Ron Fortunato

Alphonse "Alfonso" Joseph Fortunato was born on October 1, 1916 in Yonkers, Westchester, New York to parents Nicola Salvatore Fortunato (1880-1918) and Rosa Maria Pescatore (1884-1974). He had siblings Fortunata "Frances" Fortunato (1902-1981), Camilla "Millie" Fortunato (1907-1990), Giuseppe "Joseph" Fortunato (1909-1985), Nicola (Nicholas) J. Fortunato (1911-1987), and Antonio (Anthony) B Fortunato (1914-1987). He alos had a half brother Angelo Charles Esposito (1910-). He grew up in Richmond NY, Harrison NY, and Yonkers, Westchester, New York, USA. On July 30, 1938 he married Marianna "Marion" Joan Garofalo (1916–1989) at Saint Roch's Church in Greenwich, Fairfield, Connecticut USA. The couple went on to have 5 sons together including Nickolas, Robert, Michael, and Ronald Fortunato. Alphonse registered for the draft about two years after his marriage on October 16, 1940, in Yonkers and was 24 years old at the time. At the time of his registration, Alphonse was working for the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Alphonse later enlisted in the United States Navy during World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was stationed in Oakland, California and was later transferred to Guam, where he worked as a heavy equipment bulldozer operator, helping to build roads, airplane runways, and military bases for the U.S. Armed Forces. One day, while taking a brief break from operating the bulldozer, Al was talking to a fellow seaman on foot when an enemy Japanese fighter plane suddenly appeared overhead. The plane unleashed a barrage of bullets, which fatally wounded the other seaman right in front of Al. In a state of shock from witnessing the brutal attack, Al quickly took cover under the bulldozer, which shielded him from the enemy fire. Thankfully, the bullets were unable to penetrate the bulldozer, and Al was saved from harm.