WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Donald Trump has signed legislation officially naming the Veterans Affairs Clinic in Toms River after World War II hero Leonard G. “Bud” Lomell, in a move timed just days before the 104th birthday of his widow, Charlotte Ewart Lomell.
Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), who authored the bill, called the tribute fitting recognition for one of the most decorated Army Rangers of the war. “Bud Lomell served our nation and its veterans with enduring courage and selflessness, and is exceedingly deserving of this posthumous honor,” Smith said.
Historian Stephen Ambrose once described Lomell as the individual most responsible for the success of the D-Day invasion aside from Gen. Dwight Eisenhower. On June 6, 1944, Lomell led a Ranger company in scaling the 100-foot cliffs at Pointe du Hoc, locating and destroying German 155-millimeter artillery that threatened Allied forces landing on nearby beaches. For his actions, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.
Lomell went on to fight in the Battle of Hurtgen Forest, where he was wounded and decorated with the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart with two Oak Leaf Clusters, and France’s Legion of Honor. After the war, he returned to Toms River, marrying Charlotte, raising three daughters, and serving both fellow veterans and his community as director of the Ocean County Veterans Service Bureau, a practicing attorney, and an active civic leader.
The Toms River VA Clinic, which opened last year, will now bear Lomell’s name. The facility offers primary and specialty care, including dental, women’s health, mental health counseling, physical therapy, and laboratory services, serving thousands of Ocean County veterans.
“This clinic, which has already done so much for the veterans of Ocean County and beyond, will be a lasting testament to Bud’s life of service,” Smith said.
The renaming caps years of Smith’s advocacy to expand veterans’ health services in the region, beginning with the first VA clinic in Brick Township in 1991 and continuing through expansions in Fort Monmouth and now Toms River.
Key Points
- President Trump signed legislation naming the Toms River VA Clinic after WWII hero Leonard G. “Bud” Lomell.
- Lomell led Army Rangers at Pointe du Hoc on D-Day, disabling German artillery and earning the Distinguished Service Cross.
- The clinic renaming coincides with the 104th birthday of Lomell’s widow, Charlotte.
A hero’s legacy will now stand at the heart of veterans’ care in Ocean County.
