T.J. Hromisin, U.S. Army Captain-Ret., left, stands besides City of Pittston Mayor Michael Lombardo thanking him for the honor of having the City Hall name the conference room after him.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Brian Doughton, PA Sen. Marty Flynn’s district director, left, congratulates T.J. Hromisin, U.S. Army Captain-Ret., after Doughton read a proclamation from the state Senate sponsored by Flynn.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
PA State Rep. James Haddock, left, reads a proclamation from the PA House of Rep. during the dedication of the new T.J. Hromisin Conference Room at Pittston City Hall. Hromisin, center right, is seated between his parents Mary Ellen and Jerry Hromisin.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
TJ Hromisin, U.S. Army Captain-Ret., 40, stands in front of signage at the back of Pittston City Hall were his name is prominent indicating the conference room at City Hall now bears his name on Thursday, Feb. 8. Hromisin was shot and wounded losing his sight in 2007 during the Iraqi War.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
A black and white portrait of T.J. Hromisin, U.S. Army Capatin-Ret., by artist Omar Rodrigruez, will hang permanently in the Captain Thomas J. Hromisin Conference Room at Pittston City Hall.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
PITTSTON – It’s fair to say Thomas “T.J.” Hromisin, who went to high school across the street from Pittston City Hall in 2001, could never imagine his name gracing the back of City Hall, but on Thursday, Feb. 8, that’s just what happened.
Hromisin, now 40 years old, was honored by the City of Pittston when they named the conference room in his name. Forevermore, the conference room will be known as the Captain Thomas J. Hromisin Conference Room.
City Mayor Michael Lombardo said he got the idea roughly 18 months ago to do something to honor Hromisin, a retired U.S. Army captain who lost his sight after a head wound while serving in the Iraqi War in 2007.
Lombardo recalls knowing Hromisin since he was 10 years old along with his family members.
“We had the renovations of City Hall a few year ago, and we use it (conference room) a lot and a lot of important things happen there, including dignitaries from all over the state,” Lombardo explained. “I thought this room needed a more formal lift to it that we could reference it as something more than just the conference room and I thought who deserves to be recognized and placed on the building and I couldn’t think of a better recipient than T.J.”
Lombardo said the dedication could have happened sooner, but the city had artist Omar Rodriguez do a portrait of Hromisin to hang on the wall of the conference room, so they had to wait until everything was in place, including the letter of the room outside at the back of City Hall.
“This conference room is symbolic and when we come in this building we lose sight, and I think we take for granted on being elected, and how that whole process works,” Lombardo added. “This country is uniquely different than anywhere else because of all the rights we have and a guy like T.J., whose career was on a trajectory taking him someplace, and we owe everything to our veterans and we don’t do enough for them, so this is just a small gesture from us in recognizing one of our own.”
Lombardo said having Hromisin’s name on the back of the building were staff and city police park is a reminder not to walk into the building taking for granted the responsibility to the people who they serve, but also how the process is allowed because of people like Hromisin and his great sacrifice to keep U.S. citizens free.
Hromisin went through the ROTC program at the University of Scranton where he also knew he wanted to serve his country.
“Thank you to the mayor and all the people that made this possible, it’s definitely special to me,” Hromisin said to the large gathering at the new Hromisin Conference Room. “What I did was the right thing to do, and it was honorable.”
State Rep. James Haddock read a proclamation from the state House of Representatives nothing the sacrifices to the nation Hromisin gave in serving the country and paying the price in doing so.
State Sen. Marty Flynn could not attend, but sent District Director Brian Doughton to read a proclamation from the state Senate sponsored by Flynn.
Lombardo said Hromisin would be recognized at the next Pittston City Council meeting, reading a formal resolution to document the official dedication to be placed on record books in noting the City’s history.
