This Independence Day will be celebrated without one of America’s most remarkably heroes. Louis Zamperini passed away this week at the age of 97. The subject of the upcoming film “Unbroken” (directed by Angelina Jolie), Zamperini had an incredible life as an Olympic track and field star who went on to survive a harrowing two years as a prisoner of the Japanese in World War II.
The son of Italian immigrants, Zamperini received a scholarship to USC on a track and field scholarship. At just 19, he ran for the United States in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. While he placed 8th, his final lap in the 5,000 meter race was an astonishing 56 seconds. Watching the run, Adolph Hitler asked for a personal meeting with him. Zamperini would later fight in World War II when he became a bombardier and his plane crashed in the Pacific Ocean while looking for a downed B-25. Eight out of 11 men were killed and Zamperini and another man drifted for 47 days on a small rubber raft in shark-infested waters.
He was captured by the Japanese after he reached the Marshall Islands and tortured savagely for two years.
When he returned to the United States, he suffered from post traumatic disorder. However, he would later returned to Japan to carry the Olympic torch at the Nagano Games. After becoming a born-again Christian, Zamperini set out to forgive those who tortured him. In 1950, he went to Sugamo Prison in Tokyo to meet and hug some of the war criminals from this POW camp.
At age 81, Zamperini — a five-time Olympic torch-bearer — ran a leg in the torch relay for the Winter Olympics in Nagano. He used the trip to try to meet with his most brutal tormentor during the war, Mutsuhiro (“The Bird”) Watanabe. Watanabe is an absolute monster who was never prosecuted as a war criminal. He refused to meet with Zamperini and later gave an interview where he refused to apologize to him, stating “I wasn’t given military orders. Because of my own personal feelings, I treated the prisoners strictly as enemies of Japan.”
In May, Zamperini was selected to be grand marshal of the 2015 Rose Parade on New Year’s Day in Pasadena, California.
On this Independence Day, Zamperini’s extraordinary life is a reminder of those who gave up so much to maintain this Republic.
Source: LA Times
“…some of the war criminals…”
“…an absolute monster who was never prosecuted as a war criminal.”
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Hello?! We have some war criminals living in our country right now. They have publicly stated they sanctioned torture and would do it again. How come they are not properly labeled as war criminals? Where is the call for their prosecution?
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Notice how in Turley’s posts the men who did evil decades ago are accurately labeled as monsters but the evil men from our own government are never labeled the same way. While Turley may disagree with their actions and policy he never uses the same strongly worded rhetoric. Why is that? Search the keyword “torture” or “waterboard”, read his posts, and see for yourself.
But, when I’m being an ass I appreciate when folks tell me.
Just a suggestion, you are of course free to make sanctimonious remarks. This is the USA and it’s our birthday!
bk, Read the book and save the sanctimony. And there are plenty of stupid questions. Asking questions was my profession, as it is for attorneys. Ask people who ask questions for a living and they’ll tell you there are PLENTY OF STUPID QUESTIONS.
Unbroken is not a “war story” just like Seabiscuit is not a “horse story.” Unbroken is a story about courage, strength, love, commitment, perseverance, and redemption. And, it is also about the polar opposite of all those beautiful qualities. It was a bestseller. You might want to consider withholding further comment, your ignorance is showing every time you do when speaking of Louis Zamperini.
JT wrote “Watanabe is an absolute monster who was never prosecuted as a war criminal.”
That describes many, many Japanese during that period.
It’s too late to visit the library, so check-out the DVD of “The Great Raid” after the holiday. It tells the true tale of Rangers sent to rescue the survivors of the Bataan Death March. The movie depicts what actually happened — with an imagined love story, of course, as one would expect from Hollywood — including where Japanese soldiers forced American POWs into a man-made cave, dumped petrol into it, and set it on fire. The raid was ordered to prevent the Japanese from simply executing the remaining soldiers. Happy endings will be had by all, unless you are Japanese.
Speaking of war criminals, Unit 731, the Japanese equivalent of Josef Mengele and his ghouls, experimented on live humans in all sorts of ways you may not want to know about. Douglas MacArthur, in my opinion the most arrogant officer ever to wear a uniform and not nearly as competent as Republicans claim him to be, pardoned most of Unit 731. The military-industrial complex had already found a new way of spending our money and wanted the Japanese monsters to teach us how to torture and kill even more efficiently.
In “The Great Raid,” MacArthur is referred to as Dugout Doug, just as many veterans of that conflict did, for hiding in a safe area while his troops fought and died.
On a related note, current Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo has been photographed sitting in a military aircraft with the insignia of 731. Now I suppose it is possible that the one aircraft chosen for him to sit in just happened to have the number of Unit 731, but I do not believe it for a second, and neither does South Korea and China.
I wrote about the above in depth on my blog, but no one here appears to be interested.
Thanks for your service, Louis Zamperini.
I’ve always believed that there are no stupid questions if the person asking the questions wants to know the answer. I never heard of Louis Zamperini before this thread. While I like history, war stories and war “heroes” aren’t at the top of my list. Zamperini’s exploits during the war aren’t as interesting to me as his ability to forgive those who did him wrong. I think it’s fair to ask if he also asked for forgiveness of those he harmed (or their families). Since there are some on this blog who revel in war stories and war “heroes”, I thought there would be one or two who would be able to answer the question. I guess it’s just more interesting to move off topic by busting me for asking the question.
Jomo, The b@stard is dead.
So the Nip war criminal was never prosecuted. He is probably rich now and living a good life. The little rat should have been hanged
Wow, that was very civil on this fine July the Fourth.
Wait a minute, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum! I did not say, nor did I imply, bettykath could not ask a question. One of my favorite lines is “This is the US, you have the right to ask any question, and to not answer any question.” But, as I’ve also said, unlike the popular phrase, there are indeed stupid questions. I have used that here several times. So, both of you can climb off of your high horses. Bettykath asked a question, showing ignorance of the HELL Louis went through. The question was dripping w/ judgmental, one of her specialties. So, I asked a question. No where did I say or imply she did not have a right to ask that question. I just called her on her ignorance of Louis’ ordeal. Finally, “myob” is ludicrous on its face. Comments get replies. That’s the format here. If you want to cast aspersions on Louis Zamperini, before his body is even cold, on July 4th, well you better hold on REAL TIGHT.
Bettykath, myob is very difficult for some folks.
Nick,
bettykath has the right to ask any question she wants, whether you agree with it or not.
Thanks for sharing this. Redemption is indeed to be celebrated on the Fourth!
nick, what’s your point? I asked an honest question. If you know the answer please provide it. If not, myob.
If not, you should suspend your question, read it, and then revisit this thread.
bettykath, Did you read Unbroken?
A remarkable man who can seek out to forgive those who did him serious harm. Did he seek out the families of those he harmed to apologize?
Laura Hillenbrand is also a hero, fighting illness to give us superb books. Seabiscuit was also an inspiring book. It was as she researched Seabiscuit that Hillenbrand read about Louis.
What was key to Louis survival was his positive attitude. That resiliency is what attracted her to both Seabiscuit and Louis. However, Louis returned an angry and bitter man. Finding God saved him for the last 2/3 of his life. I never understood the hatred people like my father and uncles had for the Japanese, until I read Unbroken.
Zamperini is a cultural hero in my estimation …. He is not a war hero …. in fact , he tried to make peace with Mutsuhiro. Mutsuhiro held the belief that *being an enemy of Japan* removed any rights from a human. Those who admire Zamperini as a war hero are holding very similar views to those of Mutsuhiro … a sort of “my country is always right”…. 99guspuppet
The book on Louie’s life was one of my favorite books of all time. His ordeal at the hands of the Japanese was both amazing and heroic. He and his fellow POW’S were all heroes.