WWII Hero Finally Honored At VA Clinic In Ocean County

TOMS RIVER, NJ — After lengthy delays, the new Veterans Affairs outpatient medical clinic in Toms River finally bears the name of Leonard G. "Bud" Lomell, the World War II hero from Ocean County.

The clinic opened in November 2024, and efforts to name it for Lomell — a D-Day hero whose actions as an Army Ranger in Normandy saved the lives of thousands of soldiers during the D-Day invasion — had stalled for nearly two years.

On Tuesday, Lomell's heroism was honored with the unveiling of his name at the clinic, with his widow, 104-year-old Charlotte Ewart Lomell, his daughter Renee and other family members in attendance.

Also in attendance was 100-year-old John Wardell from Point Pleasant, who was an Army Ranger and served with Lomell in at least one World War II battle.

The proposal to name the clinic for Lomell was made by former Toms River Mayor Maurice "Mo" Hill at the groundbreaking for the clinic in 2022.

Lomell, who died in 2011 at 91 years old, had extensive ties to Ocean County. He grew up in Point Pleasant Beach and after graduating high school, received a degree from Tennessee Wesleyan College before enlisting in the Army.

After he was discharged from the Army in 1945, Lomell returned to New Jersey and married Charlotte, who had been his long-term girlfriend, and they settled in Toms River. They raised three daughters — Georgine, Pauline, and Renee — along with Elizabeth “Buffy” and Jay Bergson, the children of Charlotte’s sister, who had passed away unexpectedly. Lomell earned a law degree from Rutgers Law School and founded the Lomell Law Firm, one of the largest and most successful in Ocean County. He served as the president of the Ocean County Bar Association; was the first director of the newly organized Ocean County Veterans Service Bureau; a director of the First National Bank of Toms River; director of the South Jersey Title Insurance Company, Atlantic City; president of the Garden State Philharmonic Symphony Society; director of the Ocean County Historical Society; trustee of the Ocean County College Foundation; chairman of the Dover Township Juvenile Conference Committee; and was a member of the Dover Township Board of Education.

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, who represents the 4th District, introduced legislation in July to name the Toms River clinic in his honor. It was approved and signed into law by President Donald Trump in September, setting the stage for Tuesday's ceremony.

Lomell's daughter Renee thanked Smith for his efforts during the ceremony, "for all that you have done for the veterans throughout the years, particularly for recognizing the need for a VA Clinic to serve this part of the state, first at Brick, and now in Toms River."

"Thank you for your perseverance through the very lengthy legislative process," she said.

She said her father "would be so pleased that the Toms River VA Clinic offers such a range of services, including help for PTSD and a Women’s Health Department."

"Dad understood the cost of war and the need for the services of the VA," Renee Lomell said.

"The 68,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility bearing Bud’s name provides both primary and specialty care, including dental care, women's health care, mental health counseling, physical therapy, and laboratory services," Smith said. "This clinic has already done so much for our community — it is only right that it be named after a true war hero, who dedicated his life to the service of his country and its veterans."

"While we cannot repay Bud and his fellow Rangers for the sacrifices they made to ensure our freedom, the naming of this clinic will ensure that Bud’s heroic legacy lives on," Smith said.

Also in attendance were Hill and J. Mark Mutter, the former Toms River Township clerk and township historian, who also advocated for the naming of the clinic for Lomell.

"This building now stands in memory of a man who stood in the middle of the 20th century — and turned history for the better. In the end, it’s all about what Bud fought for and stood for: freedom and democracy," Mutter said.

Lomell, who was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart with two Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Legion of Honor medals, led a group of Army Rangers up the 100-foot cliffs at Pointe du Hoc, where they destroyed the Germans’ 155-millimeter artillery guns that threatened the Allied invasion with thermite grenades, saving countless lives.

Lomell's heroics were later heralded in the book "The Greatest Generation" by Tom Brokaw, who devoted an entire chapter to Lomell.

He went on to serve in other pivotal battles, including the Battle of Hurtgen Forest and the Battle of the Bulge. At Hurtgen Forest, he and his fellow servicemen in the D company helped to capture and defend the infamous Hill 400. Lomell was wounded at Hurtgen and again in the Battle of the Bulge, resulting in his honorable discharge in December 1945.

It was at the Battle of Hurtgen Forest that Wardell, a private first class, served with Lomell, who was a second lieutenant, according to Smith's office. Wardell also fought in the Battle of Normandy and the Battle of Brest. He received the Purple Heart upon his honorable discharge in October 1945.

In June, Wardell was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the oldest and highest civilian award in the United States, on behalf of all U.S. Army Ranger veterans in recognition of their service and sacrifice during World War II.

The Leonard G. "Bud" Lomell VA Clinic replaced the James J. Howard VA Clinic that opened in Brick Township in 1991 and served the community until the Lomell clinic opened. As the veteran population in Ocean County and surrounding areas grew it quickly outstripped the Howard clinic's capacity, prompting the need for the new clinic.

Smith advocated for the new clinic, which was first approved in the 2014 legislation signed by President Barack Obama that was to address serious inadequacies in the VA health system.