Bamberg County highway segment could be named for Lonnie Hosey

Highway 78 between the Bamberg County line and the Aiken County line could soon carry Lonnie Hosey’s name, with the state Department of Transportation being asked to place signs or markers along the route if lawmakers move the measure forward.

Senate Concurrent Resolution 1133, filed in the 2025-2026 South Carolina General Assembly, asks SCDOT to designate the portion of Highway 78 beginning at the Bamberg County line and extending to the Aiken County line as the Lonnie Hosey Purple Heart Highway. The resolution was read for the first time on April 21, 2026, and referred to the Senate Committee on Transportation, putting the naming request into the committee process before any designation can take effect.

The proposal ties the highway tribute to Hosey’s military and civic record. The resolution states that Hosey was born on December 1, 1946, served in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War from 1966 to 1969, and received the Purple Heart for wounds or injuries sustained in combat. It also says he worked for many years as a university administrator and continued public and civic service after leaving military duty.

Hosey’s official legislative biography adds that he is a retired university administrator and a Voorhees College graduate, earning an associate degree in 1975 and a bachelor’s degree in 1978. The biography says he has served in the South Carolina House of Representatives since 1998. It also lists his veteran and civic affiliations, including post commander of Harley-Butler American Legion Post No. 246, board member of Salkehatchie Vietnam Veterans, and membership in VFW Post No. 10595 and Disabled American Veterans.

If approved, the designation would make the roadway a visible public honor for a longtime Bamberg-area public figure while also marking a travel corridor that connects Bamberg County with Barnwell and Aiken County. The legislature would forward a copy of the resolution to the Department of Transportation and present another to Hosey, formalizing the tribute through the state process and the signs drivers would actually see along Highway 78.