Just before 3 p.m. on April 15, 2013, two bombs exploded on Boylston Street in Boston, ripping through a crowd that had gathered near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. The explosion killed three and injured another 264 people.
Joe Fortini was a senior at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth when he watched the tragedy unfold. Like so many others, Fortini watched the footage of spectators and runners alike sprinting to safety as first responders charged onto the scene.
The Plymouth, Massachusetts, native realized that day that the menace of terrorism was not just an overseas concern, but a real and local threat.
“Before that, I guess I didn’t realize that stuff like that could happen here,” he said. “You don’t realize the enormity of it until it comes to your backyard.”
Feeling the impact of the attacks and realizing that evil can lurk nearby, Fortini made the decision to join the Massachusetts Army National Guard to defend his country and community.
Five years after the bombing, Fortini’s role in the Massachusetts Guard brought him full circle to that fateful day in 2013. On April 16, 2018, 1LT Fortini led the 387th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company as the unit conducted anti-terrorism operations along the Boston Marathon route.
Explosive Ordnance disposal (EOD) units, or in layman’s terms, military bomb squads, are incredibly skilled and close-knit communities.
“It really requires what has been characterized as a very special kind of courage,” said LTC Jay Rose, the former commander of the 387th EOD. “You are working in a discipline where men and women are asked to go to these dangerous situations and give everything they’ve got, including laying down their lives to protect other people and preserve the mission.”
“[1LT Fortini] struck me as someone who was mature for his age and experienced – someone who was very focused on learning quickly to be an effective leader,” LTC Rose said. “He gave me the sense that he wanted to really, truly give as much as he could during his time in uniform.”
The 387th EOD was part of the Massachusetts National Guard’s 500-member force that assisted local, State and federal authorities in maintaining public safety during the marathon.
1LT Fortini was excited to be a part of the shield that ensured the Boston Marathon was a safe and fun event for everyone involved.
“The reason I joined is because of what happened at the 2013 marathon; now, I get to be part of it,” he said. “It’s surreal, honestly.”
“Joe took the fear that so many people felt in those series of dark days and turned it into something incredible,” LTC Rose said. “He acted on those feelings in a really different way and made an extraordinary commitment.”
BY SPC Samuel Keenan, Massachusetts NATIONAL GUARD
