Louis Zamperini's Life After War

  • Arriving Home

    Arriving Home
    Louis came home from the war. He greeted his family with tears of joy, it was the first time they had seen him in years. They had thought he was dead for so long, that seeing him made them so incredibly happy.
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    Haunted by "The Bird."

  • Cynthia and Louis Married

    Cynthia and Louis Married
    He had been home for about a year, trying to get used to life not war, but still haunted. In May 1946 he met Cynthia and quickly married weeks later. They were married at The Church of Our Savior, but Cynthia's parents did not agree with their decision. After being married for a while Louis was still having a lot of trouble communicating and readjusting to normal life. The beginning of their marriage was hard, overshadowed by his nighmares.
  • Started Heavily Drinking

    Started Heavily Drinking
    "I just figured the more I drank, the better I'd sleep at night...". Louis started drinking abundantly, many times by himself, Cynthia did not engage. The alcohol made him have delusions and create plans in his mind about locating The Bird.
  • Two children, Cissy and Luke

    Two children, Cissy and Luke
    There were some highlights in their marriage. They had a daughter, Cynthia and son, Luke. Louis thought have no children would make him a stronger man, at times it did and at times it didn't. Not much else is told about their children
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    Born again christian

    Louis Zamperini became a born-again Christian at a Billy Graham's crusade in 1949 after fighting PTSD and non stop drinking. HIs wife, a born again christian, told him to either go to the crusade or get divorced.
  • Billy Graham Crusade

    Organized by the Christian group Christ for Greater Los Angeles. Originally planned for three weeks but got extended to eight. Thanks to the crusade Evangelicalism was introduced as an influential religious force in American culture
  • Louis runs the Olympic Torch in Naguno, Japan

    Louis runs the Olympic Torch in Naguno, Japan