The late Petty Officer Randall Smith wears his uniform at a baseball game.A July 16th Catoosa County Memorial Road Dedication will pay tribute to the late Petty Officer Randall Smith, of Fort Oglethorpe, who died during a terrorist attack last summer on Chattanooga military installations.
“We wanted to recognize a humble guy,” Catoosa Memorial Foundation Board’s Yvonne Morgan said of the hometown hero. “You expect a veteran to go overseas and this to happen, but not at home.”
To honor his memory and sacrifice, signage dedicated to Smith is being installed at the intersection of Battlefield Parkway and Lakeshore Drive in front of Fort Oglethorpe’s Lowe’s. The July 16 dedication ceremony for the new signage, sponsored by the Catoosa Memorial Foundation Board, coincides with the one-year anniversary of the attack.
“The state, the county and the city came together to do this because he was a hometown young man,” said Morgan. “Catoosa County is known to be one of the most patriotic areas in the state Everyone comes forward and wants to do what they can. They feel it’s an honor to do this for him.”
According to the Navy Times, Smith, who was just 24 when he died, was a father who loved baseball and had just re-enlisted on shore duty after three years on a big deck amphib.
“Senator Jeff Mullis will read the state of Georgia resolution and that will make tears come to your eyes,” Morgan said, referencing the dedication ceremony. “Someone will read Randall’s eulogy. We will present his widow and children a flower. It is a memorial service.”
She said Heritage Funeral Home is helping with the event, since Heritage organized Smith’s funeral.
At 9:30 a.m., Smith’s family will meet at the intersection for a photo session. The service opens to the public at 10 a.m. inside Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School’s new gymnasium. The Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard will post the colors to pay tribute to Petty Officer Smith and the national anthem will be performed. Fort Oglethorpe Mayor Earl Gray will lead the Pledge of Allegiance, and Rolling Thunder TN-2 Motorcycle Riders will present the missing man table representing all five officers killed last summer.
“When the service dismisses from the gym, the signs will be unveiled at that time,” said Morgan. “There will be one sign going east and one sign going west on Battlefield Parkway in front of Lowe’s. I will present a sign to Randall’s father and a sign to Randall’s widow. The signs will look just like the signs unveiled on the highway. The sign basically says we are dedicating that intersection to the Navy’s Randall Smith.”
Police officers will be on hand for spectator safety, she said, and golf carts will be available for transport.
“We will have a big crowd,” said Morgan, who has organized a half-dozen road dedications through the Catoosa Memorial Foundation Board. “This will be the third dedication on Battlefield Parkway,” she added. “I have to go through the General Assembly and the state writes a resolution and I work with the family. It’s historical and there’s guidelines.”
The event is supported by the state of Georgia, Catoosa County, the city of Fort Oglethorpe, state Sen. Jeff Mullis, Catoosa County Commission Chairman Keith Greene, Catoosa County Sheriff Gary Sisk, Mayor Earl Gray and Fort Oglethorpe Police Chief David Eubanks, she said.