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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Walnut Creek, California

    Louis Zamperini, Best of the Best

    WaPo Obit

    Louis Zamperini died yesterday at 97. He was a true American hero whose life has been chronicled by Laura Hillenbrand in her bio, entitled “Unbroken.”

    Zamperini was a track star who competed in the 1936 Olympics where he met Hitler in an odd, naïve way. During the war he became a B-24 pilot in the Pacific theater where he crashed and survived in a life raft for several weeks, despite being strafed and attacked by sharks. ‘Rescued’ by the Japanese he was imprisoned in an island camp from which no one had survived. Eventually realizing ho they had, the Japanese hid him and kept his name off the POW list. He was starved and later transferred to a secret prison in Japan where he underwent even worse treatment by a particular tormenter.

    He was released at the end of the war and returned home where he became an alcoholic. He recovered and led a pretty exemplary life until his death yesterday. Hillenbrand does a nice job of explaining how and why he forgave his abuser(s).

    Thanks for being you, Mr. Zamperini. You had an incredible run. RIP.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    For those who have not yet read Unbroken, I can't recommend it highly enough (and a I am neither a nonfiction nor history buff).

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Raleigh
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim3k View Post
    WaPo Obit

    Louis Zamperini died yesterday at 97. He was a true American hero whose life has been chronicled by Laura Hillenbrand in her bio, entitled “Unbroken.”

    Zamperini was a track star who competed in the 1936 Olympics where he met Hitler in an odd, naïve way. During the war he became a B-24 pilot in the Pacific theater where he crashed and survived in a life raft for several weeks, despite being strafed and attacked by sharks. ‘Rescued’ by the Japanese he was imprisoned in an island camp from which no one had survived. Eventually realizing ho they had, the Japanese hid him and kept his name off the POW list. He was starved and later transferred to a secret prison in Japan where he underwent even worse treatment by a particular tormenter.

    He was released at the end of the war and returned home where he became an alcoholic. He recovered and led a pretty exemplary life until his death yesterday. Hillenbrand does a nice job of explaining how and why he forgave his abuser(s).

    Thanks for being you, Mr. Zamperini. You had an incredible run. RIP.
    Quote Originally Posted by fuse View Post
    For those who have not yet read Unbroken, I can't recommend it highly enough (and a I am neither a nonfiction nor history buff).
    Thanks, guys. I read Unbroken last summer. Absolutely incredible story. Sad to read this news.
    [redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Southern Pines, NC
    Unbroken, the story about Louis Zamperini, is one of the finest books ever written. It tells us all about the wartime lives of a B-24 crew that crashed while on a rescue mission over the Pacific. Only two of the crew survived the crash, Bombardier 1st Lt Louis Zamperini, and his pilot, 1st Lt Russell Allen Phillips. Zamperini died yesterday, and Phillips died in 1998. They were among the many thousands of heroes of The Greatest Generation By Tom Brokaw. I wish that you read both of these books, and be prepared to do some crying. When Angelina Jolie's movie based on Unbroken comes out later this year let's all go and see it.
    Last edited by Jarhead; 07-03-2014 at 10:23 PM.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Raleigh
    Quote Originally Posted by Jarhead View Post
    Unbroken, the story about Louis Zamperini, is one of the finest books ever written. It tells us all about the wartime lives of a B-24 crew that crashed while on a rescue mission over the Pacific. Only two of the crew survived the crash, Bombardier 1st Lt Louis Zamperini, and his pilot, 1st Lt Russell Allen Phillips. Zamperini died yesterday, and Phillips died in 1998. They were among the many thousands of heroes of The Greatest Generation By Tom Brokaw. I wish that you read both of these books, and be prepared to do some crying. When Angelina Jolie's movie based on Unbroken comes out later this year let's all go and see it.
    That's a great idea.
    [redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.

  6. #6

    The Movie and other thoughts

    Quote Originally Posted by Jarhead View Post
    Unbroken, the story about Louis Zamperini, is one of the finest books ever written. It tells us all about the wartime lives of a B-24 crew that crashed while on a rescue mission over the Pacific. Only two of the crew survived the crash, Bombardier 1st Lt Louis Zamperini, and his pilot, 1st Lt Russell Allen Phillips. Zamperini died yesterday, and Phillips died in 1998. They were among the many thousands of heroes of The Greatest Generation By Tom Brokaw. I wish that you read both of these books, and be prepared to do some crying. When Angelina Jolie's movie based on Unbroken comes out later this year let's all go and see it.
    I loved the book and am very much looking forward to the movie. Zamperini had such an amazing life with so many chapters that the movie will not cover them all. I think it stops sometime after his return and does not go into the Billy Graham material.

    I live near Torrance CA and the small airport there was named after Zamperini when they thought he was dead. Of course the rumors of his death were greatly exaggerated. He was supposed to be the Grand Marshall of the Rose Parade in 2015. He will not replaced in that role or in may others.

    I would recommend reading the book and also going to the movie.

    SoCal

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