In the Press...
Patch News article on Rep. Smith bill:'New VA Clinic To Be Named For Toms River World War 2 Hero Lomell''The state-of-the-art Veterans Affairs clinic begins serving veterans from all over Ocean County and the area this week.' Karen Wall,Patch Staff
 |
When ground was broken in May 2022 for the new Veterans Affairs clinic in Toms River, there was a pledge made to try to name the clinic after the town's World War II hero. As the clinic prepares to open Tuesday to start serving veterans in the area, that pledge has not been forgotten. On Friday, a resolution was introduced in the House of Representatives to name the clinic for Lt. Leonard G. "Bud" Lomell, the Toms River resident and Ocean County native who has been credited with critical contributions to the success of the D-Day invasion in Normandy, France. Lomell, who died in 2011, was a highly decorated veteran who served with the Army Rangers. He and his platoon scaled the cliffs in Normandy on June 6, 1944, disabling five German artillery guns, saving countless lives of Allied soldiers. He received a Silver Star, a Bronze Star and the Distinguished Service Cross, among other honors. Lomell's descriptions of what happened during the Normandy invasion have been included in History Channel accounts and in Tom Brokaw’s book, “The Greatest Generation,’’ which devoted an entire chapter to Lomell.
Reps. Chris Smith and Andy Kim promised local officials including then-mayor Maurice Hill to see to it that Lomell was honored with the clinic naming. Smith introduced HR 9997 to do just that. The legislation is cosponsored by Kim, Rep. Jeff Van Drew of the 2nd District, and Rep. Donald Norcross of the 1st District. "A decorated war hero and upstanding citizen, Bud Lomell sacrificed so much for our country and courageously led his platoon during the D-Day invasion of Normandy," Smith said in announcing the legislation "It is only fitting that the new modern health care facility in Toms River that will serve so many of our Nation’s heroes living in our community be named after one of our very own heroes from Ocean County." A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned in November, VA officials said. Read more: VA Clinic Opening In Toms River To Serve Veterans Smith had represented Toms River and Brick for years until a redistricting moved those towns out of the 4th District. He led the fight to build the James J. Howard VA outpatient clinic in Brick in the 1980s. Kim, who represents the 3rd District, had helped fight for the new clinic in Toms River since he was elected in 2018. Toms River and Brick were in the 3rd District until 2023, following the 2022 election when redistricting shifted the two towns (and others) back to Smith's district. Lomell was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his valor and leadership while scaling the cliffs of Pointe Du Hoc in a critical and highly difficult mission to disable an installment of German heavy guns. He later earned a Silver Star for his actions to capture and secure Hill 400 in the Battle of Hurtgen Forest, during which he led the Rangers in defending the hilltop against a German counterattack, even after being severely wounded. After serving our nation overseas, Lomell returned home to Ocean County and became President of the Ocean County Bar Association, a director of the First National Bank of Toms River, and a member of the then Dover Township Board of Education. He died of natural causes in 2011 at his Toms River home. The new Toms River clinic is a 68,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility located on Hooper Avenue. It replaces the Howard clinic, which opened in 1990 but can no longer accommodate the large number of veterans in the area. The Howard clinic is closing as of the end of the day on Monday. Read more about Lomell: |