Local Soldier Dies In Afghanistan Blast
Fortunato Died After Returning From Leave
POSTED: 10:41 am EDT October 16, 2008
UPDATED: 5:43 pm EDT October 16, 2008
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BOSTON -- A 25-year-old soldier from Beverly was killed when his truck drove over a roadside bomb in Afghanistan on Monday.
Beverly Soldier Killed In AfghanistanStephen Fortunato, a 2002 Beverly High School graduate, died on his first day back on patrol since returning to Afghanistan from a 19-day leave at home, his mother, Elizabeth Crawford of Beverly, told the Salem News."He wanted to go back after his leave. He said, 'I've got to get back to my unit. They're taking up the slack for me and I've got to my part,'" Crawford said.Fortunato, a gunner in the U.S. Army's 26th Infantry Regiment, had been in Afghanistan since July."When (Army officers) said the words 'was killed' everything after that was a fog. I don't even remember what they said after that. I just crumbled. I'm not a person who cries in front of people, but I did then," Crawford said.Fortunato is survived by his wife, Sherri, his parents, two brothers and his grandmother.Fortunato is the first Beverly soldier killed in the line of duty since the Vietnam War.
Beverly Soldier Killed In AfghanistanStephen Fortunato, a 2002 Beverly High School graduate, died on his first day back on patrol since returning to Afghanistan from a 19-day leave at home, his mother, Elizabeth Crawford of Beverly, told the Salem News."He wanted to go back after his leave. He said, 'I've got to get back to my unit. They're taking up the slack for me and I've got to my part,'" Crawford said.Fortunato, a gunner in the U.S. Army's 26th Infantry Regiment, had been in Afghanistan since July."When (Army officers) said the words 'was killed' everything after that was a fog. I don't even remember what they said after that. I just crumbled. I'm not a person who cries in front of people, but I did then," Crawford said.Fortunato is survived by his wife, Sherri, his parents, two brothers and his grandmother.Fortunato is the first Beverly soldier killed in the line of duty since the Vietnam War. Copyright 2009 by TheBostonChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
