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PixelFish Inspiration – Louis Zamperini
We at PixelFish are constantly inspired by people that have achieved greatness or take a stand for things that matter in the world.This month we recognize Louis Zamperini, an American hero who was raised in the Depression-era to become an Olympic runner before enlisting in the Air Forces to fight in WWII. During flight his bomber crashed into the ocean 850 miles west of Oahu, killing eight of the eleven men aboard.
The three survivors, captured rainwater and small fish, all while fending off constant shark attacks and nearly being capsized by a storm. They were strafed multiple times by a Japanese bomber, puncturing their life raft, but no one was hit.
On their 47th day adrift, they reached land in the Marshall Islands and were immediately captured by the Japanese Navy. They were held in captivity and severely beaten and mistreated until the end of the war.
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Despite the various institutions that carry his name, Zamperini’s character is what inspires us most. Despite the torment and physical torture he went through as a POW, in October 1950, Zamperini returned to Japan, gave his testimony and preached through an interpreter to those at the prison that once held him captive. The colonel in charge of the prison encouraged any of the prisoners who recognized Zamperini to come forward and meet him again. Zamperini hugged each of them and spoke of forgiveness toward those that had tormented and mistreated him.
No matter what we go through in life, people like Zamperini remind us that how we face adversity in life, becomes a reflection of our character.
Pulitzer Prize winning author, Laura Hillenbrand (author of “Seabiscuit”) wrote the book “Unbroken”, the life of Louis Zamperini. If you know someone you’d like to mention, please contact us and let us know.
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