TOMS RIVER – The new Veterans Affairs clinic on Hooper Avenue will be christened the Leonard G. "Bud" Lomell clinic, after the hometown hero and Army veteran who fought in World War II from the Normandy Invasion thru the Battle of Bulge.

"The entire Board of Commissioners is exceptionally pleased to learn that the President has signed a Congressional bill naming the VA clinic after Toms River resident and Army Second Lieutenant Bud Lomell," said Frank Sadeghi, Deputy Director of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners. "Lomell's exploits are legendary."

The Commissioners in 2023 unanimously passed a resolution calling on the federal government to name the new clinic in honor of the Toms River native.

As an Army Ranger, Lomell was part of a unit that scaled the 100-foot cliffs at Pointe du Hoc in an effort to destroy a German artillery battery that overlooked Omaha Beach on the Normandy coast.

The rangers found the artillery bunkers empty, but Lomell located the guns nearby and helped disable them.

"The noted D-Day historian Stephen Ambrose said that aside from General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lomell was the single man most responsible for the success of the Normandy landings," Sadeghi said. "That's high praise indeed."

Commissioner Virginia E. "Ginny" Haines said that despite his heroics, Lomell, who died in 2011 at the age of 91, remained humble and always credited his fellow rangers and soldiers for their bravery during the struggle against Hitler's Germany.

"We have lost so many of our World War II veterans," Haines said. "The renaming of this clinic honors not only Lt. Lomell, but all of the men and woman who helped pave Liberty Road and freed millions from Nazi oppression."

Commissioner Jennifier Bacchione noted that the announcement made by Rep. Chris Smith, R-NJ, that President Trump had signed the bill renaming the clinic, came just in time for Lomell's widow, Charlotte's 104th birthday, which she celebrated this week.

"We want Mrs. Lomell to know that all of Ocean County and all of New Jersey joins with her in celebrating her husband's bravery and commitment to freedom," Bacchione said.

Commissioner Robert Arace, who is liaison to the county's Veteran's Service Bureau, said Lomell is representative of the thousands of Ocean County men and women who have served their nation since the Revolutionary War.

"Ocean County will never forget our honored veterans," he said.

Arace said while many of heard of Lomell's exploits during D-Day, fewer may be aware of the vital role he played months later during the American advance toward Germany.

On December 7, 1944, just days before the Battle of Bulge, Lomell helped capture a vital position known as Hill 400 during the Battle of the Hurtgen Forest.

For his exploits on that day, Lomell was awarded the Silver Star for heroism.

"In naming this clinic for Bud Lomell, we honor not only his extraordinary courage, but the service and sacrifice of all veterans," the Board of Commissioners said in a joint statement. "This clinic will stand as both a place of healing and a lasting reminder of the bravery, humility, and dedication of those who defended our freedom."

The new VA clinic, located at 1051 Hooper Avenue in Toms River, provides expanded medical, mental health, and specialty services for veterans in Ocean County and the surrounding region. Opened in 2024, the state-of-the-art facility was designed to improve access to care for the area's large and growing veteran population. The renaming ensures that every veteran who walks through its doors is reminded of the legacy of Leonard G. "Bud" Lomell and the values he embodied.