Louis Zamperini, a runner in the 1936 Olympics, served in the US Army Air Corps as a bombardier in the South Pacific during World War II. When his aircraft crashed into the Pacific Ocean in April 1942 he and another crew member survived in a life raft for 47 days, drifting 2,000 miles until they reached land, only to be captured by the Japanese Navy.
Louis Zamperini, World War II hero (right), receiving a custom Henry Military Service Tribute Edition Rifle from Anthony Imperato, president of Henry Repeating Arms. (PRNewsFoto/Henry Repeating Arms)
He was held in captivity and tortured in a series of prison camps, and for three years the sadistic prison guards tried to break his spirit with verbal and physical cruelty. But they failed.
When the war ended, Zamperini decided to become a missionary to Japan, preaching the gospel of forgiveness to the very guards who tormented him. His remarkable power of example inspired Anthony Imperato, president and owner of Henry Repeating Arms, to create a Henry Golden Boy Military Service Tribute Edition rifle featuring a custom serial number combining his initials and date of birth: LSZ012617.
The rifle was presented in a display case with a brass plaque engraved, “Presented to Mr. Louis Zamperini – October 29th 2013 – Thank you for your service to our Country and for teaching us about courage, survival and the power of forgiveness.”
Henry Repeating Arms will manufacture a limited edition series of rifles in tribute to Zamperini, the proceeds of which will be donated to the not-for- profit POW MIA Foundation.
A biography of Zamperini’s life was written by Laura Hillenbrand, author of Seabiscuit: An American Legend. The book, titled Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, was published by Random House in 2010 and became a No. 1 New York Times bestseller. The book has been adapted into a movie written by Joel and Ethan Coen, and directed by Angelina Jolie. “Unbroken” is expected to be released by Universal Pictures next Christmas season.
