Thousands Line Route For Funeral Procession Of Sailor Slain In Chattanooga Shooting; Wife Sings Song At Funeral She Was Singing When They Met

Public Invited To Line Processional Route

  • Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Randall Smith
Randall Smith

Thousands of people waving flags and signs again lined the streets and highways of Chattanooga for the second of two local funerals for military personnel slain by a gunman on July 16.

And at the funeral service for Petty Officer 2nd Class Randall Scott Smith, his wife, Angie, sang the song she was singing the first time they met. She said she was singing "You say it best when you say nothing at all" at a karaoke club when he first spotted her.

She told those gathered at First Baptist Church in Fort Oglethorpe, "I wanted to sing it for him one more time."

One of those at the private rites said, "It was emotional and touching. She nailed it. You could tell she is a very strong Christian woman."

Also at the funeral were the couples' daughters, Lyla, Ella and Kyla, sitting in the laps of friends.

Also at the church, a youtube video was shown of Petty Officer Smith singing in the car with his daughters.

A person at the funeral said, "The whole family loved music. He spent a lot of time with his wife and daughters."

A pastor from his former church in Ohio told of some hard times he had gone through, including losing both grandparents. A teammate on his high school baseball team was killed in a bus wreck. He was a promising pitcher, but was unable to play in college due to a shoulder injury.

Petty Officer Smith is the last of the five servicemen, and the second in Chattanooga, to be buried after the attack.  He is said to have seen the shooter and warned many others at the scene. He lived for about 40 hours after the attack, while four Marines were killed at the scene at the Naval and Marine Operations Center by the Riverpark.

The Smith family, including his three young daughters, attended First Baptist of Fort Oglethorpe.

His wife is an employee of Sports Clips on Brainerd Road, and the shop was raising funds for their support.

Memorial contributions for the Smith family may be made to Capital Bank, Beneficiary Account for Randall Smith, PO Box 2146, Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., 30742. 

Petty Officer Smith was from Ohio, and the family had been in Chattanooga for 11 months.

Police and military personnel saluted as the flag-draped casket was brought out of the church at 3 p.m. and the family walked out. The casket was placed in a waiting hearse parked by the church.

The procession was going by both shooting sites - Lee Highway near Highway 153 and Amnicola Highway - where ever-growing, make-shift memorials have been set up.

Once again local fire departments cooperated to raise a huge flag across Amnicola Highway near the scene of the tragic shooting. Another very large U.S. flag was being hoisted at the National Cemetery as the procession began.

Over 1,000 motorcyclists were in town to take part in honoring the slain sailor.

The funeral procession, which is over 28 miles, was to begin at approximately 2:45 p.m.  It will travel from First Baptist Church, will follow LaFayette Road North to Battlefield Parkway to I-75 North to Highway 153 North to Amnicola Highway to Wilcox Boulevard to Holtzclaw Avenue and into the Chattanooga National Cemetery. 

Highway 153 North will be closed from approximately 3:30 p.m. until the procession passes. Traffic will be stopped at crossroads as the procession passes. Non-processional traffic is urged to avoid these sections of I-75 and Highway 153 between 3:30 and 4:30 p.m. 

A link to the map of road closures and procession route will be posted here:  http://www.chattanooga.gov/transportation/traffic-engineering-a-operations/special-events-a-street-closures

The burial will be at Chattanooga National Cemetery at approximately 4 p.m. 

The service was open primarily to family, friends, service members, and dignitaries.

If not part of the funeral procession or family, the public must use shuttle service from Engel Stadium. CARTA will be providing free shuttle service from Engel Stadium to the Chattanooga National Cemetery starting at 2 p.m. 

Holtzclaw from Bailey Avenue to 12th Street will be closed beginning at 3 p.m. Detours will be posted. 

Officials said, "To pay respects to Petty Officer 2nd Class Randall Smith and the family, the public is asked to line the procession route. There is limited seating at the church and cemetery, both of which are reserved for close family and friends, service members, and dignitaries. For the safety of everyone, please respect all established boundary lines and roadblocks at all locations, including the church, road rights of way and the Chattanooga National Cemetery.  

"In anticipation of hot weather, EMS will have a water station at the cemetery, but the public is encouraged to take precautions by staying hydrated and carrying water."

The Chattanooga City Council canceled scheduled afternoon committee meetings and moved the regular meeting to 7 p.m.

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