Zamperini returned to Japan in 1950 and spoke to 850 prisoners held for war crimes. About half of them received Christ. Eight of his own former guards, now prisoners themselves, came forward. Zamperini forgave his torturers, “hugging them in the process.”
Louis Zamperini, a 1936 Olympian, World War II Japanese prisoner of war, and preacher of forgiveness to his torturers, died Wednesday [July 2] from pneumonia. He was 97.
“After a 40-day long battle for his life, he peacefully passed away in the presence of his entire family, leaving behind a legacy that has touched so many lives,” his family said through Universal Pictures. “His indomitable courage and fighting spirit were never more apparent than in these last days.”
Zamperini’s fighting spirit first gained attention when he channelled his boyhood rebellion onto the 1936 United States track and field team at age 19. His 56-second final lap won a request from Adolf Hitler for a personal audience at the Berlin games.
Read a review of ‘Unbroken,’ the life of Louis Zamperini
Subscribe to Free “Top 10 Stories” Email
Get the top 10 stories from The Aquila Report in your inbox every Tuesday morning.