Louis Zamperini: A True Hero

According to Webster's Dictionary, the definition of a hero is one that shows great courage. It is a broad definition, that could mean a number of things to different people. Whether the person is famous and well known or barely talked about at all. In my opinion, a hero is someone who is determined, forgiving, and courageous. When the word hero comes to mind, one of the first names I think of is Louis Zamperini.
Louis began his life as a troubled boy. He became so much of a nuisance his friends and family began to question his future. When his brother urged Louie to join the track team his itch to cause trouble dissipated as he started to win and set records. With hard work and determination, he was able to make it to the Olympics at the age of 19. This alone already makes him a hero. Soon after the Olympics were canceled Louis enlisted in the Army Air Corps. When his plane crashed in the ocean, he and the only survivor were …show more content…
When it was made into a movie and book he finally gained that recognition. Even though Louis’s story may be well known today, it does not make him more or less of a hero. This is also true for other heroes whose stories may never get to be told. Just because we hear about an act of heroism does not make it more important. In the story “He said No to Internment” Korematsu stood up for what he believed in when he denied being put into the internment camp. He did this because he thought it was unjust that the Japanese Americans were being forced into the camps without fair trial. I believe that this makes Korematsu a hero, unlike many others who shunned him. They did not believe what he did was significant. Even though what Korematsu did was a brave and selfless you do not hear about his story as much as much as Zamperini’s. Korematsu may have gone through a whole different experience but his determination similar to Zamperini's, make both of them people of true