Zamperini's Role In Unbroken

Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister of England in 1940, dealing with war and suffrage throughout his nation, shared a compelling quote with his people. He stated, “If you’re going through hell, keep going” (Forbes) to reassure them of an eventual victory. Churchill might as well have been speaking directly to Louis Zamperini “the boy terror of Torrance”, a born track star turned war hero, that persevered through the worst of the worst. Laura Hillenbrand, author of Unbroken, shares Zamperini’s heart-wrenching story and his unbelievable ability to tackle the unheard of. It all started throughout his high school career in California. Zamperini excelled in track and anything to do with athletics, but he worked harder than anyone else and persevered to reach the highest point …show more content…
Zamperini enlisted and became a trusted pilot, well known for his great sense of humor and ability to be a leader. He and his fellow crew mates were assigned to conduct a search for a lost aircraft and crew, something that was fairly common. They were given the notorious Green Hornet, a plane that was known to be defective. On May 27, 1943, while on the much dreaded search, mechanical difficulties caused the bomber to crash into the ocean, killing 11 of the 14 men aboard, and left three survivors. Zamperini being one of the three “lucky” survivors, and leader of the group. Spending a total of 47 days in the water, not an island in sight, the men faced multiple difficulties and struggled to stay alive. In many ways, their ability to persevere kept them alive. Facing numerous attacks by the Japanese, and losing a fellow survivor on the way, Zamperini and fellow crew mate, Phillips, finally reached an island, unsure of what they would discover. Shortly after arrival, they were captured by the Japanese Navy. The men faced terrible treatment, brutal beatings, and mistreatments until the end of the war in