{"id":13575,"date":"2018-09-20T17:17:40","date_gmt":"2018-09-20T21:17:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/?p=13575"},"modified":"2018-09-20T17:17:40","modified_gmt":"2018-09-20T21:17:40","slug":"louis-zamperini-american-war-hero-pow-survivor-found-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2018\/09\/louis-zamperini-american-war-hero-pow-survivor-found-god.html","title":{"rendered":"How Louis Zamperini, American War Hero and POW Survivor, Found God"},"content":{"rendered":"
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World War II veteran, POW, and Olympic runner Louis Zamperini was one of America\u2019s greatest heroes. He also was a well-known evangelist.<\/p>\n

Zamperini’s story of overcoming the odds is being told through Pure Flix\u2019s new movie, \u201cUnbroken: Path to Redemption,\u201d which is the squeal to Angelina Jolie\u2019s hit 2014 film \u201cUnbroken”. The sequel dives much deeper into his conversion to Christianity.<\/p>\n

Zamperini\u2019s son, Luke Zamperini, appeared on PureFlix.com\u2019s \u201cPure Talk\u201d this week to share details of his late father\u2019s death-defying journey.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy dad\u2019s story is full of great stories,\u201d Zamperini said, going on to summarize the major benchmarks of his dad\u2019s life. \u201cPunk kid makes it into sports, athlete makes it to the Olympics, Olympian joins the military, soldier crashes at sea and survives for 47 days, famous American athlete picked up by Japanese and put into a prison camp.\u201d<\/p>\n

The new movie will show Zamperini\u2019s journey after he arrived home from the war. He suffered from PTSD symptoms and turned to alcohol to cope. He later accepted Jesus at a Billy Graham revival and experienced an incredible life transformation.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy father was having these tremendously horrible dreams,\u201d Luke Zamperini explained. \u201cHe was self-medicating with alcohol, he was getting in fights. He didn\u2019t know where to turn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Louis Zamperini\u2019s wife, Cynthia, had threatened divorce due to the alcoholism. She got invited to a revival meeting in downtown Los Angeles and Louis refused to attend. Cynthia came away from that Billy Graham event with a renewed perspective on life, and told Louis she wouldn’t divorce him on one condition: he needed attend a Billy Graham revival meeting with her.<\/p>\n

After his first time going, Louis left flustered and told his wife “don\u2019t ever take me to a place like that again”. Cynthia convinced him to try one more time, and something finally clicked.<\/p>\n

Luke Zamperini said that his dad had an instant flashback to his 47 days stranded at sea on a raft, recalling how he had made a promise to God, praying, \u201cGod, if you get me home from this alive I will seek you and serve you my entire life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe just walked down to the stage, accepts Jesus,\u201d Zamperini said of his dad. \u201cHe felt this great weight lifted off his shoulders.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zamperini left alcohol behind and went on to forgive the Japanese prison guards who had abused and tortured him.<\/p>\n

The former Olympian and war hero devoted the rest of his life to spreading the Christian faith and helping youths, dying in 2014 at the age of 97.<\/p>\n