Mike Fortunato, who became a member of our Club in 1998 will be our speaker for this Friday.
Last June Mike attended the 75th D-Day ceremonies in Normandy, France. It was a great experience and a moving trip that he had been planning for some time….to follow in the footsteps of his dad. As a 20-year old Army Medic with the 29th Infantry Division, 116th Regiment, his dad landed on Omaha Beach at 7AM on June 6th, 1944.
Like most of the veterans of “The Greatest Generation,” his father never talked much about his wartime experiences. Unfortunately, he passed away when he was only 61 and Mike didn’t have a chance to really understand what he went through.
(Photo at left circa 1944 - Sam Fortunato.)The Fortunato family always knew that Sam fought in World War II as a medic. They decided to further honor his memory by documenting the story of his service for future generations and acknowledging the sacrifices he made for the United States of America. Sam's mission was to save lives. He was a World War II medic on Omaha Beach – First Wave.
In the past few years, Mike has done a lot of research and been able to piece together a good part of his Dad’s military story. Most of that information was the basis of a documentary video Mike and his brother-in-law put together. The video is on YouTube and is titled, Sam Fortunato WW2 (click HERE to view). Visiting Omaha Beach and standing where his father came ashore 75 years earlier was a trip he will never forget!
Come hear Mike's stories about D-Day and his dad's WWII experiences.