Louis Zamperini an Olympian runner and World War II prisoner

Louis Zamperini, 94, had a few words for Simon School graduates Sunday, June 12, 2011.
An Olympic runner and World War II prisoner of war, his life story, Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption, is a current best-selling book written by Pulitzer Prize winner Laura Hillenbrand, author of Seabiscuit. During the 1930s, Zamperini came close to being the first person to run the mile in under four minutes and competed in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. At the Berlin Games, Zamperini was the top American finisher in the 5000-meter run covering the final lap in an astounding 56 seconds. With the onset of World War II, Zamperini joined the U.S. Air Corps as a bombardier.