Imagine being stuck in the middle of the ocean with no food, water, and shelter. Louie Zamperini was stuck in the middle of the ocean and then captured and tortured. After the war Zamperini was molded and became an inspirational speaker and became a national hero and should be remembered by everyone. Louie Zamperini is an inspirational hero to the entire world through his perseverance, faith, and legacy.
Louie had an interesting and a difficult childhood. “Louie Zamperini was born January 26, 1917” (Biography.com Editors). He was raised in New York, and when he was two years of age, his family moved to Torrance, California (Grossman 106). Before they moved, Louie climbed out his bedroom window and ran down the street naked (Grossman 106).
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His high school record lasted nineteen years (Hillenbrand 20). Zamperini had an amazing seven-foot stride (Grossman 106), and with that stride he went to New York in 1936 for the 5,000-meter Olympic trials (Biography.com Editors). Zamperini never thought he would ever get this chance or would be good enough to place in the trails. He was ecstatic when “[h]e qualified for the 1936 Olympics in Berlin” (Biography.com Editors). Back home in Torrance, California, everyone was going crazy and congratulating him. Unfortunately, “Zamperini did not medal but finished 8th and his last lap was 56 seconds” (Biography.com Editors). Even though he got eighth everyone still would have been super happy for even making it to the Olympics. Zamperini also got the “honor” of meeting Adolf Hitler at the Olympics (Andrews). The start of WWII meant that the 1940 Olympics were canceled and Zamperini was drafted into the Marine’s Corps (Biography.com Editors). Zamperini did not have a choice to sign up or …show more content…
The Bird, real name Mustsuhiro Watonale, was the POW camp sergeant. Zamperini was singled out by The Bird and was picked on the most. “Zamperini was confided to three different interrogation centers and POW camps” (Andrews). Zamperini was held on the island of Kwajal, for six weeks (Andrews). At every camp Zamperini got sent to The Bird was always there. At the camps Zamperini was forced to race against Japanese competitors (Biography.com Editors). “If he tired to win he would get beat with clubs (Adrews). They called Mustruhrio Watonale The Bird because he heard everything and knows everything. The Bird also saw Zamperini as a propaganda tool because he was in the Olympics (Biography.com Editors). Zamperini was released after the war ended in 1945 (Biography.com Editors). Captivity lasted more than two years. Zamperini was also officially pronounced dead by the U.S. (Biography.com
Let's start with Pete Zamperini, Louie's older brother. Pete was a father to Louie among other things. Their own father, Anthony Zamperini, was abusive toward them so in way Louie really didn’t have a father, that’s where Pete comes in. Pete was a pusher to Louie but not in bad way. It was because of Pete that Louie stated track (but Louie would say it’s because of the ladies). Pete would ride his bike behind Louie and swat him with sticks while training. This reason and many others is one of the reasons Pete is one of the heros in the story.
Maya Angelou fits the hero archetype, and she did it in her own way. She had faced a myriad of hardships, torment, and racial oppression, yet she still remained steadfast through her childhood ordeals of growing up black in the South. Her autobiography discloses these adolescent uphill battles in detail; including how racism in the South overtook her life in most aspects.
Just like these two World War II survivors, Louie Zamperini from Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand demonstrates the will power and determination it takes to survive and overcome life-threatening obstacles. Louie’s life was a constant battle; he endured 47 days stranded on a raft and endless nights as a prisoner in Japanese camps (Laura Hillenbrand). He had every reason to break down, but with all those challenges, he rose to the occasion. Hillenbrand states that “without dignity, identity is erased” meaning that without all the battles that Louie went through, he wouldn’t be the person he is today (Hillenbrand 182). All the hardships throughout someone’s life build them into a stronger person, not defining them, but impacting them to do better. It is safe to say that many Americans have faced countless number of problems and inspire everyday people like myself to keep
Zamperini found small victories that helped him to get through the day and through the journey. Surviving for the next hour was a great example about learning to focus on the the now – not the future. He wasn’t focused on not getting out of camp and home before the holidays, but on staying in the moment and surviving that moment. Small victories lead up to the big ones in ALL situations.
Louie Zamperini was an uncorrectable child in Unbroken. As a teen, he channeled all his defiance into running, which carried him to the Berlin Olympics. However, when WWII began, Louie became an airman. When his Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean Louie survived with two others. Louie, against all odds survived the months on the raft along with Phil, however his other friend, Mac, did not survive for this long. Louie and Phil were soon met with a Japanese ship, who captured the two of them, taking them as prisoners. The first group wasn’t too bad and they helped the two recover, however they were shipped to multiple different camps throughout their time at the camps. Louie was quickly stripped of his humanity and dignity as
Imagine growing up as someone who began drinking at just eight years old, began smoking at the even riper age of five, and had been threatened with a shotgun more than once because of thievery. Now imagine growing up as someone who set the national record for the high school mile, enlisted into the Army Air Forces to defend our country, and then became a prisoner of war who was tortured on a daily basis, but never gave up and survived the whole thing. Most people would rather be the person described in the latter sentence, but what if these were the same person? Louis Zamperini was all of the things described above and much more. Louis Zamperini was not only one of the best athletes of his generation, but he was also a true American hero.
When Zamperini was a kid, he lived with his family in Torrance, a city in California. No one expected big things from him. He was a kid who spend his time getting in troubles, drinking alcohol and smoking. No one but one person, his brother. He believed in Louie, and helped him training to make it into the Track and Field team of the school. After a lot of training Louie make it into the team and continue getting better until he went to the olympic games celebrated in Germany. But that glory didn't last forever.
Louie Zamperini was a young boy, who encountered a painful, yet fascinating journey in his life surviving things many people could not through his will to live. Not only was he was one of America’s greatest heroes but also, an Olympic runner, WWII bombardier, plane crash survivor, POW, and survivor or post-war turmoil. Laura Hillenbrand was able to tell Louie’s incredible story through her award winning book, Unbroken. She wrote the book Unbroken to tell Louie’s unforgettable story of a man’s journey into extremity, Unbroken is a testament to the resilience of the human mind, body and spirit.
In the book Unbroken there is a boy named Louie who was a problematic child. Fortunately he grew out of those habits and became and really good runner who went to the Olympics. After the Olympics the war was going on and all young men had to join the military. Louie was a bomber and on a rescue mission he had a crash and him and the other members were stranded at sea until they got rescued by the Japanese. There in Japan he spent several painful years as a POW but eventually became free. So there are many incidents and events that reveal Louie as a brave, intelligent, and heroic man.
Throughout the course of history there has been many remarkable people that have created an impact on the world. But what is hero? Robert F. Kennedy once said, “Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or lots of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a ripple of hope.” Meaning a true hero is someone who can stand up for an idea, or can help eliminate the unfair treatment in which the rights of a person are ignored; and everytime gives people the faith that everything is going to be okay after all. John Lennon is a good example of a hero based on Robert F. Kennedy's description of a hero. John lennon is a hero because he peacefully fought against war through his fame and music, promoting peace and inspiring many people.
Heroism demands self-sacrifice, self-discipline, self-confidence and self-respect. Ulysses S. Grant had these qualities in their most complete form. He set out from humble beginnings, and failed. At the age of 38 was a conspicuous failure. Then, like few of us, he succeeded beyond belief. Had he not had tremendous greatness within him, he could never have accomplished what he did. How did such a simple, honest and humble man raise himself in the eyes of his people and the world to the highest position a man or woman can reach - that of a national hero?
Isolated and alone, many attempts from both sides, America and Japan, to force the feeling of invisibility on their POWs or Japanese-American internees. Separated from friends, denied human rights and on the brink of starvation demolishing their dignity. Louie Zamperini was a POW who was originally an Olympian athlete. He was taken captive by Japan while laying raft for over a month. Miné is a Japanese-American intern who had been condemned to an intern camp during World War Two. The experience that Louie and Miné have undergone are those that challenge the two in a very psychological way. However, they have recovered showing their resilience and how humans can recover even from scarring events.
The word "hero" is so often used to describe people who overcome great difficulties and rise to the challenge that is set before them without even considering the overwhelming odds they are up against. In our culture, heroes are glorified in literature and in the media in various shapes and forms. However, I believe that many of the greatest heroes in our society never receive the credit that they deserve, much less fame or publicity. I believe that a hero is simply someone who stands up for what he/she believes in. A person does not have to rush into a burning building and save someone's life to be a hero. Someone who is a true friend can be a hero. A hero is someone who makes a difference in the lives of others simply by his/her presence. In Tim O'Brien's novel, The Things They Carried, the true heroes stand out in my mind as those who were true friends and fought for what they believed in. These men and women faced the atrocities of war on a daily basis, as explained by critic David R. Jarraway's essay, "'Excremental Assault' in Tim O'Brien: Trauma and Recovery in Vietnam War Literature" and by Vietnam Veteran Jim Carter. Yet these characters became heroes not by going to drastic measures to do something that would draw attention to themselves, but by being true to their own beliefs and by making a difference to the people around them.
Louis Zamperini had always been a troublesome boy. From beating other kids up to stealing items from neighbors, there was always doing something mischievous. In an attempt to reroute this craving, he was enrolled in sports, one of which was running. Eventually, Louis lived and breathed running. He even made it to the 1936 Olympics.
There is another type of hero that almost no one is aware of. In the poorest areas of the country, live mostly minorities and other ethic background. All their lives they’ve been expected to work harder and expected not succeed in life. Some individuals living in poverty with a determination to succeed work hard all of their lives to become what everybody doubted they could. Escaping the crime, drugs, and prostitution is enough to escape hell, even if they don’t go to college. Despite of their financial problems, drug and crime surroundings, or difficulties in the language skills, their desire to triumph fuels their persistence. Those who make it to success are the few living examples of the purest form of hero anyone can be. They are not only their own heroes but also the heroes of the poor children who dream of becoming like them someday.