by justin strawser
SUNBURY - The four medals presented to a mother of a deceased veteran, originally from Elysburg, Wednesday afternoon have been a long time coming.
"This is long overdue. Joseph deserved these medals a long time ago," said U.S. Rep. Tom Marino (R-10), who presented the medals at the ceremony at the Sunbury VFW Thomas Brill Post, 2 Shikellamy Road.
He added, "I apologize that you are just now receiving
these, and I will work on preventing something like this from happening in the future."
Josette Zielinski was presented with a National Defense Service Medal, an Army Good Conduct Medal, a Global War on Terrorism Medal and a Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.
Before the ceremony, she said, "All I ever wanted from the Army was acknowledgement of what Joe did. Nothing will bring closure to us, but I want his girls to know what their daddy did."
Spc. Joseph Zielinski, 26, died in November 2008 at Clifton Springs Hospital and Clinic, New York, after an unexpected illness. He served in the U.S. Army repairing radios, computers and other technology from 2001 to 2005, including service in Iraq and Kuwait, and was honorably discharged Oct. 15, 2005.
He was also the son of Joseph E. Zielinski Sr. and the husband of Sheena Bergeron. He is also survived by four daughters, Samantha, Gabrielle, Josette and Austina.
Josette and her husband have been locked in a battle since before their son's death in 2008 to get him the medical help and recognition he deserved. They have recently enlisted the assistance of Marino, who acknowledged Wednesday that his office was looking into how Zielinski "fell through the cracks."
Two months after her son returned to his home in New York, she said the problems started.
"We got a call from his wife, saying he tore the mattress off the bed and put her in a choke hold. He was literally fighting a battle," she said.
He was afraid to sleep and often stayed up all night holding their newborn child to stay awake. He would experience intense migraines from a brain injury, flashbacks and other symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. His teeth were also rotting, an effect from a pill addiction.
According to his stories, said his mother, he would volunteer for missions and spend a lot of time on the front lines.
After an explosion that killed a fellow soldier, he "spit out pieces of his buddy's brain," she said. "He had seen more than we could have ever known."
The coroner, said Josette Zielinski, reported that he died of a heart attack, but a severe brain edema caused by traumatic brain injury contributed to his deteriorating health and death.
"After he died, we found a sticky note with a prayer, asking God to take his soul to heaven," she said. "He knew he was dying. He didn't let on how much he suffered."
However, for one reason or another, which is now being investigated by Marino's office, he was denied the help he needed.
It was a bittersweet day for Josette, as Wednesday was her birthday.
"He (Joseph) used to call me at 5:30 in the morning to be the first to wish me a happy birthday," she said, noting that she felt his presence during the presentation.
State Rep. Kurt Masser (D-107), whose office is in Zielinski's hometown, was also in attendance and said his heart went out to the family.
"We're righting a wrong," he said.