8/2/11

5 Questions With Louis Zamperini

Welcome to 5 Questions With.....

Today's guest is a true American hero.
Louis Zamperini was an Olympic athlete and a prisoner of war during WW2. When his ship crashed in the Pacific, he drifted for 47 days and over 2,000 miles into Japanese controlled waters. He was tortured for 2 years before the war came to an end. His story continued and eventually wove it's way to the Cross of Calvary.

He has been featured on CBS, the Today Show and was most recently the subject of author Laura Hillenbrand's most recent book, Unbroken.

Today, at 94, Louis Zamperini maintains a busy speaking schedule and shares his story with audiences around the nation.

Here is my short interview with this legend of WW2.

Hello Mr. Zamperini,

1. You were an Olympic athlete (1936) and went to Berlin for the Games. What was the best part of that experience?

Watching Jesse Owens run. His stride was so fluid...and he was a great guy!

2. During WW2 you crashed at sea and drifted for 47 days and then spent 2 years as a POW. Was there a moment where you felt like giving up?

Just the opposite. I was too busy thinking about living to worry about dying.

3. After coming home you suffered from PTSD and struggled with alcohol before finding Jesus Christ. How immediate was the change in your life?
In the blink of an eye.

4. What has the Lord taught you about forgiveness?

Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself.  Hate and anger make you grow old, quickly.  Forgiveness is a complete healing.  Mark Twain said, "Forgiveness is the scent of the flower on the heel that crushed it."

5. What do you hope people take away from your story?

Many things:

1) Be Prepared (for all things)
2) Be Hardy (learn how to overcome obstacles)
3) Forgive your enemies.

Thank you so much for taking the time to do this Mr. Zamperini.

I would encourage you to visit Louis Zamperini's website and to read more about his story. You should also pick up the book Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. (She is the author of Seabiscuit)

To see past 5 Questions guests see the 5 questions page under the tab above.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

a true american hero.his resilience probably helped other prisoners to survive.
he deserves the congressional medal.