Written by Seth Stutman
Photos by Hillary Lynn Photography

Sponsored by East Village Place

Published in Longmeadow Neighbors (April 2024)

School assemblies can run the gamut, from fun to flops and everything in between. So when one man with one story book can keep the attention of 300+ elementary students, you know the subject matter is good. And this subject matter, and our subject this month, is the Fortsch family, who have made their way from Longmeadow to Afghanistan and back again.

Before the children’s books, or the tours of duty in the middle east, or the love story that brought them back, the story of the Fortsch family begins in Longmeadow with veteran, father and author Sam Fortsch. Sam was born in Longmeadow, and while he left for college at UMass, he always hoped to come back.

“Longmeadow was a town that had everything a kid could ask for and when I got out of the Army I knew it was the place I wanted to start a family,” said Sam

After his first tour in Longmeadow, Fortsch graduated from UMass in 2010 with a Bachelor's degree. From there he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Army through the UMass Army R.O.T.C. program

“I served in the 1-61 CAV, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101 Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell, KY. Where I did two tours to Afghanistan. Serving my country was something I had always wanted to do ever since I was a little kid. I remember watching movies like Kelly's Heroes and The Great Escape with my Dad and being completely enthralled,” Sam said.

Despite being a pre-teen, the events of September 11, 2001 left an impression on Fortsch and helped to drive him towards a career of service to his country

“I remember being devastated by the attacks and the sheer horror of it all. I also remember being deeply touched by the outpouring of patriotism that swept the country. This set me on my path towards the Army. Serving my country was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. The men and women I had the privilege of serving with were people I will never forget and will always be grateful to have met them.”

Sam and his now wife Julia met during their senior year of college at UMass Amherst. Sam sat behind her in class but never mustered up the courage to say hello. Luckily for them, they were introduced later on in the year by mutual friends. Upon graduation, they moved to Tennessee to begin their lives together and their military career.

“Some of my favorite memories were our days/nights out in Nashville, TN. We lived in Clarksville, TN when I was in the Army,” said Sam.

Sam returned from a deployment and he and Julia decided to move back to Sam’s hometown, Longmeadow, and with a new family in tow, Sam was having a hard time describing his service to his ever inquisitive son, Samuel. Sam decided that dogs were a great vehicle to tell the story of him and his team, and he began writing Pawtriot Dogs, first as a screenplay, and then as a book series for children, currently being published by Penguin Random House - and they’re discussing the film and TV rights!

“Seeing the series and the characters come to life has been an amazing experience for me, it's a dream come true. My favorite part has been speaking at school assemblies about the series and receiving letters from kids across the country telling me how much they enjoyed reading it!

Sam and his creative partner Ryan Williams (a neighbor and also a Longmeadow resident) have moved past the Pups and onto even more exciting stories!

“I am currently writing and developing screenplays with my writing partner Ryan Williams, a Longmeadow resident. We're actually neighbors and our families have grown quite close. Ryan and his wife Mallory have three kids who are great friends to my four kids so when we were thinking of a name for our production company, we landed on... 7 Screaming Kids. We currently have a short film called "Expecting" that will be hitting the Film Festival circuit towards the end of the year.”

“Working with Sam has been really rewarding. The passion that Sam has is infectious, and he carries that energy to all of our projects. Sam always has a vision. He is a true leader, and is driven by the need to share that vision,” said creative partner and Longmeadow resident Ryan Williams.

In quieter moments, Sam and his wife Julia enjoy spending time with their children - Samuel (8), William (6), Madeline (4) and George (1) and they are quite involved in activities!

“Samuel and William play basketball, baseball and hockey. Madeline does the dance program in town and just finished her first year of Tee-Ball! George is trying to keep up and will swing or throw any object he can get his hands on! Samuel and William love collecting sports cards and have hijacked my entire collection from when I was a kid. Madeline loves to sing, dance and play dress up,” said Fortsch.

A Longmeadow newcomer, Julia quickly acclimated to town and appreciated the opportunity to raise her children in such a welcoming town.

"Moving to Longmeadow has been such a wonderful experience. The parks, school system and quaint shops in the center of town are amazing. It's a perfect place to raise a family," said Julia.

The Fortsch family couldn’t be happier to be back in Longmeadow where they love how sidewalks can get them all around town, where everyone can bike safely, and where they have made lifelong friends - simple by virtue of being neighbors!

“I jokingly refer to [Longmeadow] as Beaver-Cleaver-Ville. It's quiet, safe, and welcoming. Couldn't ask for a better town to raise a family.”