the show over the weekend. But he did what he was trained to do – he would rather die than risk the lives of others.
I got a firsthand look at what sacrifice means. To see someone live a selfless life and I salute a true hero. Capt. Kuss – thank you for service. Thank you for giving of yourself in so many ways. Thank you for protecting our neighborhood. We are in your debt – and in the debt of so many who have gone before you.
To donate to the family of Capt. Kuss, please go to https://www.gofundme.com/jeffkuss
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