Louis Zamperini Essay

Chapters 12–17 describe the days that Louie spent adrift, trying to survive in the vast Pacific Ocean. When his B-24 bomber crashed into the sea on May 27, 1943, only three men survived: Louie, his pilot Russell Allen “Phil” Phillips, and tail gunner Francis “Mac” McNamara. Over the next 46 days, they struggled to survive in two small, inflatable rafts while drifting across miles and miles of water.

Months passed with little action, however one day on a mission in search of a missing plane , Louie’s plane crashed in the middle of the Pacific due to engine failure. With little supplies, Louie ,Mak , and Phil survived 33 days , before sadly Mak passed away. On July 14 Louie and Phil were captured by the Japanese; thus turning them into P.O.W.S . Moving from prison to prison, Louie faced his biggest problem yet: The “Bird”. Despising Louie, “ the Bird” treated him like dirt.”Pick it up , the Bird said. With some effort, Louie hoisted it up, and the Bird ordered him to lift it higher and hold it directly over his head. Louie heaved the beam up” (301).This happened to occur after louie was assigned to watch and make sure a sickly goat would not die. With no food to give the goat, Louie shared his although he had minimal to share. This was his punishment for the goats death. After 37 mins, “ He felt his conscious slipping, his mind losing adhesion, until all though knew was a single thought; He can’t break me. Across, the bird had stopped laughing”(302). Holding up the beam was a hard to do, considering he was also getting hit by an officer at the same time. As Fearless as Amelia Earhart, Louie stood up against cruelty and injustice, even when it “threatened “ his life .4 and a half years of being a P.O.W, later Louie was freed from the

Louis is known for being a hero in numerous ways. Being in the Olympics to prison camps changed him to the person who was capable of bring a revered hero. Laura Hillenbrand explores the many reasons Louie is known for being an outrageous hero in Unbroken through biographical and historical lenses.

Napoleon was one of the most important figures in European history. As one of the greatest military leaders, Napoleon did many things to modernize the European nations he ruled.

Louie believed in himself which drawed him to fight even harder for the things he wanted. This demonstrates a warrior because he believed that he could do something and he fought for it.

Louie Zamperini had a very tragic and interesting life. He was a runner for the Olympics. He won many wristwatches from his competitions. After reading about Louie Zamperini in Unbroken, I believe that the author, Lauren Hillenbrand, lucidly defined Louie as resourceful and determined.

Imagine what it would take to one day be competing as an Olympic athlete, soon after find yourself stranded on a life raft for forty-seven days, only to be captured as a prisoner of war (POW) for the next twenty-five months. This is exactly what Louis Zamperini did and he lived through it all too be a visionary and ethical leader until the day he died. In this paper I will explain how through all ups and downs of Zamperini’s life he used the elements of adaptability and transactional leadership behavior of contingent rewards. I will also explain how he was an ethical leader by showcasing his resiliency and how his actions fit into the Air Force Core Value of service before self. I will also explain Zamperini’s actions relate to a few instances of me showing similar traits in my actions. First I will explain how Zamperini acted as a visionary leader.

Former major league baseball player Tommy Lasorda once said, “The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person’s determination.” In Laura Hillenbrand’s nonfiction book Unbroken, Louie Zamperini demonstrates this quote with his determination to survive the challenges he faced before, during, and after the war. This determination helped Louie face and overcome the challenges presented to him during the war.

The Zamperini He survived 47 days of being stranded in the Pacific, no food, no water. Louie, a former italian olympian, was progressing to compete in the olympics in Japan. War interfered with the olympics and they got cancelled; Louie had to register for the military. Throughout his military experiences, he got in a plane crash, got stranded, then became a prisoner of war of Japan, and survived. From the book, Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand, the two words that define Louie the most are that he is determined and brave.

When Louie found himself do very well at the Olympic Trials, he showed humbleness towards the other athletes because he didn’t want to be known as a cocky guy. When Louie congratulates everyone at the trials on page 27, him and the two other guys who did the best went to tell everyone good job. This idea from above is true, because Louie and his teammates were extremely humble no matter how good they did. During WWII after the 1936 Olympics, Louie and his Air Force crew get “lost at sea”. When Louie gets up to the ocean surface on page 125, he finds two of the people on his crew who survived the crash. This idea from above is true, because Phil, Mac, and Louie were the only ones to survive the crashing of their plane into the

Louie’s enormous amount of resilience allowed him to survive in the worst of circumstances. Before the war Louie had built up a lot of resilience from his running career. He had an ability to give everything he had. During the 5,000-meter final “One by one, runners

When Louie was a young boy he was very mischievous and did a lot of bad things that he often got into trouble for. He would steal from families “If it was edible he stole it. He sulked down alleys, a role of lock picking wire in his pocket.” and get into fights with other kids (Hillenbrand 6). Until one day his older brother named Pete displayed the opportunity of becoming a track star for their school because he is always

One of many character traits for Louie is determined. A statement from the text is “In the 5,000, well over three miles, a final lap in less than 70 seconds was astounding. Louie had run his last lap in 56 seconds” (p. 36). This quote shows how Louie is determined because of how hard he worked and trained just to get close to first place and willingly to finish the last lap in 56 seconds. Another quote from the text is

Unbroken is the story of the life and hardships faced by Louie Zamperini. Starting as a troublesome child Louie is a constant problem to all around him. He turns his ways around and turns to running where he is rewarded greatly, qualifying for the olympics. After his reign of fame, Louie joins the air corps where he struggles with fear and boredom. During one mission his plane fails and he and two other crew mates are stuck stranded in the ocean.

Although Louis XIV, also known as Louis the Great, brought death and destruction through his wars, there are many positive aspects of his reign, such as the creation of Versailles and the building of France’s national army. He did what had never been done before. He changed the lifestyle and the attitude of France by creating one of the most powerful monarchies ever to be built and at the same time, reassured all the nobility and other wealthy groups of their political and social standings. He made it clear that he was the final decision maker yet he still needed the help of the nobility and other authorities.