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The Navy will hold a ceremony Thursday to posthumously award the Purple Heart to U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Randall Smith, who died following the July 16 attacks. The ceremony will be a private event for Smith’s family, according to a news release from the Navy. A spokeswoman for the Navy would not confirm the location of the ceremony. “Both before and after the attack on the Navy Operational Support Center in Chattanooga, the people of Chattanooga, southeast Tennessee and North Georgia have demonstrated a commitment and devotion to our sailors that is both extraordinary and very much appreciated. The support of this community, in fact, can be credited with helping make the awarding of the Purple Heart possible,” the Navy said in a statement.
Six months after the shootings on July 16 that left five service members dead in Chattanooga, 62 victims will receive portions of a National Compassion Fund that totals $467,335.13.
The fund is a program of the National Center for Victims of Crime, an organization that offered to administer the contributions put forward by community members in Chattanooga and across the nation.
In the wake of the attack, more than 556 donors contributed $140,289.48 directly to the National Compassion Fund, while a benefit concert held by Friends of the Festival on Sept. 16 brought in an additional $327,045.65 in donations.
Mickey McCamish, a retired U.S. Navy captain who served on a local steering committee charged with allocating the money, said this fund is different from others designed to help victims, such as the Heroes Fund and the Freedom Fund, because it is intended to serve immediate rather than long-term needs.