Cynthia applewhite zamperini obituary

Louie Zamperini was born on January 26, 1917, in Olean, New York, and grew up in Torrance, California. Zamperini was a competitive runner in the 1930's, earning an athletic scholarship to the University of Southern California, and running in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany.

He enlisted in the Aviation Cadet Program of the U.S. Army Air Corps on March 18, 1941, but soon left the service. He again enlisted, this time in the regular Army, on September 29, 1941, but was put back into the Aviation Cadet Program in December to become a Bombardier.

Cynthia applewhite zamperini obituary

Zamperini was commissioned a 2LT and awarded his Bombardier Wings in August 1942. After training as a B-24 Liberator bombardier, he flew combat missions with the 42nd Bomb Squadron of the 11th Bomb Group in the Pacific Theater until his aircraft was forced to crash into the Pacific Ocean on May 27, 1943.

After 47 days in a life raft, he was captured by the Japanese and became a Prisoner of War. Zamperini was released at the end of t