When Army 2nd Lt. Seth Dvorin, 24, was killed in Iraq in 2004, the Jewish War Veterans Post 972 of Marlboro was renamed in his honor.

Since then, his father, Richard Dvorin, post commander, has lobbied in support of the American men and women who are stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

As proof of his support, Dvorin’s JWV post has launched Project SOS (Support Our Service People), a drive to send food and gifts to members of the American military service in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Although Dvorin has expressed opposition to what he has called a “meaningless war” (see sidebar), he hasn’t wavered in his support for the troops since Seth’s death.

“While I realize that there are many people who do not support the war in Iraq, it is the responsibility of every American to support our troops,” said Dvorin. “I am happy to see that the people of Monmouth County are showing their support by donating to our SOS program. JWV Post 972 will be forever appreciative of their generosity and devotion to the outstanding men and women fighting to preserve the American way of life.”

In December, post members collected gifts and monetary donations from shoppers at the Wal-Mart in Freehold. They collected eight shopping carts of merchandise, including toiletries; candy, nutritional snacks, and other nonperishable food; health and comfort supplies; and books, videos, and DVDs. They also received more than $1,200 in monetary donations.

The JWV’s national organization in Washington, DC, is in the process of helping coordinate the transfer of the supplies collected by the post, according to Dvorin. The organization has contacted a Jewish chaplain in Afghanistan who will receive and distribute kosher food products collected to servicepeople there and in Iraq. They also have connected with another chaplain in Iraq who will receive and distribute nonkosher products in both countries.

The money that was collected in December was used to purchase additional items for the service members; it also helped pay for the packing and shipping fees incurred in sending the provisions to Iraq and Afghanistan, Dvorin explained.

The SOS drive grew out of a project that began several years ago at Temple Shalom in Aberdeen. The project was originated by Dr. Annette Weinstein and her late husband, Bernie, temple members who reside in Old Bridge. Their son, is a Marine who is completing his second tour of duty in Iraq. “It’s an honor and a privilege to be working with the Jewish War Veterans, a very special group of people who understand the needs of our deployed service men and women,” said Annette Weinstein.

Dvorin, a former Monmouth County resident who now lives in East Brunswick, relied on support from his post when he received the news that his son had been killed while trying to disarm an improvised explosive device on Feb. 3, 2004. Seth was part of a convoy that had been ordered to clear homemade mines and bombs from a supply route 35 miles south of Baghdad when the blast occurred; he was the only soldier killed in the explosion and the 17th soldier from New Jersey to die in Iraq.

Seth died just 17 days after returning to Iraq after two weeks of R&R at home with his wife, Kelly. The two were married on Aug. 26, 2003, five days before he left for his first tour.

After learning of the tragedy, the 106 members of Post 972 voted to rename it in his honor. That act was a source of comfort and pride to Richard Dvorin, who had served in the Air Force from 1960 to 1964.

“I never thought my son was going to get killed,” he said. “I’m an optimist. I knew my boy was coming back.”

He learned about his son’s death when an Army colonel and a chaplain from Fort Monmouth arrived at his home with the devastating news. Seth is buried in Marlboro Memorial Cemetery.

“My son was a loyal, responsible commander who always tried to make life as easy as possible for those in his command,” Dvorin said. “He was a good human being. The men in Post 972 reminded me of so many incidents that illustrated Seth’s character and good nature, like the time when he was offered two weeks leave and declined it because so many of his platoon members had not yet had the chance to go on leave. Being reminded of the things he did and his concern for others helped me and the family cope with this terrible loss.”

Working on the SOS project has also helped Dvorin cope with his loss and remember his son.

“I think about Seth every minute of every day,” he said. “I was so proud of the kind of person he was. I hope he would be proud of what we’re doing for the Americans who are in harm’s way. He lost his life fighting for his country. All we’re trying to do is give something back to the men and women who continue to uphold the values he cherished.”

To learn more about Project SOS, call Post 972 headquarters at 732-254-2679.