TOMS RIVER – The extraordinary life and times of an under-appreciated World War II hero was the subject of a question-and-answer session with author Steven M. Gillon at the George P. Vanderveer American Legion Post 129. Gillon, a history professor at the University of Oklahoma, entertained those in attendance and provided insight regarding his latest book, “Len Lomell: D-Day Hero.”
In addition to Lomell’s wife, Charlotte, many of those in attendance had known Lomell personally. So, in addition to the information imparted by the author, numerous friends and acquaintances of the local hero took the opportunity to share their recollections at the well-attended event. Lomell had been a member of American Legion Post 129 and had run his law practice in Toms River, as well.
Lomell was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1942, and had become an Army Ranger. As part of his involvement in WWII, Lomell’s squad was tasked with taking the German stronghold at Point du Hoc as part of the D-Day invasion. He is credited with being the one soldier who made D-Day a victory. Lomell’s exploits, many of which had not previously been known to the author, are contained in the book.
As Gillon explained to the audience, he had met Lomell while doing a television show on the History Channel.
“I was just mesmerized by his story and incredibly impressed by him,” Gillon said of Lomell. “I know that most of his friends and people who knew him called him ‘Bud.’ To me, he was Mister Lomell. I was also struck by how modest he was, how down to Earth he was. He was just like a regular guy. He never wanted to be the center of attention.”
The idea for the book was hatched during the COVID-19 pandemic, and during the question-and-answer session, the author revealed how the book truly came to fruition.
Just as he had done with the previous 11 books he has written, Gillon did hours of fact-checking and interviews in preparation for the task.
“What happened is,” Gillon explained to his audience, “in the very beginning, I did a lot of background research before I even reached out to the family. I wanted to make sure the story held together.”
Gillon explained that historical materials about Lomell were often hard to come by, including at the Library of Congress.
“In this case there were very few of those types of documents,” Gillon said. “And what you do as an author, is you gather up as much information as you can.”
But the most noteworthy assistance came from the Lomell family themselves when the late war hero’s wife had a small gathering, which included Gillon, at her home.
“And I think it was that time, after that meeting,” Gillon related, “Renee asked me to stay behind. She went into the back room where she stored lots of [Lomell’s] memorabilia. She brought out a big black folder, and she explained to me what it was.”
Inside the folder was a 186-page letter that Lomell had written to his grandchildren in 1980 that documented his life.
“As a historian, it doesn’t get any better,” explained Gillon. “He essentially did a lot of the work for me.”
The biography recounts the heroic actions of Lomell, whose exploits, while impressive, have not been woven into the fabric of the American zeitgeist in the same fashion as such iconic figures as General George S. Patton, or Audie Murphy. From his inauspicious beginnings as a World War II draftee, the selfless bravery and resourcefulness of Lomell are accurately recounted by Gillon, who vividly painted the scene for those in attendance at the lecture.
“I just think it’s great that we have someone who’s written a nationally published book,” said Toms River Mayor Maurice B. Hill, who was also in attendance at the event. “And it’s available now to people, to read about his history, and how important [Lomell] was in changing the outcome of World War Two.”
Lomell passed away in 2011. Many audience members had known him, either through his membership at the American Legion Hall, through his law practice, or simply as an involved community member, and took turns sharing their stories with the author. While he did not do so publicly during the event, Hill also knew Lomell personally, as well.
“I actually met him downtown,” Hill explained, “at a number of events, Memorial Day events. He was our Grand Marshall, and he was always a very humble guy. I used to see him at the Ocean County Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day celebrations they had.
The mayor and the town council of Toms River are even working to have a new VA outpatient clinic being built off Hooper Avenue named in Lomell’s honor, with resolutions already in place.
“[Lomell was] one of the pillars of the town,” said Hill. “He’s done a lot for the community.”
Preliminary indications are that the measure will pass and that Lomell’s name will be adopted for the clinic.
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