Letters To Louis
Blaize
“Your story resonates with me so much because it is the story of life after hardship, forgiveness after pain, belonging after losing oneself. Whenever I am in a tough situation, I will ask myself, ‘what would Louis do’.” ~ Blaize, 14
Brooke
“Hearing about your story put things into perspective. EVERYONE matters. Forgiving the Bird helped me realize that no matter the person, they still matter.” ~ Brooke, 15
Katy
“Your story should live on and never be forgotten. What you endured and how you overcame it all is truly motivational. The fact that even after all of your struggles you found faith in God inspires me to spread this story. You will forever be an inspiration to everyone who has ever heard about you.” ~ Katy, Age 15
Cadet Smith
You are an inspiration. You silently encourage others through your own life experiences giving them motivation to never give up. You have the kind of grit and resilience that no one could ever forget. You are a hero of your time and a legend of today. You are a hero because you are a generous selfless, intelligent individual. You are a legend because the way you handled adversity will forever remind people to keep pushing. Seeing you get bullied while you were young because you were different from others, or the way you were abused as a POW and still forgave those people let me know I have no excuse. I have no excuse as to why I can’t forgive others for their wrong doings. It make it look so easy to be kind and gentle and more people like me should possess those traits in order to forgive. Thank you Louie. ~ Cadet Smith, 16
Maggie
“One of the things I admire most is that you have had more than enough reasons to give up on God and hate Him. It’s humbling to see that he has put your through so much and you still came out to believe in forgiveness. I want to assure you that this book has made a great impact in my life and I want to thank you for giving me a chance of knowing your story”. - “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ forgive you”. Ephesians 4:31-32 ~ Maggie, Age 15
Mary
“May I start by saying that every aspect and detail of your story is both inspiring and extraordinary. Your life story is encouraging and honorable in every way possible. Even in the hardest of struggles your resilient optimism stayed strong throughout. Even in the face of misery and fear you held onto who you were and where you came from.
It encourages me to be proud of who I am and where I come from no matter what might lie ahead. I believe your stories are life lessons that can be applied to many different situations. Every moment of your incredible journey is a story worth telling and a lesson worth learning.” ~ Mary, 15
Randy
“I myself am a pretty bad kid, I used to smoke & drink similar to you. Your story gives me hope, not just for myself, but for others who go through similar struggles. ~ Randy, 14
Skylar
“What inspired me the most was your over powering optimism and your ability to survive through horrible circumstances. I hope that one day I’ll be a little like you, and grow to be just as strong.” ~ Skylar, 14
Vanessa
“Since reading the book about your life and now after everything you went through in the P.O.W, camp you found forgiveness in your heart. You devoted yourself to God and got through many struggles. At church when we are praying to serve God, I now want those words to be the truth when I say it. Thank you Louie. I am thankful for this book. ~ Vanessa, 14
Lillian
“Your story is one that I can’t help but marvel at! It inspires me to face the issues I’m currently dealing with. It gives me HOPE for the future. Thank you for persevering and continuing to fight. Your legacy and inspiration will never fade”. ~ Lillian, 15
Courtney
“I think it is amazing how you turned your life around in such a positive way. From being a mischievous kids who always gets in trouble to a KIND teenager and an amazing runner. Your powerful story will be in my mind for the rest of my life. You are truly a blessing from God”. ~ Courtney, 14
Justin
“Your life connects to my life in so many ways. When you were a kid you got into mischief and so did I. It shows me that it wasn’t only me that gets into trouble as a kid. It would be easy to overlook a person like you. I’m glad I didn’t. Your life will be honored by everyone. I hope everyone will hear your story.” ~ Justin, 14
Abigail
“You taught me that with dignity and will that I can overcome any situation life has to throw at me. I was so moved and touched by your story. I think your story could show people the true meaning of pain and glory. ~ Abigail, 15
Mario
“This story was truly amazing on how Louie starts as a bad kid to becoming really close to God. The story also inspired me to have more appreciation for other people that have gone through really tough things in their life. I thank Louie so much for his story as it made me view things in a whole different way. Thank you Louie Zamperini.” ~ Mario, 14
Eddy
I have taken the time to write you because of the book "Unbroken". The story of your father, Mr. Louis Zamperini, has deeply touched my heart in a way beyond what words can express. I feel the need to contact you as you are his son. Louis was an extraordinary person, and what he endured was absolutely incredible. I believe that your father is my hero. I had never actually had a hero until I read Lauren Hillenbrand's book. Though you have no doubt heard this countless times, your father was an incredibly brave man and he deserves your pride. I without hesitation place him among the many important icons of our country. I can't explain the joy that Louis' story brought to me. His faith in God brought me confidence that he will reward according to what we have done. God rewarded Louis. His service to those less fortunate in life whatever it may have been gains my respect. I was once a foster child. I was lucky enough to have been adopted by family. I wish that you and your husband could speak to those in my school as your words are inspirational. I feel that Louis' story would give them reassurance that having faith can get you through the hardest of obstacles. Again, thank you for your time. What you and your organization have done is truly amazing. Thank you, Eddy ~ Age 14
Callie
Dear Mr. Zamperini, My name is Callie. I’m a twelve year old girl from Massachusetts. Currently I am reading the book Unbroken, about your father. It is the most inspirational thing I have ever read. To know what he had to go through but he never gave up hope. It’s inspiring me so much. The story of your father is making me think there is hope. Your father, is my hero. His story is making such a difference in my life. Just hearing about him is giving me hope and making me stronger. I was looking online and saw he passed away in 2014. I’m so sorry he must have been a great man. I would have loved to meet him and hear the story from him directly. I am going to share the story of your father with my friends and family. If they are going through anything I want them to have the strength his story is giving me. Your father was a great man. He was brave, strong, smart, and fast. I want to be like him when I’m older.
Sincerely, Callie ~ Age 12
Karlis
Hello, Mr. Zamperini I'm Karlis and I'm writing / doing a presentation on your father. I chose your fathers story as the most significant event for a presentation in my history class because I thought it was the most important. I truly admire, and believe that your father was and will always be a hero. His way of confronting everything that happened really got me thinking of life in a much better perspective. Just the way he overcame everything was amazing. It would be an honor to meet you and it would had been amazing to have shaken hands with your father a great hero.
Thanks, Karlis