Local 4 New Jersey Veteran Receives French Legion of Honor Medal

JOURNAL: ISSUE 2 - 2012

William Tomko in his navy uniform in the 1940s.

November 11, 2011 was no ordinary Veterans Day for William Tomko, a navy veteran and Local 4 New Jersey retiree. On that day he received the French Legion of Honor Medal from French President Nicolas Sarkozy during an official ceremony at the Lycee Francais in New York City for his role in two Allied invasions to reclaim France from the Nazis.

The Legion of Honor was created by Napoleon in 1802 to acknowledge meritorious service to France by persons of great merit. In a letter to Tomko, the French Consul General wrote that the award "underlines the deep appreciation and gratitude of the French people for your contribution to the liberation of our country during World War II… The French people will never forget your courage and your devotion to the great cause of freedom."

Retired Local 4 NJ officer William Tomko, 4th on the right, was recognized by Mountainside Mayor Paul Mirabelli and state Senator Tom Kean, Jr. (R-NJ) at the first annual Mountainside Memorial Day Parade in Mountainside on May 28th.

Tomko didn't think of himself as a war hero but was very touched by the honor. "I am deeply honored to be presented with the insignia of the French Legion of Honor," Tomko said. "This medal is equal to the United States' Medal of Honor."

Tomko enlisted in the United States Navy in February 1943 and served through January 1946 aboard the U.S.S. Barnett, a naval amphibious transport ship.

William Tomko wears his French Legion of Honor Medal with his French-born wife, Maria, and their son Michael, also a member of Local 4 NJ.

On July 10, 1943, Tomko participated in the invasion of Sicily, Italy. The ship took a bomb hit with many killed and wounded by the German Air Force. Tomko was wounded and received the military Order of the Purple Heart. The Barnett limped back to Algeria for repairs while Tomko recovered in sick bay. In September, the Barnett and its crew, including Tomko, were back in action to invade the Italian mainland. Later they headed north to Scotland to prepare for D-Day, and the invasion of Normandy in June 1944.

During the D-Day invasion, Tomko's mission was to get soldiers as close to the coast as possible before they were loaded into smaller boats for the landing. Afterward, the ship transported the wounded back to England and remained there until the Cherbourg Peninsular was secured.

Two months later, Tomko went with the Barnett again to Southern France. The ship made five trips with troops to support the invasion. Later the ship returned to Norfolk, Virginia for major repairs before it headed for the Asiatic-Pacific Theater. On April 1, 1945, Tomko recalled the brutal combat at Okinawa, when the Barnett was hit by Japanese suicide air attacks and badly damaged.

After the war, Tomko worked as a bricklayer and superintendent at the Wm. Blanchard Co. in Springfield, New Jersey. He was Financial Secretary and Business Manager of former Local 13 NJ and a Field Representative of Local 4 NJ. Tomko has devotedly served the Union for 50 years and is a proud Gold Card member. Now 88 years old, Tomko and his wife of 45 years, Maria, raised three children and have four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

On May 28th, Tomko's heroism was once again recognized when he served as Grand Marshal of the Mountainside, NJ Memorial Day Parade.