Louis Zamperini

Zamperini trains for a race.dailytrojan.com“Whether one admits it or not, superheroes create a necessary American mythology that we all look to when everything seems to be spinning out of control. At the end of the day, they always win” (Hogue). Adam Hogue, aspiring writer, argues in his article “Why do Americans Love Superheroes so Much?” that because of their static, developmentally arrested, and selfless characters, the superheroes that we have created throughout the centuries are our escape from the march towards inevitable change and death. Although superheroes and heroes are not the same, he firmly states that heroes are the people we look up to and admire, because they are always the winners, and, as a result, are our role models that we try to follow and become. The ideal definition of hero is someone who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. We admire them for the feats they have accomplished, and we base our selection of heroes off of that because we want to be able to follow them and use them as our role models. Heroism is around every corner, and we constantly see it in our society today. A woman gives her lunch to the homeless, a firefighter races into a burning building to save the trapped civilians, a father stays late at work so that he can earn a comfortable living for his wife and a proper education for his children. All these examples depict the willingness to help others and be an inspiration, as they all want to be an influence in others’ lives. But, what makes someone a hero? Is it the situation around him that makes him heroic? Or, is it his own traits that makes him heroic? A hero may encounter obstacles that the rest of society faces, but what he or she does is what distinguishes him or her from the rest of the society. It is one’s actions that truly determines whether or not one is a hero, because the actions that are seen from the rest of the world’s point of view is what causes others to look up to these individuals. A true hero is someone who fights until the end to survive, no matter what stands in the way and stays loyal to himself and to others.

A hero who has been admired by society was Torrance, California’s one and only mischief-maker. As a child, he was always on the run from the police, the neighbors, and his own parents. Later on, he was known as one of the fastest runners in the world and was still breaking his own records each week. The world loved him because of his endless determination and outgoing personality, and as time passed, he gained more respect, especially when he joined the US Air Force to serve and defend his country during a time of war. This neighborhood boy who couldn’t even speak English was Louis Silvie Zamperini, a son of poor Italian immigrants. Zamperini was born on January 26, 1917, to Anthony and Louise Zamperini. At a young age, Louis started to cause mischief around him, until Pete, his older brother, finally decided to train him and make him join the school track team so that his fiery spirit would be put to good use. Although doubtful, Louis still gave it a shot and soon fell in love with the sport. By the end of high school, he had broken many records and was soon on his way to the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where he placed eighth. Unfortunately, that year was the last Olympics he would ever run in. As the second world war rolled into view, Zamperini enlisted into the air corps and became a bombardier, where he faced the threat of death in every mission he went on. On May 27, 1943, Zamperini’s plane crashed into the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Only two other crew members survived along with him. For 47 days they drifted while storms raged above them and sharks attacked them from below. By the end of the journey, they had lost one fellow crew mate, and were captured by the enemy. The Japanese shipped them off to POW camps, where the two Americans endured constant beatings and labor. Even after the war, Zamperini was still scarred from the hardships he had faced in the camps. He eventually turned to God, and decided to forgive his tormentors. Until his death on July 2, 2014, he would go around the world, giving motivational speeches to men and women, children and seniors. Throughout his life, the heroic traits he possessed kept him alive and going. Zamperini’s determination, which could be seen in his track meets or even in the prison camps, was what proved him as a hero, as he was always set to survive and to win. Even the loyalty he held to himself and to his country was admirable, as he never seemed to give in, even when offered a luxurious life of infinite freedom and plentiful food and entertainment during the war. Throughout his entire career, his steadfast determination and unwavering loyalty powered Louis Zamperini to achieve heroic feats not only as an athlete and veteran but also as a man.

Louis Zamperini examines a hole in his B-24 plane.WikipediaAs an Olympic runner and a World War II veteran, Zamperini’s endless determination drove him to achieve many great accomplishments in his life. After the crash, Zamperini and his crewmates drifted for weeks, braving through storms and other threats while battling starvation and dehydration: “The three men remained at sea for 47 days, during which one crewman, Francis McNamara, died and was buried at sea. Zamperini and the other survivor, Russell Phillips, used their bare hands to kill birds that landed on their raft, eating them and using the entrails as bait to catch a shark and several smaller fish, which they ate raw. Sharks threatened Zamperini and Phillips as they hid under the raft to escape a strafing attack from Japanese planes” ("Louis Zamperini." Encyclopedia of World Biography, vol. 36, Gale, 2016. Biography in Context). Determination is shown when one breaks through restraints in order to achieve a goal that was originally out of  reach. Zamperini demonstrates this during his sea “voyage” when he realized that he could, in fact, survive, as long as he put his heart into it and tried his best to keep himself and his crewmates alive. Although surviving on almost nothing in a life raft was already challenging, being stranded at sea was not the only time he showed determination during the war. Zamperini’s main tormentor at the time in the camps was a guard nicknamed the Bird, who was sadistic and abusive. In one case, he asked Zamperini to nurse a sickly thin goat, and threatened to kill him if the goat died. Due to the cold and starvation, the goat was found dead and Zamperini was forced to pay the price: “He then beat me, then dragged me outside and ordered me to stand at one end of the compound while holding a four-by-four-by-six-foot hardwood timer at arm’s length over my head-- and keep it there… The first three minutes I could hardly take the pain. Each muscle burned and begged to collapse… I froze in that position and time stood still until, seething with anger and frustration, the Bird hopped off the roof and punched me in the stomach with all his might. The beam dropped on my head and knocked me flat on my face, and out… I’d held the wood aloft for thirty-seven minutes” (Zamperini 180, Devil at My Heels). Although Zamperini was already in a weakened and battered state, the Bird still decided to torment and threaten him. But because of his strong determination to survive and prove his captors wrong, Zamperini lifted the beam even higher and held it there for more than half an hour. Instead of losing to his tormentors and giving them the satisfaction, he was determined to defy their expectations and prove them wrong. As a result, his actions were what caused the prisoners to become braver and strong-willed to the point where they started rebelling against the camp directors. Due to his strong will to win, Zamperini was able to achieve many heroic feats and become an inspiration for the ones around him, causing the rest of society to look up to him and gain hope from his actions during the war.

As a world-class athlete, Zamperini's honor and ethics allowed him to stay true to his country and beliefs. When he was first taken to the island of Kwajalein, his captors beat him mercilessly and tried to force information out of him, and even offered a reward if he told them: “They produced a picture of a B-24E… What they really wanted came next. ‘How do you operate the radar?’ ‘I have no idea,’ I said. ‘That’s the radioman or engineer’s job.’ I really did know, but it was my way out. They were not happy. I returned to my cell without a snack, drink, or cigarette” (Zamperini 125, Devil at My Heels). As soon as Zamperini was captured, he, along with Phil, his pilot, were whisked to a temporary interrogation camp, where the Japanese and the island natives constantly harassed them and tried to get information out of the pair. Zamperini stubbornly refused to give in, even when offered food, soda, and cigarettes. By refusing to spill out any valuable information about the States, Louis demonstrates loyalty to his country, as he kept his mouth shut, even when he was degraded and his dignity was stripped from him. Because of his successful career as an Olympic runner, Zamperini was also labeled as a ‘special’ prisoner and forced him to participate in propaganda broadcasts: “He was recruited to do propaganda broadcasts by a former University of Southern California classmate, James Sasaki, which at least let his family know that he was alive after a South African shortwave radio monitor heard (or was told about) the broadcast and sent them a postcard. But when he refused to read one script, he was sent to a camp run by Japanese sergeant Matsuhiro Watanabe, who tortured him, keeping him on the brink of death” ("Louis Zamperini." Encyclopedia of World Biography, vol. 36, Gale, 2016. Biography in Context). The Japanese took a huge advantage of Zamperini, as they knew that if they singled him out from a huge crowd and broke him, the US would falter because of how much they valued him during the war. But because of his own loyalty to himself and his country, Zamperini refused to participate in the propaganda, as he didn’t want to hurt the people that he was fighting for. This act can be seen as an act of loyalty because even though Zamperini knew that his suffering would end, and that he wouldn’t have to worry about being beaten anymore, he chose to go back to the prison camps, as he didn’t want to betray the ones he loved most. Despite the harsh conditions that Louis had suffered under, his loyalty not only helped preserve himself and his own dignity, but also the ones around him, as it helped them gain hope during times of hardship, which is seen to be an admirable feature of Zamperini.

Zamperini reunites with his family after the war endsboston.comLouis Zamperini’s determination and loyalty as both an Olympian and a World War II veteran powered his ability to accomplish great feats, defining him as a true hero. Pete Zamperini, his older brother, had once told him: “A lifetime of glory is worth a moment of pain” (Hillenbrand 35).  Through all the pain and hardships he suffered, Zamperini gained glory because the rest of society admired his strong spirit. No matter the obstacle, Zamperini always kept fighting. He kept pushing himself because he wanted to survive and win. Even when he was tormented and mistreated, he still kept on trying, because he didn’t want his loved ones to suffer. In that way, he was a beacon of hope during times of adversity, enabling people to become stronger and fight harder against the hardships. Because of his actions, Louis Zamperini is an inspiration for both the young and the old, as his story tells of triumph, fame, and hardships which others can learn from. He told his tormentor once: “Love has replaced the hate I had for you.” Zamperini no longer held grudges against the men who had caused him to suffer and his life to go down the drain. Instead, he forgave them and learned to love them, seeing them as old friends instead of enemies. His actions are what inspires me, as it teaches me that holding grudges and making enemies are not always the go-to solution. Instead, forgive and accept their mistakes, because there’s nothing you can do or change. From him, I learned to look at things from other point of views first and then make decisions that could benefit both sides. It caused me to realize how much better it was to make friends instead of enemies, and has inspired me to join my school’s Key Club, a volunteer organization, where I am able to meet and help many others and also make a difference in their lives. Because of our heroes, we learn from their flaws and their lessons to become better people ourselves, as they are our role models. For that reason, a true hero must possess the traits that society sees as heroic. When everything starts spinning out of control, we all will be looking up to that hero, as they will be the ones who install hope into our society during the times of trouble.

Works Cited

Hillenbrand, Laura. Unbroken : a World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. New York :Random House, 2010. Print.

"Louis Zamperini." Encyclopedia of World Biography, vol. 36, Gale, 2016. Biography in Context, Accessed 21 Dec. 2017.

Manley, Brendan. "Louis Zamperini, 97, Olympian, airman, crash survivor and POW." Military History, Nov. 2014, p. 8. Biography in Context, Accessed 21 Dec. 2017.

Olive, Dean. “Love Has Replaced Hate.” Life & Letters, 1 Jan. 1970,

Zamperini, Louis, and David Rensin. Devil at My Heels: a Heroic Olympian's Astonishing Story of Survival as a Japanese POW in World War II. William Morrow Paperbacks, 2014.