Javier Zamora was killed on August 26, 2007, in southern California when his car was struck head-on by a driver who was reaching between the seats for her phone. Javier was on his way to a shopping mall with his daughter when the crash occurred. Javier’s daughter sustained minor injuries and the female driver of the other car also suffered non-life threatening injuries. Javier left behind a wife, stepdaughter, three children, eight siblings, and countless family and friends.
Staff Sergeant Javier Zamora was the youngest of nine children who moved to the U.S. from Mexico as a young boy. Javier grew up in east Los Angeles and graduated from Wilson High School. Thereafter, he devoted his life to the Army National Guard, where he worked as part of the drug interdiction effort in the San Diego sector with the Border Patrol and U.S. Customs. He had been a full-time guardsman since 1993.
SSG Javier Zamora was also an Army helicopter door gunner during the Iraq War and was preparing to go back to Iraq at the time of his death. According to Clifford Rodgers, with whom he served in Iraq, “SSG Javier Zamora served with Bravo Company as a door gunner during the deployment. He took to the job fast and liked to fly. He was a great help both on the missions and after, cleaning weapons and helping to prep the aircraft for the next day’s mission. Unfortunately I didn’t get to know him well as he and our other gunners had other jobs within the unit and only got to fly with us a couple of times a week. I am glad for the chance to have served with him and it is with great regret that we add him to our fallen heroes list.”
Javier spent all of his free time with his family with whom he also enjoyed taking off-roading trips. He took pleasure in riding a GSXR-1000 sport motorcycle, a gift he received when he returned from Iraq in November 2005.
Javier was buried with full honors.
Javier’s widow, Jennifer Zamora-Jamison, has become an outspoken advocate for legislation to protect drivers, passengers and pedestrians as well as to expand judicial repercussion for those responsible for distracted driving collisions. Jennifer has participated in the USAA Distracted Driving Awareness Summit on the Victim Impact Panel and has become a voice in the Texas Coalition of Distracted Driving Victims. Jennifer has re-married and currently resides in Texas.
Watch Javier’s widow, Jennifer, speaking about Javier at the Texas Distracted Driving Summit held in April 2012 in San Antonio, TX.
