news release

The Veterans Council of Indian River County invites the community to attend a Memorial Day Observance Monday, May 27, 2024 at 9:00 am on Veterans Memorial Island Sanctuary in Vero Beach’s Riverside Park. This event is free to the public.

The Veterans Council of Indian River County is honored to have Commander Michael Fortunato, M.D., United States Navy, as this year’s keynote speaker.  Commander Fortunato was commissioned as a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy Medical Corps as a Direct Accession Officer at the age of 52, fulfilling a deep desire to serve the United States of America. He was promoted to Commander in September of 2017.

Commander Fortunato served with the Marines of MWSS-273, MAG-31 as the Senior Medical Officer of MWSS-273. His leadership skills were quickly acknowledged, and he also became the acting SMO of MAG-31 for a period of 11 months. He detached in June of 2014 to serve as the Director for Medical Services at Naval Hospital Beaufort from 2014-2017.  Commander Fortunato then accepted orders to the USS BOXER (LHD-4) where he served as the Senior Medical Officer from 2017-2020. 

After separating from the Navy in June 2020, Commander Fortunato accepted a position as a primary care physician at the Vero CBOC and now serves as a Primary Care Physician at VIP Healthcare in Vero Beach.

Commander Fortunato is a proud United States citizen, husband, father, and grandfather. He and his wife Bethany have 5 children and 6 grandchildren. Commander Fortunato enjoys his family, gardening, music, travel, and preventative health. He is the recipient of numerous awards and military honors.

“Let us pause, not just to remember, but to honor” said Cynthia Ryan, Executive Director of the Veterans Council.  “Memorial Day serves as our collective tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of those who gave everything for our nation’s freedom. May we never forget their courage and commitment.”

The ceremony will start promptly at 9:00 am and will include full military honors, with the Parade of the Colors.  Ample parking is available at Riverside Park. Please remember to bring your lawn chair to enjoy this ceremony.

The Veterans Council of Indian River County is the lead agency for providing programs and direct aid to veterans and their families in Indian River County and is a United Way of Indian River partner agency.  The mission of Veterans Council of Indian River County is to support all Indian River County veterans and their families while raising awareness of veteran’s needs and their contributions to society.

For more information about the Veterans Council of Indian River County, visit  http://helpIRCvets.org or call (772) 410-5820