Louis' Contribution and Experience

•Since Louis Zamperini was an Olympic runner, he had a major affect on the others at his Japanese prisoner of war camp.

• His fellow prisoners looked up to him as someone who knew what they were doing and began to follow his lead.

• Louis Zamperini was given the opportunity to give a radio broadcast to let his family know that he was alive. After the broadcast, Japanese newscasters gave him the opportunity to leave his POW camp and become part of the broadcast to support the Japanese military. When Zamperini strongly declined and came back to the camp, he inspired many others to take pride in being part of the American military.

• His story, told through the movie Unbroken, helped others visualize what went on behind the locked doors of the camps.

• This story is mentioned in many articles regarding the treatment of Japanese POWs, "The treatment of POWs is not widely discussed in Japan. But that could change later this year, when the film Unbroken is scheduled for release in the United States, (Kirk Spitzer, The U.S. POWs Still Waiting For an Apology From Japan)."