- Born
- Died
- Birth nameLouis Silvie Zamperini
- Height5′ 11″ (1.80 m)
- Louis Zamperini was born on January 26, 1917 in Olean, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Unbroken (2014), Icons of Faith with Greg Laurie (2009) and This Is Your Life (1950). He was married to Cynthia Applewhite. He died on July 2, 2014 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- SpouseCynthia Applewhite(May 25, 1946 - 2001) (her death, 2 children)
- During his World War II military service, he was a B-24 bombardier in a plane nicknamed the Green Hornet. While flying a rescue mission May 27, 1943, the Green Hornet had a mechanical failure and fell into the ocean. After 47 days floating in a rubber life-raft at sea with two other crew members (one of the others died after 33 days), he and the plane's co-pilot were rescued/captured by the Japanese, and he spent almost two years, frequently tortured, in a Japanese Prisoner of War Camp.
- For his 81st birthday in January 1998, he returned to Japan to run a leg of the Olympic torch relay for the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano. He was also a torch bearer for the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
- He attended Torrance High School, where he was a track star. In 1934, he set the national high school track record for the mile at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. His record time of 4 minutes 21.2 seconds held for 20 years. His efforts earned him a scholarship to the University of Southern California (USC).
- The Torrance airport was renamed Zamperini Field on December 7, 1946.
- For his military service and time as a prisoner of war, he received the Purple Heart, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the World War II Prisoner of War Medal.
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