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Louis Zamperini
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Louis Zamperini is born
Born in Olean, New York. -
Louie and his family moves to California
Moved to Terrence, California. -
Louie starts track in High School
Louie is a disruptive child who steals from neighbor's houses, drinks alcohol, and smokes. Pete, Louie's older brother, convinces Louie to join the track team in high school. When Louie first starts track, he is out of shape and his times are nothing spectacular. Louie soon realizes giving up smoking and drinking will help him in track. Louie, pushed by his older brother Pete, starts practicing more often and improving his times tremendously. Louie ends up running the fastest high school mile. -
Louie Graduates High School
Louie successfully completes high school and graduates. One of his last high school track meets takes place in the USC Collesium. He finishes second in the meet, and he really enjoys his meet at USC. -
Louie at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Germany
Louie qualifies for the 1936 US Olympic team as the youngest distance runner to make an Olympic squad. He finishes 7th in the 5000m race. He runs an incredible 56 second last lap. Adolf Hitler even wanted to meet Louie after his performance. Ironically, Louie climbed a flagpole and stole a nazi flag as a souvenier. -
Louie attends USC
Louie decides to attend college at USC on a running scholarships. He adjusts with colllege well and makes a good friend named Jimmie Sasaki. They are both interested in the same things and have similar goals in life. -
Louie is drafted into the Army
Louis is drafted as a bombadier in the air corps. His family is somewhat upset that Louie has to drop everything and enter the Army. Louie is not too upset though, and handles the situation about as well as possible. -
Pearl Harbor bombing
At the time of the attack, Louie was stationed in Pearl Harbor still training in the air corps. Louie had to take cover in a building that offered little protection. Louie fortunately made it through the attack, but Pearl Harbor suffered major losses and America was put into a state of panic -
Off to War
Louis graduates from Air Corps school in August of 1942. He is assigned to a bomber squad and group. They train together before entering battle, and they name their B-24 plane the Superman. Whole Louie and his squad wait to be assigned a mission, they spend their free time drinking, playing cards, and wandering around Hawaii. -
Louie is attacked
Louis' squad is ordered to search for a missing plane. They are are not allowed to use their normal plane, Superman. So their squad is to use a beaten up old plane. During the flight, the three of four engines fail and the plane goes down. Only 3 crewmen survive: Louie, Phil, and Mac. -
Survival in a raft
All that is left for Louie, Phil, and Mac to survive is a small raft with a small survival kit. They are faced with unfathomable circumstances. Louie and Phil make the most out of what they have, but the food runs out quickly. Mac suffers mightely and can only focus on the bad. He fears death, and eventually Mac passes away. Phil and Louie are captured by Japan after miraculously surviving 47 days at sea, making it through shark attacks, a Japanese strafe run, and Mac's death. -
Prisoner of War
When Phil and Louie were captured by the Japansese they were treated well on the boat and given food and water to recover from their 47 days at sea. This would be the last time the Japanese treated the POW's well. When the boat returned to Kwajalein Island, Louie and Phil were questioned and beaten by the guards. Louie and Phil are then transfered to Ofuna. Here Louie recieved daily beatings and inhumane treatment from the guards. -
Wantanabe tortures Louie
Louie and Phil are moved to Omori POW camp. The leader of the camp is Mutishiro Wantanabe. The scariest man that the men would meet in their lives and a man that would haunt Louie's dreams even after the war. Louie and Phil were separated at the camp when they got there. Wantanabe picked out Louie to torture even more so than other prisoners. He recieved beatings every single day from Wantanabe. Louie stated that the only way to survive is to keep hope in his mind, not giving up internally. -
A B-29 flies over the POW Camp signaling the end of the war
After being moved to numerous POW camps, and suffering from Wantanabe's torture, Louie said that what kept him alive through the war is his ability to keep his self dignity and hope. When Louie and the other prisoners see the American plane flying above Rokushiru, the POW camp Louie was stationed, they were overwhelmed with joy. This was the first time Louie was free in two years. -
Louie reunites with his family and marries Cynthia
After being transferred back to Hawaii and finally to a hospital in San Francisco, Louie reunites with his family for the first time since he was sent to war. They are overwhelmed with joy. Louie marries Cynthia in 1946, the women he'd promised to marry after the war. He starts a family with her but Louie has trouble finding work and he suffers from post traumatic stress disorder.
