Family, friends remember B-52 crash victim Jeromy Smith as devoted father and volunteer

What began as a routine Monday morning quickly turned into a tragedy for the family of Jeromy Smith, one of eight people killed in a B-52 bomber crash at an Air Force base in central California. Jeromy was a flight test engineer at the base. Jeromy's wife, Lauren Smith, says the day started like any other. "Just routine, he got up and went and grabbed our son's bottle, a milk bottle, put it on the stairs and kissed me goodbye and said, 'Love you, goodbye,'" she recalled. Lauren says she had no idea those would be the last words she would hear from her husband. After learning that a B-52 bomber had crashed, she spent the day hoping and praying Jeromy was safe. "So I went the whole day just hoping and praying that he was okay," Lauren said. "The crash happened around 11:30 in the morning. I didn't find out that he had passed away until the commander and chaplain came to my door at 6 p.m." The loss is especially devastating for the family because Jeromy leaves behind two young children, including a baby who is just four months old. "He is the father of our two kids. He is a leader. He is a hero," Lauren said. READ MORE: https://katu.com/news/local/family-fr... _______________ Stay up to date with our social media: KATU on Facebook:   / katunews   KATU on Twitter:   / katunews   Subscribe to KATU on YouTube:    / @katunews   Daily News Playlist:    • KATU Daily News Playlist   For more information, visit https://katu.com/ Have a news tip? Send it directly to us: Email us: [email protected] Call the Newsroom: 503.231.4222 KATU is a OR based station and a ABC Television affiliate owned and operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country today. #JeromySmith #MilitaryFamily #Remembering #B52Crash #CommunityHero #USAirForce #FamilyStory #InMemory #b52 #airforce #KATU #Katu2abc #Portland #Oregon #localnews #oregonnews