When Lou Pasquale was a 19-year-old machine gunner in World War II, he was badly injured when an Okinawa ammunition dump exploded. He prayed to God to spare his life for his mother, and promised he would help someone every day of his life from then on. After the war, Lou managed a bowling alley in Boston, and always looked after the kids who played there, giving them free shoes and games, driving them to school, counseling them and helping their families.
And almost seventy years later, Lou continues to keep his promise. For the past seven years, the vet has been raising money through candy bar sales and an annual golf tournament to buy specially-equipped vans to take injured veterans to their medical appointments. The Massachusetts Disabled American Veterans has been able to purchase 19 vans because of Lou’s efforts. That’s a lot of mileage out of one long-ago promise.