# What This Bill Does

This bill is straightforward: it names a new Veterans Affairs clinic being built in Toms River, New Jersey after Leonard G. "Bud" Lomell, Jr., a World War II hero. The clinic will officially be called the "Leonard G. 'Bud' Lomell, Jr. VA Clinic" once it opens. That's essentially the entire purpose of the legislation—it's a naming bill, which means it doesn't create new programs, change how veterans get care, or affect funding. It simply designates what the facility will be called.

The bill includes a detailed history of who Lomell was to explain why he deserves this honor. He was a Ranger who fought at D-Day in Normandy and, according to the bill, played a crucial role in destroying German artillery guns that could have devastated the invasion. After the war, he settled in Toms River, became a lawyer, and was involved in his community for decades. The bill notes that historian Stephen Ambrose considered Lomell's actions on D-Day among the most significant to the Allied victory. By naming the clinic after him, the community is honoring his military service and his contributions to the area.

For veterans in the Toms River area, this doesn't change anything about the clinic itself or the services they'll receive. The facility was already planned and will open around 2023 regardless of what it's called. This is purely a symbolic gesture—a way for the community and Congress to recognize a local war hero by attaching his name to a building that will serve veterans in his hometown.

To name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic to be constructed in Toms River, New Jersey, the Leonard G. 'Bud' Lomell, Jr. VA Clinic, and for other purposes.

Smith, Christopher H.

 <p>This bill designates the community-based outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs to be constructed in Toms River, New Jersey, as the Leonard G. &quot;Bud&quot; Lomell, Jr. VA Clinic.</p>