Among the eight lives lost in the tragic B-52 Stratofortress crash at Edwards Air Force Base on June 15 was Jeromy Smith, Age 32, a civilian flight test engineer, devoted husband, and father of two young boys.
Jeromy had spent nearly a decade working at Edwards AFB, doing a job he truly loved. Colleagues and family say he was passionate about aviation and especially proud to work on the iconic B-52 bomber. On the morning of the flight, he helped prepare a bottle for his 4-month-old son, kissed his wife Lauren goodbye, and headed to work for what was expected to be a routine radar test mission.
Just months earlier, Jeromy and Lauren had celebrated the arrival of their second child, and this week would have marked their fourth wedding anniversary. Instead, Lauren is now facing the unimaginable task of raising their two sons—just 4 months and 2 years old—without the man she described as a loving husband and dedicated father.
“I’m really sad he doesn’t get to watch them grow up, but I hope that I do them proud and grow them to be wonderful human beings just like he was,” Lauren said.
The crash claimed the lives of eight Americans and remains under investigation. While questions remain about what caused the aircraft to go down shortly after takeoff, Jeromy’s family, friends, and colleagues are remembering a man whose greatest pride was his family and whose passion was serving his country through flight testing.
