Middletown Family Recalls Dad's Army Service Abroad

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — Last April, Patch wrote about how Middletown residents put on a beautiful — and socially distanced — parade to welcome home U.S. Army Major Matthew Zilinski, who lives with his family in town.

Zilinski had just returned from an 11-month deployment with the U.S. National Guard in Kosovo. Matthew is the younger brother of Lt. Dennis Zilinski, who was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq in 2005.

Now, Zilinski's family, especially his three daughters, Ellie, Quinn and Piper, share what it was like to have him away from home for so long.

“A year later, we’ve had time to absorb how Matt’s deployment affected our girls," said Brie Zilinski, his wife. "They longed for their Dad to be part of their everyday lives. They couldn’t share their triumphs with him about school. He couldn’t watch them play, share meals, enjoy birthdays, and celebrate holidays. As much as I tried to comfort them, they just wanted their Dad."

April is designated as the Month of the Military Child, recognizing the impact an armed forces life has on the children of those who serve our country.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense, the Month of the Military Child is a time to honor military families and their children for the daily sacrifices they make and the challenges they overcome.

“My Mom used to put my Dad’s shirt over my big pillow and spray his cologne on it. It made us feel like he was right there with us,” said Ellie, 8, who is in the third grade at Middletown public schools.

“I used to look around and see all my friends with both their parents and it made me sad," said her sister, Quinn.

Major Zilinski was escorted home in April 2020 by a caravan of Middletown firetrucks, police cars, family, friends and neighbors.

“I especially missed my Dad at night," said Ellie. My Mom had ‘Daddy Dolls’ made for us with his picture on them. Squeezing the little pillow tight helped me fall asleep when I was sad. It was hard. I’m so glad that he’s home now."

Both the Zilinski brothers grew up in Middletown and are well known to the area: Dennis Zilinski was only 23 years old when he died while serving his country.

Dennis graduated from Christian Brothers Academy in 2000 and went on to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy (West Point). In September of 2005, he was deployed to Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division. Only two months in, Dennis was killed by a roadside bomb; he was one of the four American soldiers killed that day.

Younger brother Matthew Zilinski also graduated from CBA. When not serving in the U.S. Army overseas, he works as a Howell police officer.

The Lt. Dennis W. Zilinski, II Memorial Fund was created by the Zilinski family in 2006 to honor Lt. Dennis Zilinski.

Mother and father Marion and Dennis Zilinski have given talks to Middletown school children about their sons' military service, such as this talk last year at Fairview Elementary.

One of the main accomplishments of the Zilinksi fund is sponsoring service dogs for wounded soldiers suffering from PTSD. To date, the fund has sponsored more than 100 dogs at a sponsorship of $15,000 per dog. They also provide scholarships for students at Christian Brothers and Trinity Hall, the girls' school.

Donations may be sent to: Lt. Dennis W. Zilinski, II Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 124, Adelphia, NJ 07710 or made online at runwithdennis.org.

Prior Patch reporting: Mom Of Fallen Middletown Soldier Speaks To Fairview 4th Graders (January 2020)

Middletown Welcomes Home U.S. Veteran, Social-Distancing Style (April 8, 2020)

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