By Faith Zochowski
Friday, November 11 is Veterans Day, a day to remember American veterans of all wars. On this annual holiday, we reflect upon the bravery and heroism of our veterans and take the time to recognize their devotion to our freedom.
To participate in the honoring of our veterans this week, here’s a review of the novel Unbroken: A Word War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption.
The biography tells the story of Louis “Louie” Zamperini who grew up as the son of Italian immigrants in Torrance, California. He became a rising track-and-field star and performed in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. After the Olympics, he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and became a bombardier in World War II.
In 1943, Louie’s plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean during a search and rescue mission, resulting in him and one other man, Russell Allen Phillips, surviving more than a month lost at sea. Nobody is believed to have survived the crash, and he is reported dead to his family.
Japanese troops capture the men and they remain prisoners of war for two years, enduring physical and psychological torture. Rescued and returned to American in 1945, Phillips and Zamperini shocked the nation at their survival. Louie marries and begins to start his life again but deals with the perils of alcoholism and post traumatic stress disorder. Louie’s wife and family help him to get better, but they are unable to understand the trauma he faced.
Four years after returning to America, Louie becomes a Christian, allowing him to recover from the trauma he experienced during war and forgive his captors. He started a nonprofit organization to help at-risk boys and devoted the rest of his life to sharing his story and helping others.
Lauren Hillenbrand, author of Unbroken, provides a captivating and detailed biography about Louie’s life and gives insight into what it was like for so many to fight in World War II. The book has also been adapted into a 2014 film produced and directed by Anglina Jolie, which can be streamed on HBO Max and Disney+.
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