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Louis Silvie Zamperini (January 26, 1917 – July 2, 2014) was an American World War II veteran, a Christian evangelist and an Olympic distance runner, best known for being a Japanese prisoner of war survivor.
Zamperini took up running in high school and qualified for the US in the 5,000 m race for the 1936 Berlin Olympics. In 1941, he was commissioned into the United States Army Air Forces as a lieutenant. He served as a bombardier in B-24 Liberators in the Pacific. On a search and rescue mission, mechanical difficulties forced Zamperini's plane to crash in the ocean. After drifting at sea for 46–47 days (island spotted on the 46th, and arrived on 47th) he landed on the Japanese occupied Marshall Islands and was captured. He was taken to a prison camp in Japan where he was tortured. Following the war he initially struggled to overcome his ordeal.
Later he became a Christian Evangelist with a strong belief in forgiveness. Since 1952 he devoted himself to at-risk youth which his family continues today. Zamperini is the subject of three biographical films: Unbroken (2014), Captured by Grace (2015), and Unbroken: Path to Redemption (2018 sequel to Unbroken, 2014).
Zamperini enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps in September 1941[15] and earned a commission as a second lieutenant. He was deployed to the Pacific island of Funafuti as a bombardier on the Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber Super Man.
With Super Man no longer flight-worthy, and a number of the crew injured, the healthy crew members were transferred to Hawaii to await reassignment. Zamperini, along with some other former Super Man crewmates, was assigned to conduct a search for a lost aircraft and crew. They were given another B-24, Green Hornet, notorious among the pilots as a defective "lemon." (Aircraft records show several B-24s with the name: "Green Hornet" and "The Green Hornet";[16] in this case the name was verified from Zamperini's diary before the mission.)
On 27 May 1943, while on the search, mechanical difficulties caused the bomber to crash into the ocean 850 miles (1,370 km) south[17] of Oahu, killing eight of the 11 men aboard.[18]
The three survivors were Zamperini and his crewmates, pilot Russell Allen Phillips and Francis McNamara; with little food and no water, they subsisted on captured rainwater, small fish eaten raw, and birds that landed on their raft. McNamara ate all the chocolate they had in a panic, but he later redeemed himself by using an oar to defend the survivors from a shark attack. They attempted to gain the attention of a search plane but failed. With the few tools they were able to salvage from the crash, the men were able to manage on two small rafts that got released. They caught two albatrosses, one of which they ate, and used pieces as bait to catch fish, all while fending off constant shark attacks and nearly being capsized by a storm.[19][20] They were strafed multiple times by a Japanese bomber, which punctured their life raft, but no one was hit. After 33 days at sea, McNamara died; to wish him a good life, free from the war, Zamperini and Phillips wrapped up his body and sent it into the sea.[18][21]
Prisoner of war
On their 47th day adrift, Zamperini and Phillips reached land in the Marshall Islands and were immediately captured by the Japanese Navy.[22] They were held in captivity, severely beaten, and mistreated until the end of the war in August 1945. Initially held at Kwajalein Atoll, after 42 days they were transferred to the Japanese prisoner-of-war camp at Ōfuna, for captives who were not registered as prisoners of war (POW). Zamperini was later transferred to Tokyo's Ōmori POW camp, and was eventually transferred to the Naoetsu POW camp in northern Japan, where he stayed until the war ended. He was tormented by prison guard Mutsuhiro "The Bird" Watanabe, who was later included in General Douglas MacArthur’s list of the forty most wanted war criminals in Japan.
Zamperini was held at the same camp as then-Major Greg "Pappy" Boyington, and in his book, Baa Baa Black Sheep, Boyington describes the Italian recipes Zamperini would write to keep the prisoners’ minds off the food and conditions.
Zamperini took up running in high school and qualified for the US in the 5,000 m race for the 1936 Berlin Olympics. In 1941, he was commissioned into the United States Army Air Forces as a lieutenant. He served as a bombardier in B-24 Liberators in the Pacific. On a search and rescue mission, mechanical difficulties forced Zamperini's plane to crash in the ocean. After drifting at sea for 46–47 days (island spotted on the 46th, and arrived on 47th) he landed on the Japanese occupied Marshall Islands and was captured. He was taken to a prison camp in Japan where he was tortured. Following the war he initially struggled to overcome his ordeal.
Later he became a Christian Evangelist with a strong belief in forgiveness. Since 1952 he devoted himself to at-risk youth which his family continues today. Zamperini is the subject of three biographical films: Unbroken (2014), Captured by Grace (2015), and Unbroken: Path to Redemption (2018 sequel to Unbroken, 2014).
Zamperini enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps in September 1941[15] and earned a commission as a second lieutenant. He was deployed to the Pacific island of Funafuti as a bombardier on the Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber Super Man.
With Super Man no longer flight-worthy, and a number of the crew injured, the healthy crew members were transferred to Hawaii to await reassignment. Zamperini, along with some other former Super Man crewmates, was assigned to conduct a search for a lost aircraft and crew. They were given another B-24, Green Hornet, notorious among the pilots as a defective "lemon." (Aircraft records show several B-24s with the name: "Green Hornet" and "The Green Hornet";[16] in this case the name was verified from Zamperini's diary before the mission.)
On 27 May 1943, while on the search, mechanical difficulties caused the bomber to crash into the ocean 850 miles (1,370 km) south[17] of Oahu, killing eight of the 11 men aboard.[18]
The three survivors were Zamperini and his crewmates, pilot Russell Allen Phillips and Francis McNamara; with little food and no water, they subsisted on captured rainwater, small fish eaten raw, and birds that landed on their raft. McNamara ate all the chocolate they had in a panic, but he later redeemed himself by using an oar to defend the survivors from a shark attack. They attempted to gain the attention of a search plane but failed. With the few tools they were able to salvage from the crash, the men were able to manage on two small rafts that got released. They caught two albatrosses, one of which they ate, and used pieces as bait to catch fish, all while fending off constant shark attacks and nearly being capsized by a storm.[19][20] They were strafed multiple times by a Japanese bomber, which punctured their life raft, but no one was hit. After 33 days at sea, McNamara died; to wish him a good life, free from the war, Zamperini and Phillips wrapped up his body and sent it into the sea.[18][21]
Prisoner of war
On their 47th day adrift, Zamperini and Phillips reached land in the Marshall Islands and were immediately captured by the Japanese Navy.[22] They were held in captivity, severely beaten, and mistreated until the end of the war in August 1945. Initially held at Kwajalein Atoll, after 42 days they were transferred to the Japanese prisoner-of-war camp at Ōfuna, for captives who were not registered as prisoners of war (POW). Zamperini was later transferred to Tokyo's Ōmori POW camp, and was eventually transferred to the Naoetsu POW camp in northern Japan, where he stayed until the war ended. He was tormented by prison guard Mutsuhiro "The Bird" Watanabe, who was later included in General Douglas MacArthur’s list of the forty most wanted war criminals in Japan.
Zamperini was held at the same camp as then-Major Greg "Pappy" Boyington, and in his book, Baa Baa Black Sheep, Boyington describes the Italian recipes Zamperini would write to keep the prisoners’ minds off the food and conditions.
Louis Zamperini - Wikipedia
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Louis Silvie "Louie" Zamperini (January 26, 1917 – July 2, 2014) was an American World War II prisoner of war survivor, inspirational speaker, and Olympic di...
Thank you, my friend Maj Marty Hogan for making us aware that January 26 is the anniversary of the birth of US Army Air Corps B-24 bombardier and prisoner of war survivor in World War II Louis Silvie "Louie" Zamperini Christian evangelist and an Olympic distance runner.
Rest in eternal peace Louis Zamperini!
Louis Silvie "Louie" Zamperini (January 26, 1917 – July 2, 2014) was an American World War II prisoner of war survivor, inspirational speaker, and Olympic distance runner. He is the subject of the 2014 film Unbroken directed by Angelina Jolie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pj-DDL8RcU
Background from italoamericano.org/story/2014-8-8/Zamperini
Captain Louis Silvie Zamperini was about 26 years old when he died for the first time. In 1943, he was serving as a bombardier in the U.S. Air Force, flying over the Pacific Ocean on a rescue mission, when the plane crashed due to malfunctioning. Only 3 out of 11 crewmembers survived, remaining adrift for 47 days with little food and water on a life raft, at the mercy of sharks and storms.
Eventually, they reached the Marshall Island where they were captured by the Japanese, imprisoned, and tortured until the end of the War in August 1945.
Louis Zamperini was one of them. He was first declared “missing at sea” and then “killed in action” by the U.S. Military. When he finally returned home, he was welcomed as a hero with medals and honors.
Among them, Torrance Airport and High School’s stadium, as well as USC’s track and field stadium in Los Angeles, were named after Capt. Zamperini. He was also presented two honorary degrees in Humane Letters from Azusa Pacific University and Bryant University, and he was chosen to serve as Grand Marshal of the 2015 Rose Parade that kicks off the college football playoff game in California.
As a matter of fact, before enlisting in the Air Force, Louis Zamperini was an athlete and Olympic racer. He was born in Olean, New York, in 1917, but two years later he and his family moved to Torrance, California. His parents emigrated to the U.S. from a small town near Verona, in northern Italy, in the early 1900s. In high school, Louis couldn’t speak English and became a target for bullies.
Therefore, in order to keep him out of trouble, his brother Pete encouraged him to join the track team. He did it, and in 1934 he set a national high school record in the mile at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum that earned him a scholarship to the USC and a qualification to the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, in the 5000 meters. Even if he finished 8th in that event, his final lap was so fast - 56 seconds – that it caught the attention of Adolf Hitler himself, who wanted to shake the hand of such a promising athlete. Two years later, “Torrance Tornado” – this was Zamperini’s nickname in college – set a national collegiate mile record that stood for 15 years. He graduated from USC in 1940, and soon after he went to war against Germany.
The athletic training, based on strong discipline and self-confidence, certainly helped Louis stand both the physical and psychological torment as a war prisoner. Even if he had survived torture, that horror inevitably affected his personal life: he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and was obsessed by nightmares featuring his torturer, Japanese prison guard and war criminal Mutsuhiro Watanabe, nicknamed “The Bird”.
Thanks to his wife Cynthia Applewhite, who was very close to evangelist Billy Graham, Louis was converted again and became a Christian inspirational speaker in Los Angeles. In particular, he preached forgiveness, traveling around the USA and even to Japan, where he met and forgave many of his persecutors. The only one who didn’t apologize for his crimes and didn’t want to meet Zamperini in Nagano - where he was invited to bear the torch at the 1998 Winter Olympic games - was “The Bird”.
Nevertheless, the power of forgiveness restored his peace of mind, and so he died, peacefully. Sadly enough, this time it was for real.
On July 2, 2014, Louis Silvie Zamperini passed away in his Los Angeles home at the age of 97, just a few months before the release of the movie Unbroken. Directed by renowned Hollywood star Angelina Jolie, it is an adaptation of Zamperini’s biography written by Laura Hillenbrand in 2010 and entitled Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. The actress and filmmaker commented on Zamperini’s death: “It is a loss impossible to describe.”
Pneumonia succeeded where accident, starvation, and torture had failed, but his family stated that he died peacefully. Despite all the harsh experiences that he faced during the War, his fighting spirit never broke: he inspired the life of many people and became a great ambassador of forgiveness and patriotism. Louis Zamperini’s incredibly fascinating story throughout the 20th century will be justly celebrated and remembered as an example for future generations.
This is how his close friend and Olympic medalist, John Naber, remembers him: “I met Louis in 1983 and I was amazed by how energetic he was and how interested he was in helping other people. Louis had a great sense of humor, and delighted in making other people laugh. He never considered himself as a hero, but only as a survivor. He often spoke about the value of preparation, hardiness and forgiveness. He was very proud of his Italian American heritage, his membership on the US Olympic team and his time as a student at USC.
Most notably, he often spoke about his relationship with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I was fortunate to light his torch as part of two Olympic torch relays, but it is Louis who sparked my life and inspired me on how to behave as a Trojan, Olympians and Christian.”
FYI Nicci Eisenhauer Kathlean KeeslerSGT Tim Fridley (Join to see) CPT Enrique M. Michael Horne SSG David Andrews CW5 Jack Cardwell SPC Gary Welch SGT Rick Colburn SMSgt Tom Burns SP5 Geoffrey Vannerson SPC Paul C. MSgt Dale Johnson Capt (Join to see) CWO3 Randy Weston Alan K.
Rest in eternal peace Louis Zamperini!
Louis Silvie "Louie" Zamperini (January 26, 1917 – July 2, 2014) was an American World War II prisoner of war survivor, inspirational speaker, and Olympic distance runner. He is the subject of the 2014 film Unbroken directed by Angelina Jolie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pj-DDL8RcU
Background from italoamericano.org/story/2014-8-8/Zamperini
Captain Louis Silvie Zamperini was about 26 years old when he died for the first time. In 1943, he was serving as a bombardier in the U.S. Air Force, flying over the Pacific Ocean on a rescue mission, when the plane crashed due to malfunctioning. Only 3 out of 11 crewmembers survived, remaining adrift for 47 days with little food and water on a life raft, at the mercy of sharks and storms.
Eventually, they reached the Marshall Island where they were captured by the Japanese, imprisoned, and tortured until the end of the War in August 1945.
Louis Zamperini was one of them. He was first declared “missing at sea” and then “killed in action” by the U.S. Military. When he finally returned home, he was welcomed as a hero with medals and honors.
Among them, Torrance Airport and High School’s stadium, as well as USC’s track and field stadium in Los Angeles, were named after Capt. Zamperini. He was also presented two honorary degrees in Humane Letters from Azusa Pacific University and Bryant University, and he was chosen to serve as Grand Marshal of the 2015 Rose Parade that kicks off the college football playoff game in California.
As a matter of fact, before enlisting in the Air Force, Louis Zamperini was an athlete and Olympic racer. He was born in Olean, New York, in 1917, but two years later he and his family moved to Torrance, California. His parents emigrated to the U.S. from a small town near Verona, in northern Italy, in the early 1900s. In high school, Louis couldn’t speak English and became a target for bullies.
Therefore, in order to keep him out of trouble, his brother Pete encouraged him to join the track team. He did it, and in 1934 he set a national high school record in the mile at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum that earned him a scholarship to the USC and a qualification to the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, in the 5000 meters. Even if he finished 8th in that event, his final lap was so fast - 56 seconds – that it caught the attention of Adolf Hitler himself, who wanted to shake the hand of such a promising athlete. Two years later, “Torrance Tornado” – this was Zamperini’s nickname in college – set a national collegiate mile record that stood for 15 years. He graduated from USC in 1940, and soon after he went to war against Germany.
The athletic training, based on strong discipline and self-confidence, certainly helped Louis stand both the physical and psychological torment as a war prisoner. Even if he had survived torture, that horror inevitably affected his personal life: he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and was obsessed by nightmares featuring his torturer, Japanese prison guard and war criminal Mutsuhiro Watanabe, nicknamed “The Bird”.
Thanks to his wife Cynthia Applewhite, who was very close to evangelist Billy Graham, Louis was converted again and became a Christian inspirational speaker in Los Angeles. In particular, he preached forgiveness, traveling around the USA and even to Japan, where he met and forgave many of his persecutors. The only one who didn’t apologize for his crimes and didn’t want to meet Zamperini in Nagano - where he was invited to bear the torch at the 1998 Winter Olympic games - was “The Bird”.
Nevertheless, the power of forgiveness restored his peace of mind, and so he died, peacefully. Sadly enough, this time it was for real.
On July 2, 2014, Louis Silvie Zamperini passed away in his Los Angeles home at the age of 97, just a few months before the release of the movie Unbroken. Directed by renowned Hollywood star Angelina Jolie, it is an adaptation of Zamperini’s biography written by Laura Hillenbrand in 2010 and entitled Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. The actress and filmmaker commented on Zamperini’s death: “It is a loss impossible to describe.”
Pneumonia succeeded where accident, starvation, and torture had failed, but his family stated that he died peacefully. Despite all the harsh experiences that he faced during the War, his fighting spirit never broke: he inspired the life of many people and became a great ambassador of forgiveness and patriotism. Louis Zamperini’s incredibly fascinating story throughout the 20th century will be justly celebrated and remembered as an example for future generations.
This is how his close friend and Olympic medalist, John Naber, remembers him: “I met Louis in 1983 and I was amazed by how energetic he was and how interested he was in helping other people. Louis had a great sense of humor, and delighted in making other people laugh. He never considered himself as a hero, but only as a survivor. He often spoke about the value of preparation, hardiness and forgiveness. He was very proud of his Italian American heritage, his membership on the US Olympic team and his time as a student at USC.
Most notably, he often spoke about his relationship with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I was fortunate to light his torch as part of two Olympic torch relays, but it is Louis who sparked my life and inspired me on how to behave as a Trojan, Olympians and Christian.”
FYI Nicci Eisenhauer Kathlean KeeslerSGT Tim Fridley (Join to see) CPT Enrique M. Michael Horne SSG David Andrews CW5 Jack Cardwell SPC Gary Welch SGT Rick Colburn SMSgt Tom Burns SP5 Geoffrey Vannerson SPC Paul C. MSgt Dale Johnson Capt (Join to see) CWO3 Randy Weston Alan K.
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Thank you for the share. Zamperini intially resisted Christianity. He suffered from PTSD and had a horrible recurring nightmare. He was at a Bill Graham Crusade and was leaving during the alter call. Billy Graham was speaking as Zamperini was leaving. Graham asked if anyone had ever made a promise to God and not carried through? Zamperini remember times in the raft, times in prison camp etc where he had told God “ If I get through this I will serve you”. Zamperini accepted Christ that night and the bad dreams left. Thank you for sharing a story of a remarkable man.
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His story was made into the movie, “Unbroken”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unbroken_(film)?wprov=sfti1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unbroken_(film)?wprov=sfti1
Unbroken is a 2014 American war film produced and directed by Angelina Jolie, written by the Coen brothers, Richard LaGravenese, and William Nicholson, based on the 2010 non-fiction book by Laura Hillenbrand, Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. The film stars Jack O'Connell as USA Olympian and army officer Louis "Louie" Zamperini, who survived in a raft for 47 days after his bomber crash-landed in the ocean...
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