Louis Zamperini was an Olympic track star who fought in World War II. He was shot down and floated in a raft for 47 days, only to be captured by the Japanese and subjected to extremely brutal and dehumanizing treatment as a prisoner of war in several internment camps. The story of how he survived with his spirit intact is a compelling one. Laura Hillenbrand, who wrote Seabiscuit, does a great job of telling his story, including his decision to forgive the prison guard who inflicted great harm on him.
Here’s a summary of his story on Wikipedia.
Here’s a Fox News “Special Report” video interview, and here’s a CBS Sunday Morning special report that includes both his story and Hillenbrand’s. She has her own story of resilience to tell, of struggling with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Here’s a link to the book: Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption.
The story is being made into a film with Angelina Jolie as the director.