I have World War II on my mind. I have been researching the sorority women who enlisted during World War II, including Helen Marlowe, Zeta Tau Alpha at the University of Southern California, who is the subject of the previous post. This morning I read of Louus Zamperini’s death. I automatically wanted to know if he was a fraternity man.
Zamperini was born January 26, 1917, in upstate New York to Italian immigrants. In 1919, the family, which included an older brother, Pete, and two younger sisters moved to California. At Torrance High School , Pete got Louis involved in the school track team. In 1934, Louis set a world interscholastic record for the mile – 04:21.2. He won a scholarship to the University of Southern California, where he became a member of Kappa Sigma. Today’s post is courtesy of Kappa Sigma.
WWII Hero, Olympian and Kappa Sigma Golden Heart Recipient Zamperini Joins Chapter Celestial
From the Kappa Sigma Blog, July 3, 2014, , by Derald Dryman, used with permission
Brother Louis S. Zamperini (Delta-Eta, University of Southern California, ’46) joined the Chapter Celestial on Wednesday, July 2, 2014, at age 97. While attending the University of Southern California, Brother Zamperini proudly represented the U.S. in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany. Prior to graduating, he went on to set a national collegiate record for the mile, which he held for 15 years. Following his graduation from USC, he planned on continuing his athletics and competing in the 1940 Olympic Games, where he was favored to win, but instead chose to enlist in the U.S. Army Air Forces to serve his country in World War II.
While on a reconnaissance mission, Brother Zamperini’s aircraft crashed into the Pacific Ocean where he and others spent 47 days adrift on an inflatable raft before being captured by the Japanese Navy when they reached the Marshall Islands. Brother Zamperini was a prisoner of war for more than two years, during which time he was beaten and tortured in prison camps. In 1998 Brother Zamperini returned to Japan to run a leg of the Olympic Torch relay at the Winter Olympics.
Kappa Sigma awarded the Golden Heart Award to Brother Zamperini at the 68th Grand Conclave in 2011 for courage and bravery throughout life. Brother Zamperini was the 15th recipient of the award and addressed the Brothers and guests in attendance.
Brother Zamperini was the inspiration for Lauren Hillenbrand’s book, “Unbroken,” which has been adapted into a film and was directed by Angelina Jolie. The movie is set for release in the U.S. on December 25, 2014. Brother Zamperini was also set to be the Grand Marshall for the 2015 Rose Parade.
Brother Zamperini was a proud Kappa Sigma for 68 years, and Kappa Sigma was privileged to call him a Brother.
To see other pictures, including one of him with his chapter during a 2013 visit, see the Kappa Sigma blog post http://kappasigma.org/wwii-hero-olympian-and-kappa-sigma-golden-heart-recipient-zamperini-joins-chapter-celestial/
