Lou Imfeld, a World War II Marine Corps veteran, was honored with a golf cart parade to help him celebrate his 99th birthday. His old buddies in the Village of Largo Golf Group organized the occasion.
The Largo Golf Group has been competing on the links for candy bars for the past dozen years.
But, according to several members, the group did something extremely wonderful recently. They paid honor to Lou Imfeld, a veteran of the United States Marine Corps who recently turned 99 years old.
According to Bob Buckley, one of the organizers, the group gathered approximately ten golf carts to ride past Imfeld’s house in a parade to greet him well. The parade members, like Imfeld, are residents of the Village of Largo.
The group also managed to pick up another well-wisher along the way, a neighbor who is not a member of the golf club but is a former Marine who wanted to honor a fellow Marine, he said.
“The main point was that Lou was ecstatic to see people come out and give him tribute,” Buckley said.
Imfeld certainly thought that way.
“I thought it was very, very nice,” he said of the parade. “I appreciated it, and I am very, very appreciative of the people who put it on.”
“I’m just a party man.” Imfeld deadpanned when his family reminded him that the parade was part of two birthday parties held in his honor.
Imfeld, a native of New Jersey, enlisted in the Marine Corps shortly after Pearl Harbor. During World War II, he served at Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Peleliu and other battles in the Pacific theatre.
After the war, he attended Rutgers University Law School and went on to have a great career as a real estate lawyer.
Imfeld has been a member of the golf club for a long time. Buckley said he thrills the group with his sense of humor and kindness.
“Lou truly is the dean of the group,” Buckley said. “Whenever there is a chance, we make a fuss over Lou, just because he’s a gentle kind of spirit.”
Buckley explained that the band wished to pay tribute to Imfeld as a friend. They also wanted to express their thanks for his contributions to the country.
He claimed that troops like Imfeld made the ultimate sacrifice “to give us the opportunity to have a solid country. It’s an honor and an obligation to keep that spirit alive. By honoring the older guys, we’re saying there’s something going on that’s bigger than us.”
“It’s just important to thank them, to say the least, with us more than just a barbecue on Memorial Day,” Buckley added.
The parade members sang to Imfeld in addition to praising him with wild horn blaring and cupcakes. The golf group’s own theme song, created by Imfeld and his late wife, Lois, as well as “America the Beautiful” and “The Marine’s Hymn,” were among the choices, according to Buckley.
Ralph Donohue, the golf group’s founder and a parade member, said he, too, wanted to pay tribute to a buddy who was also a proud soldier.
“Lou is the godfather for us all. He’s a treasure, a real treasure. He’s such a kind and caring man. He’s just an amazing guy. We’ve been blessed by both of them,” Donohue added, referencing to Lois Imfeld as well.
“We’re a caring group. That’s what we’re about – a group of people caring for each other,” said Donohue. “This is part of an expression of our caring.”
Donohue thought it was crucial to acknowledge Imfeld’s military service after accompanying him on a Villages Honor Flight to Washington a few years ago.
“We certainly are grateful for his service,” Donohue said.
– Attributed Source, The Villages Daily Sun