Louis Zamperini's Legacy Gives Hope
Our country and the world are facing dark times. There is so much violence and division worldwide. It can feel scary reading the headlines. No one person can fix all the trouble at hand. Only Jesus can. He is with us and He is coming again.
During this time in history, we believe that the life and redemption of U.S. Olympian and WWII veteran Louis Zamperini should give us hope. He made it through very dark times himself and he found restoration through Jesus Christ. Here is his story:
Louis Zamperini survived a plane crash, was lost at sea for 47 days, and he was tortured in a horrific Japanese prison camp. His captors tried to destroy him. One guard called "the Bird" was focused on beating Louis and constantly tormented him. He was tortured for two years. By the end of his imprisonment, Louis weighed a mere 65 pounds.
Somehow Louis survived and returned to the US after the war ended. While he recovered from his physical wounds, his invisible wounds from post traumatic stress tormented him for years. He suffered from nightmares because of "the Bird" and he turned to alcoholism.
He sought psychological treatment but nothing helped. He progressively got worse. Louis was broken.
But then one day Louis encountered the life transforming power of Jesus Christ which changed his life forever. And he was healed! He came to Jesus at a Billy Graham crusade. We are thankful for his transformation! (We know that the Lord can suddenly bring healing like he did for Louis Zamperini but He also works through other ways and means, too. His ways are higher than our ways.) Through the power of Jesus Christ, Louis forgave "the Bird" and he never had the nightmares again. Louis became unbroken! Click here to learn how you can know Jesus, too.
Ultimately, Louis felt called to return to Japan to face his captors once again. This time he visited a prison that housed Japanese war criminals. He encountered many of his former captors and shared about the Gospel of Jesus Christ; he shared that he forgave them, too.
Louis spent his life reaching out to others to share the Gospel and to bring encouragement especially to those suffering and to fellow veterans. We all need to learn from Louis Zamperini's story for ourselves.
Please take time to read about Louis Zamperini and watch his interview with Greg Laurie below. You will be moved and inspired! In conclusion, let's be like Louis and reach out to others for Christ. Let's love and help one another each day. And let's keep praying and keep on keeping on.
With prayers,Carrie and Stacie Sisters and Co-Founders of Unite the USA
During this time in history, we believe that the life and redemption of U.S. Olympian and WWII veteran Louis Zamperini should give us hope. He made it through very dark times himself and he found restoration through Jesus Christ. Here is his story:
Louis Zamperini survived a plane crash, was lost at sea for 47 days, and he was tortured in a horrific Japanese prison camp. His captors tried to destroy him. One guard called "the Bird" was focused on beating Louis and constantly tormented him. He was tortured for two years. By the end of his imprisonment, Louis weighed a mere 65 pounds.
Somehow Louis survived and returned to the US after the war ended. While he recovered from his physical wounds, his invisible wounds from post traumatic stress tormented him for years. He suffered from nightmares because of "the Bird" and he turned to alcoholism.
He sought psychological treatment but nothing helped. He progressively got worse. Louis was broken.
But then one day Louis encountered the life transforming power of Jesus Christ which changed his life forever. And he was healed! He came to Jesus at a Billy Graham crusade. We are thankful for his transformation! (We know that the Lord can suddenly bring healing like he did for Louis Zamperini but He also works through other ways and means, too. His ways are higher than our ways.) Through the power of Jesus Christ, Louis forgave "the Bird" and he never had the nightmares again. Louis became unbroken! Click here to learn how you can know Jesus, too.
Ultimately, Louis felt called to return to Japan to face his captors once again. This time he visited a prison that housed Japanese war criminals. He encountered many of his former captors and shared about the Gospel of Jesus Christ; he shared that he forgave them, too.
Louis spent his life reaching out to others to share the Gospel and to bring encouragement especially to those suffering and to fellow veterans. We all need to learn from Louis Zamperini's story for ourselves.
Please take time to read about Louis Zamperini and watch his interview with Greg Laurie below. You will be moved and inspired! In conclusion, let's be like Louis and reach out to others for Christ. Let's love and help one another each day. And let's keep praying and keep on keeping on.
With prayers,Carrie and Stacie Sisters and Co-Founders of Unite the USA
Featured Quote
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“Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved,” so I took Him at His word, begged for His pardon, and asked Jesus to come into my life.”-Louis Zamperini, U.S. Olympian and WWII war hero
How to Know Jesus
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Question: How do Stacie and Carrie know they'll go to Heaven?
Answer: It's not because of what they've done or who they are. It's because Jesus lives in them. Anything good in them is because of Jesus in them. They know God and His love in a personal way. They've followed what God said in His book: the Bible. They invited Jesus to be their Savior and Lord. You, too, can know God. Yes, He really does love you!
Take His Word for it:
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. -John 3:16 (NKJV)
For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard.-Rom. 3:23 (NLV)
For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us... -Rom. 3:25 (NLV)
That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. -Rom. 10:9 (NKJV)
Understand that God loves you with infinite love! God is good, holy and righteous and we fall short of His perfection. So we need a Mediator, Jesus, who lovingly took our punishment for all our mistakes.
Believe that Jesus is God's Son that took your punishment. He took your punishment for all your sins (anti-God ways) and that He rose from the dead for you, __________.
Repent (turn away from) your sins (anti-God ways) and submit yourself to Him as your Lord.
Receive Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord. Talk to God and give your life to Jesus.
Pray from your heart. If it helps, pray something like this:
God, I understand now...You sent Jesus to share Your love and make it possible for me to be Yours. Please forgive me for all my sins. Jesus, I believe you took my punishment on the cross and that you rose from the dead for me personally. I turn away from doing things "my way" and ask that You rule my life, Jesus. I receive You as my Savior and Lord. I put my trust in You not in the things I do. I love You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Welcome into God's family! You are now His! Get connected with a loving, Bible-based church, enjoy the supreme joy of being baptized, and savor the Savior's love forever! Read the Bible. (If you don't have one, start reading the Gospel of John by clicking here.)
He'll never divorce you. He'll never die. He'll never change. He loves you! Enjoy loving and obeying Jesus and experiencing His love forever and ever! If you'd like prayer or more information, e-mail us anytime.
Answer: It's not because of what they've done or who they are. It's because Jesus lives in them. Anything good in them is because of Jesus in them. They know God and His love in a personal way. They've followed what God said in His book: the Bible. They invited Jesus to be their Savior and Lord. You, too, can know God. Yes, He really does love you!
Take His Word for it:
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. -John 3:16 (NKJV)
For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard.-Rom. 3:23 (NLV)
For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us... -Rom. 3:25 (NLV)
That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. -Rom. 10:9 (NKJV)
Understand that God loves you with infinite love! God is good, holy and righteous and we fall short of His perfection. So we need a Mediator, Jesus, who lovingly took our punishment for all our mistakes.
Believe that Jesus is God's Son that took your punishment. He took your punishment for all your sins (anti-God ways) and that He rose from the dead for you, __________.
Repent (turn away from) your sins (anti-God ways) and submit yourself to Him as your Lord.
Receive Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord. Talk to God and give your life to Jesus.
Pray from your heart. If it helps, pray something like this:
God, I understand now...You sent Jesus to share Your love and make it possible for me to be Yours. Please forgive me for all my sins. Jesus, I believe you took my punishment on the cross and that you rose from the dead for me personally. I turn away from doing things "my way" and ask that You rule my life, Jesus. I receive You as my Savior and Lord. I put my trust in You not in the things I do. I love You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Welcome into God's family! You are now His! Get connected with a loving, Bible-based church, enjoy the supreme joy of being baptized, and savor the Savior's love forever! Read the Bible. (If you don't have one, start reading the Gospel of John by clicking here.)
He'll never divorce you. He'll never die. He'll never change. He loves you! Enjoy loving and obeying Jesus and experiencing His love forever and ever! If you'd like prayer or more information, e-mail us anytime.
An All-American Hero
Several years ago Pastor Greg Laurie interviewed Louis Zamperini who was an Olympian and WWII hero. This compelling conversation recounts Zamperini's incredible life journey. Listen to this remarkable story and learn about the faith that transformed his life.
Join Us In Prayer
Father, please help our country and comfort hurting, frightened hearts. Through You we have hope. We pray for our leaders, servicemen and women and their families. We humbly ask you for peace and redemption. We love you, Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Featured Bible Verse
Louis Zamperini: Captured By Grace
He survived a plane crash, was lost at sea for 47 days, and was brutally tortured in a war camp. After his return from WWII, Louis Zamperini was tormented by the memories of what he'd experienced; Post-traumatic stress led to depression and alcoholism. With hope rapidly fading, Louis went to the 1948 Billy Graham Crusade in Los Angeles and had a truly life-changing experience. Hear it from Louis himself in the program Captured By Grace.
Unite the USA's
Featured Veteran of the Month: Louis Zamperini
Louis Zamperini, U.S. Olympian and WWII war hero (1917-2014)
How Jesus Healed POW Trauma: Louis Zamperini’s Incredible Journey
By Greg Laurie April 2026
We talk about heroes today as people who can play chords on a guitar or put a ball in a basket. While those things may be impressive, they are not heroic.
If you want to get to know a genuine American hero, listen to my recent podcast episode with Louis Zamperini.
Louis Zamperini’s Background
The son of Italian immigrants, Louis Zamperini was born in 1917. Soon after his family moved from New York City to Torrance, California, he started getting into trouble.
He didn’t speak English and was picked on, so he learned to defend himself. He said in an interview, “I was beating the tar out of every one of them… But I was so good at it that I started relishing the idea of getting even. I was sort of addicted to it.”
He was smoking by age five, beating kids up, and stealing beer from bootleggers.
Running in the Olympics
His older brother, Pete, was his polar opposite. He was polite, academic, and received a scholarship to run track at USC. He saw this same potential in Louis and urged him to run.
At first Louis resisted, but he discovered he had a real knack for it. He ended up with a scholarship at USC and running in the Olympics in Germany. They called him “The Torrance Tornado.” Meeting Hitler In the 5000-meter Olympic final, Louis finished eighth, but ran the last quarter mile in just 56 seconds. He was so fast that Adolf Hitler himself insisted on meeting him.
As Louis recounts in our interview, all Hitler said to him was, “The boy with the fast finish.”
‘Lucky Louis’ in the Air Force
The Nazis were coming into power and soon World War 2 broke out. Louis joined the Air Force and became a B-24 Bombardier and cheated death many times, earning the nickname “Lucky Louis.” But one day, he wasn’t so lucky…
The Green Hornet Plane Crash
Louis’ plane, the “Green Hornet,” was shot down over the Pacific and it crashed into the ocean, 800 miles south of Hawaii. Out of 11 men, only three survived.
Floating in the middle of 65 million square miles of water, they were soon surrounded by sharks—which bumped against their partially deflated life raft. They survived by killing albatross that landed on their raft, using them for bait.
Praying for Protection Against a 20-Foot Great White Shark One night, a 20-foot great white shark cruised by and they prayed for protection. Louis was not a Christian, but said prayers he had seen in movies.
Louis Zamperini was officially declared dead by the U.S. government. After 27 days at sea, they were spotted by an aircraft. They fired their flare gun in hopes of rescue, only to realize it was a Japanese aircraft, which then strafed them with bullets. The others huddled while Louis dove in the water, fighting off the sharks with his bare hands.
Despite all of this, things were still to get worse for Louis…
Being Taken as a Prisoner of War Altogether, Louis spent 47 days in the South Pacific before he was found and sent to a POW camp.
There he experienced torture that is unthinkable, and one guard, who was nicknamed “The Bird” was especially cruel to Louis. He knew Zamperini was an Olympic runner, so he was especially harsh—beating him daily and leaving him unconscious.
Returning Home Post-War
The war finally ended and Louis was a man risen from the dead. He married, but then his life began to unravel. Tormented by flashbacks of his torture from The Bird, he descended into a spiral of alcoholism. He dedicated his life to returning to Japan in order to find and kill The Bird.
Every night he dreamed of this cruel guard attacking him and would wake up in a cold sweat. One night Louis had a dream of choking The Bird to death and awoke to find his hands around the neck of his horrified and choking wife. It got so bad, his wife decided to divorce him.
Billy Graham and Louis’ Bargain with God
But someone invited her to go to a tent that had been set up for a visiting evangelist. It was 1949, and that evangelist’s name was Billy Graham.
Louis’s wife accepted Christ that night and decided not to divorce Louis and pressed him to come hear Billy Graham speak.
Louis resisted but finally went. He bolted out when Billy gave the invitation, but returned another night, after more pressure, and wanted to leave when Billy again gave the invitation. Then Louis Zamperini came under the conviction of the Holy Spirit and remembered something he had said to God.
When he was on the life raft, in the middle of the Pacific, he said, “God, spare my life through the war, and I’ll seek You and serve You.”
Louis kept thinking, “I came back from the war alive, and I never even thought about those prayers. I never tried to keep one prayer.”
How Jesus Christ Changed Louis Louis went forward at Billy’s invitation and gave his life to Jesus Christ.
In an interview, he said, “I got off my knees and somehow I knew I was through getting drunk. I knew it. I also knew that I forgave all my guards including The Bird. I think proof of that is I had nightmares every night about The Bird since the war. I haven’t had a nightmare since the night I made my decision for Christ—1949 till now!”
That is some kind of a miracle. The young boy, who grew up always wanting to get even, came full circle. He forgave all of his guards, including The Bird. He traveled to Japan, visiting many of those guards in prison, shared his testimony, and led a number of them to Christ.
How Louis Was Able to Forgive The Bird and Other Captors I asked Louis how he was able to extend this forgiveness.
He shared that as he progressed in his faith, he realized the answer, “ I realized that, when I invited Christ into my life, therefore if any man be in Christ, he’s a new person, new creation—that was the answer. But at that time, I didn’t know it. I just knew something phenomenal happened, that I had not the slightest hate for the bird anymore.”
Louis actually ended up writing The Bird a letter. Here’s a glimpse of it:
As a result of my prisoner of war experience under your unwanted and unreasonable punishment, my post-war life became a nightmare…
… The post-war nightmares caused my life to crumble, but thanks to a confrontation with God through the evangelist Billy Graham, I committed my life to Christ. Love replaced the hate I had for you…
…I also forgave you and now would hope that you would also become a Christian.
Louis Zamperini—a wonderful Christian and great American patriot—went to Heaven in 2014. He spent his life telling others to forgive.
Hear more of his letter to The Bird and incredible stories of survival at sea, psychological endurance, refusing to produce propaganda for the Japanese, and finding Jesus Christ on the Greg Laurie Podcast.
We talk about heroes today as people who can play chords on a guitar or put a ball in a basket. While those things may be impressive, they are not heroic.
If you want to get to know a genuine American hero, listen to my recent podcast episode with Louis Zamperini.
Louis Zamperini’s Background
The son of Italian immigrants, Louis Zamperini was born in 1917. Soon after his family moved from New York City to Torrance, California, he started getting into trouble.
He didn’t speak English and was picked on, so he learned to defend himself. He said in an interview, “I was beating the tar out of every one of them… But I was so good at it that I started relishing the idea of getting even. I was sort of addicted to it.”
He was smoking by age five, beating kids up, and stealing beer from bootleggers.
Running in the Olympics
His older brother, Pete, was his polar opposite. He was polite, academic, and received a scholarship to run track at USC. He saw this same potential in Louis and urged him to run.
At first Louis resisted, but he discovered he had a real knack for it. He ended up with a scholarship at USC and running in the Olympics in Germany. They called him “The Torrance Tornado.” Meeting Hitler In the 5000-meter Olympic final, Louis finished eighth, but ran the last quarter mile in just 56 seconds. He was so fast that Adolf Hitler himself insisted on meeting him.
As Louis recounts in our interview, all Hitler said to him was, “The boy with the fast finish.”
‘Lucky Louis’ in the Air Force
The Nazis were coming into power and soon World War 2 broke out. Louis joined the Air Force and became a B-24 Bombardier and cheated death many times, earning the nickname “Lucky Louis.” But one day, he wasn’t so lucky…
The Green Hornet Plane Crash
Louis’ plane, the “Green Hornet,” was shot down over the Pacific and it crashed into the ocean, 800 miles south of Hawaii. Out of 11 men, only three survived.
Floating in the middle of 65 million square miles of water, they were soon surrounded by sharks—which bumped against their partially deflated life raft. They survived by killing albatross that landed on their raft, using them for bait.
Praying for Protection Against a 20-Foot Great White Shark One night, a 20-foot great white shark cruised by and they prayed for protection. Louis was not a Christian, but said prayers he had seen in movies.
Louis Zamperini was officially declared dead by the U.S. government. After 27 days at sea, they were spotted by an aircraft. They fired their flare gun in hopes of rescue, only to realize it was a Japanese aircraft, which then strafed them with bullets. The others huddled while Louis dove in the water, fighting off the sharks with his bare hands.
Despite all of this, things were still to get worse for Louis…
Being Taken as a Prisoner of War Altogether, Louis spent 47 days in the South Pacific before he was found and sent to a POW camp.
There he experienced torture that is unthinkable, and one guard, who was nicknamed “The Bird” was especially cruel to Louis. He knew Zamperini was an Olympic runner, so he was especially harsh—beating him daily and leaving him unconscious.
Returning Home Post-War
The war finally ended and Louis was a man risen from the dead. He married, but then his life began to unravel. Tormented by flashbacks of his torture from The Bird, he descended into a spiral of alcoholism. He dedicated his life to returning to Japan in order to find and kill The Bird.
Every night he dreamed of this cruel guard attacking him and would wake up in a cold sweat. One night Louis had a dream of choking The Bird to death and awoke to find his hands around the neck of his horrified and choking wife. It got so bad, his wife decided to divorce him.
Billy Graham and Louis’ Bargain with God
But someone invited her to go to a tent that had been set up for a visiting evangelist. It was 1949, and that evangelist’s name was Billy Graham.
Louis’s wife accepted Christ that night and decided not to divorce Louis and pressed him to come hear Billy Graham speak.
Louis resisted but finally went. He bolted out when Billy gave the invitation, but returned another night, after more pressure, and wanted to leave when Billy again gave the invitation. Then Louis Zamperini came under the conviction of the Holy Spirit and remembered something he had said to God.
When he was on the life raft, in the middle of the Pacific, he said, “God, spare my life through the war, and I’ll seek You and serve You.”
Louis kept thinking, “I came back from the war alive, and I never even thought about those prayers. I never tried to keep one prayer.”
How Jesus Christ Changed Louis Louis went forward at Billy’s invitation and gave his life to Jesus Christ.
In an interview, he said, “I got off my knees and somehow I knew I was through getting drunk. I knew it. I also knew that I forgave all my guards including The Bird. I think proof of that is I had nightmares every night about The Bird since the war. I haven’t had a nightmare since the night I made my decision for Christ—1949 till now!”
That is some kind of a miracle. The young boy, who grew up always wanting to get even, came full circle. He forgave all of his guards, including The Bird. He traveled to Japan, visiting many of those guards in prison, shared his testimony, and led a number of them to Christ.
How Louis Was Able to Forgive The Bird and Other Captors I asked Louis how he was able to extend this forgiveness.
He shared that as he progressed in his faith, he realized the answer, “ I realized that, when I invited Christ into my life, therefore if any man be in Christ, he’s a new person, new creation—that was the answer. But at that time, I didn’t know it. I just knew something phenomenal happened, that I had not the slightest hate for the bird anymore.”
Louis actually ended up writing The Bird a letter. Here’s a glimpse of it:
As a result of my prisoner of war experience under your unwanted and unreasonable punishment, my post-war life became a nightmare…
… The post-war nightmares caused my life to crumble, but thanks to a confrontation with God through the evangelist Billy Graham, I committed my life to Christ. Love replaced the hate I had for you…
…I also forgave you and now would hope that you would also become a Christian.
Louis Zamperini—a wonderful Christian and great American patriot—went to Heaven in 2014. He spent his life telling others to forgive.
Hear more of his letter to The Bird and incredible stories of survival at sea, psychological endurance, refusing to produce propaganda for the Japanese, and finding Jesus Christ on the Greg Laurie Podcast.