U.S. War Hero Louis Zamperini, Inspiration For 'Unbroken,' Dead At 97
Louis Zamperini is 86 years old. His doctors at the VA say they’ve nevermet a man quite like him. “I’ve got 110/60, a 60 pulse, 185 cholesterol,”he says, grinning as he rattles off the enviable stats. “I’m told I havethe vitals of a 35-year-old. And with all I’ve been through, they thoughtI’d be dead by 55! I almost did lose a kidney after being dehydrated on thatraft and fighting those sharks. But the kidney bounced back.” After the Olympics and graduation from USC, Zamperini had planned to continuecompeting as an athlete; he was favored to take a victory lap in the 1940Games. But World War II intervened, and instead of training on the track,he trained as an Army Air Corps bombardier. The American actor died on Feb. 2, 2014 from a drug overdose.
At age 81, Zamperini - a five-time Olympic torch-bearer - ran a leg in the torch relay for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Nagano. During his visit, he attempted to meet with his most brutal wartime tormentor, Mutsuhiro Watanabe. But Watanabe, who escaped prosecution as a war criminal, refused to see him. In May, Zamperini was selected to be grand marshal of the 2015 Rose Parade - themed "Inspiring Stories" - on New Year's Day in Pasadena, California. The former University of Southern California track star wore a Trojans cap as he talked about the book and film based on his inspirational story and his new friend, Jolie. The actress who played the maid Alice Nelson on the 'Brady Bunch' died on June 1, 2014. She was 88.
We are so profoundly sad at this moment and all of our thoughts and prayers are with the Zamperini family. Louis was truly one of a kind. He lived the most remarkable life, not because of the many unbelievable incidents that marked his near-century's worth of years, but because of the spirit with which he faced every one of them," Universal Pictures said in a statement. And now after the book was finished all of my college buddies are dead, all of my war buddies are dead. It’s sad to realize that you’ve lost all your friends,” he said. “But I think I made up for it. I made a new friend – Angelina Jolie. And the gal really loves me, she hugs me and kisses me, so I can’t complain.”
Clip from 60 Minutes' documentary on Louis Zamperini. Copyright, 60 Minutes, all rights reserved. Video online, courtesy YouTube, 3 Clip from 60 Minutes' documentary on Louis Zamperini. Copyright, 60 Minutes, all rights reserved. Video online, courtesy YouTube, 4 Young Louis Zamperini was bad news. He was angry and rebellious. He had a taste for alcohol and a penchant for fighting. The police always seemed to be chasing him for something. Back in those tough days of the Great Depression, his future looked pretty grim. Zamperini enlisted in the Army before Pearl Harbor and was a bombardier in World War II. He and his crew were searching for a downed B-24 when their plane crashed into the Pacific, killing eight of the 11 men.
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