Legislation Honoring Fallen Military Hero Passes Ohio House
State Representative Tony Burkley (R-Payne) today announced the passage of Substitute Senate Bill 182 by the Ohio House of Representatives, an omnibus bill that designates multiple memorial highways across the state.
The legislation includes House Bill 406, a road-naming bill sponsored by Rep. Burkley, which names a portion of highway in Paulding County after a local military hero who was killed during a shootout in Chattanooga, Tennessee last summer.
Under the bill, the portion of US Route 127 stretching from the northern edge of Paulding to the intersection of US Route 127 and State Route 111 in Paulding County would be designated as the “U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Randall Smith Memorial Highway.”
“I truly appreciated the opportunity to stand before my colleagues and celebrate the life of Randall Smith through this piece of legislation,” said Burkley. “We live in this country of freedom and liberty thanks to our brave men and women in uniform and this bill is a small token of appreciation for this hero’s sacrifice.”
Born in Paulding and a graduate of Paulding High School, PO2 Smith was shot while protecting his fellow servicemen on July 18th during an ambush at a recruiting center in Chattanooga. He died two days later. After serving for three years as an active duty logistics specialist with the US Navy, Smith re-enlisted and was stationed at the Naval Operations Support Center in Chattanooga.
Substitute Senate Bill 182 will now return to the Ohio Senate for concurrence on the changes made by the House.
