BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) — More than 16 million Americans served our country during World War II. Today, less than 1% of those veterans are still alive.
Lou Pitalo is one of them. He just turned 101.
“I’m a great American,” said Pitalo. “I love America.”
The country Lou Pitalo loves — and the world around him — has changed dramatically in the 101 years since he was born to Croatian immigrants in Biloxi.
“We didn’t even have a telephone. The first telephone we had was a party line. You just didn’t have good communication.”
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At the age of 17, Pitalo knew his country needed him.
“I said, ‘Mama, you’re signing this. That’s all you’ve got to do.’ That was it. The next thing I knew, I was going.”
Pitalo’s mother watched four of her five sons leave home for the war. In the Coast Guard, Lou was sent to the Pacific.
“We just had to go. We didn’t worry about anything else. We were just Americans. In a time of war, nobody wins. Somebody is going to get lost, and you’re going to lose a lot of lives.”
Pitalo saw the horrors of war up close. His ship delivered troops and equipment to Okinawa in what would be the final island battle with Japan, where nearly 50,000 Americans were killed or wounded.
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“I cry because I talk about it and I’m sad about it.”
He may have been halfway around the world, but his home, where he grew up working in the seafood factories, was never too far away.
“In the military, they would call me ‘The Shrimper.’ Wherever I went, I always remembered home.”
When he returned from war, Pitalo put on a helmet and shoulder pads. He helped what was then Perkinston Junior College win a national championship before heading to LSU, where he would have to hitchhike back to the Coast if he ever wanted to come home. Pitalo started at center for the Tigers in the 1950 Sugar Bowl.
His time in the service and on the field set him up for success as a coach. Pitalo led Broadmoor High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to a state championship.
“I was a coach, and that was the hardest work I’ve ever had in my life.”
His years in athletics and later running a sporting goods store fueled his lifelong commitment to fitness. Even at 101, Lou still prioritizes his health. He lives with his wife Julie at Angel Oaks Assisted Living Center in Ocean Springs, where he’s cared for by Denise Cuevas, who has known him for more than 30 years.
“We credit his longevity and health to not drinking, not smoking and not doing anything unhealthy except for exercising,” said Cuevas.
When you have more than a century of experience, there’s plenty to talk about, and Lou is always willing to share his story.
“I guess I’m going to start selling tickets for everyone to come see [Lou],” Cuevas added.
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Through each stage of life, Pitalo has stuck to his values, and he has advice for others looking for happiness.
“Number one is being honest, working hard and living a good home life,” said Pitalo. “Stay with the Lord... and that’s about it.”
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