I just finished reading a book called “Unbroken”. It is a book about the life of Louis Zamperini. His family and friends called him Louie. Louie excelled in track and at the age of 19 Louie qualified for the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany. He did not win a medal put he set a record for the fastest final lap in the 5000 meter run. This was so impressive that Adolf Hiller had a personal meeting with him.
In 1941 Louie enlisted in the Army Air Force and became a bombardier. While on a rescue mission in May of 1943, his plan crashed into the Pacific Ocean. Louie and his friend Phil, the pilot, lived on rainwater, raw fish and birds for 47 days. It was on the 47th day adrift that Japenesse captured them. They were held in captivity, severely beaten, mistreated, bones broken and underfeed until the end of the war in August 1945. Louie was tormented by a prison guard nicknamed "The Bird", who in psychotic rage would beat him regularly. Louie was so badly beaten, abused and starved that he would never again be a world class runner.
After the war ended Louie married but began drinking in an attempt to forget his POW abuse. He thoughts were comsumed by plans to murder “The Bird”, constant nightmares also haunted Louie, including nightly dreams of being strangled by his captors. He woke up one night with his wife screaming, Louie was strangling is own wife trying to fight off the prison guards.
Louie's wife Cynthia attended a crusade looking for peace. Louie reluctantly agreed to attend a later crusade with his wife in the hope of saving his marriage. After attending the crusade, Louie remembered his prayers both on the life raft and in the prisoner of war camps. Louie had made repeated promises to serve the Lord if God would only protect him. Louie laid everything at the foot of the Cross. He said that as soon as he made his decision to fulfill his promise to Christ his life changed. He was able to forgive his captors, stop drinking and never had another nightmare.
Louie became an inspirational speaker and established a camp for troubled youths called Victory Boys Camp.
