An Unbroken Legacy of Faith
By Luke Zamperini with Kenneth Kemp

Unbroken: Path To Redemption

Haunted by nightmares of his horrific experiences, World War II hero Louis Zamperini meets Cynthia Applewhite, a young woman who becomes his wife. Zamperini's personal demons soon threaten to destroy his marriage -- until he hears the stirring words of the Rev. Billy Graham in 1949. Embracing his newfound Christian faith, Louis starts to turn his life around by learning to forgive his former oppressors and spreading the message of peace and love.

Louis Zamperini’s incredible journey took him from:

* Torrance High School to …

* The University of Southern California to …

* The 1936 Berlin Olympic Games to …

* The Pacific Theater of World War II to …

* A Japanese concentration camp to …

* Home as an American hero!

After his formative years in Torrance, California, Louis moved from one life-changing event to the next. But the most significant event of all occurred when he walked into a big tent in Los Angeles one October night in 1949.

Louis listened to a young evangelist, Billy Graham, and he accepted the preacher’s challenge to receive the forgiveness of God through Jesus Christ. After a deep internal battle that evening, Louis knelt down in that tent and gave his heart to Jesus.

The anger, hate, and self-loathing that he had been fighting after the war all came to a radical end, dissipating into the night air like a vapor. The transformation filled him with love and hope and compassion—a true rebirth of the spirit. His drinking and the nightmares stopped, never to return again. His marriage to Cynthia, my mom, was not only saved, but it endured as a happy, winsome partnership for the remainder of their lives.

My childhood was one to be envied. I was blessed with loving, caring parents. Of course, if my dad had refused to go with my mom to hear Dr. Graham that night, my life would have been much different. Come to think of it, I may not have even existed.

The world knows Louis Zamperini as a survivor and war hero. I knew him as my dad. Growing up, we all reveled in his friendship with Billy Graham. My mother spoke fondly of that life-altering night when my dad committed his life to Christ in that big tent in Los Angeles.

But my dad still had some personal work to do.

The words of Jesus to “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us,” hit him like a lightning bolt from Heaven. He reveled in God’s forgiveness, which was also offered him by his beloved Cynthia. She had been more than ready to walk out: the excessive drinking, the contempt, the verbal abuse—it all drove her to seek escape from a relationship that went from intense, giddy romance to deep anguish and dark despair.

My mom forgave my dad, forgave him for all of that and more. She believed in the sincerity of his commitment. And she had faith in the Gospel message that changed him.

Discover the rest of Louis Zamperini’s story in the new movie UNBROKEN: PATH TO REDEMPTION, opening in theaters September 14. Learn more at UnbrokenFilm.com
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Luke Zamperini, Executive Producer

Luke Zamperini is the only son of Louis and Cynthia Zamperini. As a child, Luke accompanied his father on Victory Boys Camp retreats, giving him the knowledge and wisdom to keep Victory Boys Camp true to its original mission. Luke continues to make himself available for public speaking events where he tells his father's story and shares his unique perspective on what made Louis the man he was.