Laura Hillenbrand, author of "Seabiscuit," has written another book, this time about an Olympic athlete and World War II hero. The subject of the book, 93-year-old Louis Zamperini, is a born-again Christian. An article in the Friday, November 12, Wall Street Journal explains his conversion, which came about following his return to the United States after enduring 25 months in various Japanese POW camps:
“Although Mr. Zamperini came back to California in one piece, he was emotionally ruined. At night, his demons descended in the form of vengeful dreams about Mr. Watanabe. He drank heavily. He nearly destroyed his marriage. In 1949, at the urging of his wife, Cynthia, Mr. Zamperini attended a Billy Graham crusade in downtown Los Angeles, where he became a Christian. (The conversion of the war hero helped put the young evangelist on the map.) Ultimately Mr. Zamperini forgave his tormentors and enjoyed a successful career running a center for troubled youth. He even reached out to Mr. Watanabe. ‘As a result of my prisoner of war experience under your unwarranted and unreasonable punishment,’ Mr. Zamperini wrote his former guard in the 1990’s, ‘my post-war life became a nightmare—but thanks to a confrontation with God…I committed my life to Christ. Love replaced the hate I had for you.’” Steve Oney, writing in The Wall Street Journal
The Mr. Watanabe mentioned above was a guard in one of the POW camps who incessantly punished and humiliated Mr. Zamperini, and who was ranked seventh, according to The Wall Street Journal, among Japan’s most wanted war criminals.
To read Steve Oney’s full review of Laura Hillenbrand’s “Unbroken,” go to http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703514904575602540345409292.html.
Needless to say, I’ll be reading “Unbroken,” an incredible testimony to the new life available in Christ.
“May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.” 2 Thessalonians 3:5
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