By Ivan Pereira
All New York National Guardsman Spec. Jason von Zerneck wanted to do in life was to serve his nation and make his family proud, his mother Barbara von Zerneck said Tuesday outside his Kew Gardens home.
Recalling the last time she talked to him before he was killed on duty in Afghanistan last Thursday, Barbara von Zerneck said he had no regrets and was looking forward to returning home to see her, his father, his wife and three children.
“He had finally come to a point where he was happy with the choices he made,” she said before breaking down at the front door of her son’s apartment building.
Jason von Zerneck, 33, died in Qara Bagh Karze, Afghanistan, when the vehicle he was in rolled over during a logistical convoy, the U.S. Defense Department said. He was part of the National Guard’s B Troop, 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry, based in Jamestown, N.Y.
The unit was assigned to help train the Afghan National Army, according to the Defense Department. He was on his first tour of duty, which was set to end in February, a Defense Department spokesman said.
Although Jason von Zerneck joined the armed services in February 2006, his mother said his passion for the military went back to his childhood. After graduating from the Bronx High School of Science and attending George Washington University and City College, von Zerneck contemplated joining the Army, but changed his mind, Barbara said.
He spent time helping his wife, Stephanie, raise their 9−year−old daughter, Rania; 6−year−old son, Joseph; and 3−year−old son, Noah, and then decided to sign up with the National Guard.
“He said if he didn’t do it now, he’d regret it,” Barbara von Zerneck said. “He felt he could make a contribution.”
During his time with the unit, Jason von Zerneck earned 11 awards for his work in Afghanistan, including the National Defense Service Medal , the Afghanistan Campaign Medal and the Armed Forces Service Medal.
He was awarded the Bronze Star and the New York State Medal for Merit posthumously, according to the Defense Department.
“All members of the New York National Guard will mourn the loss of this soldier who died defending his country and seeking to help the people of Afghanistan,” Major General Joseph Taluto, commander of the New York National Guard, said in a statement.
“We mourn his loss with his family and we will do everything possible to help them through this tragedy.”
Barbara von Zerneck said she and her family support the troops overseas, but not the military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. She said she thinks the Bush administration does not care about the men and women who risk their lives for our country.
“He was a wonderful father, husband, and son. We’ll miss him every minute of every day,” she said.
Reach reporter Ivan Pereira by e−mail at ipereira@timesledger.com or by phone at 718−229−0300, Ext. 146.
