2012 POW MIA Day
Louis Zamperini tells his story of resiliency to a crowd at the Gordon Conference Center, Sept. 21. As a child, a police officer suggested he use his fast feet for sport instead of mischief. By the time he graduated from high school, he set the high school world record for running the mile. He was on the 1936 Olympic Team and was the top U.S. finisher in the 5,000 meter run. During World War II, he joined the Army Air Corps and was a bombardier in the South Pacific. On a reconnaissance flight, his plane crashed into the ocean. He and another crew member were adrift in a life raft for 47 days. He was picked up by the Japanese who held him prisoner until the war ended. (Photo by Joe Juarez)