South Carolina Bill Would Name Road After Allendale-Fairfax Soldier Sgt. O.J. Smith

A stretch of Moody Road running through the Town of Martin could soon carry a new name: "Sgt. Orenthial J. 'O.J.' Smith Memorial Road," honoring an Allendale County soldier killed in Baghdad more than two decades ago.

Army Spc. Orenthial Smith, 21, of Allendale and Martin, died June 22, 2003, when his convoy was ambushed by small-arms fire in Baghdad, Iraq. Smith was promoted to Sergeant on the day he died. He had graduated from Fairfax High School in 1999, where he played football. Smith was assigned to the 123rd Maintenance Support Battalion, 1st Armored Division, based in Dexheim, Germany.

Now, Rep. Lonnie Hosey has introduced a bill at the South Carolina General Assembly to make sure Allendale County does not forget him. Hosey, a Democrat, represents District 91, which includes Allendale, Barnwell, and Orangeburg counties. His concurrent resolution, H. 5352, filed during the 126th Legislative Session, asks the state Department of Transportation to rename a specific segment of Moody Road — from Millet Road to Patterson Mill Drive — in Smith's honor and to erect markers bearing the name at that location.

The bill's language draws directly from Smith's biography. Born September 20, 1981, Orenthial J. Smith was the son of Ms. Irateen Smith. The resolution notes that at an early age he joined St. Mary Missionary Baptist Church, where he served as an usher and stepped in to perform the duties of superintendent and church secretary when those officers were absent.

H. 5352 was introduced in the House on March 11, 2026, and referred the same day to the House Committee on Invitations and Memorial Resolutions, where it currently resides. If the full General Assembly approves the concurrent resolution, the Department of Transportation would be directed to install the new signage along the Moody Road corridor in Martin.

A family member, writing in memory of Smith, described him as someone who "gave his life for each one of us," adding: "Freedom is not free, and OJ paid the price for us."

For the Town of Martin and the broader Allendale County community, the signs on Moody Road would mark a permanent, visible tribute to a young man who left Fairfax High School, joined the Army, and died in service before his 22nd birthday.