Zamperini and two fellow crewmen survived 47 days adrift on a life raft, battling sharks, starvation, and strafing from enemy aircraft.
After being "rescued" by the Japanese Navy, he spent over two years in brutal POW camps. He was targeted specifically for his Olympic status by the sadistic guard Mutsuhiro "The Bird" Watanabe . Themes and Legacy Unbroken
A rebellious youth in California, Zamperini channeled his energy into track, eventually competing as a long-distance runner in the 1936 Berlin Olympics . Zamperini and two fellow crewmen survived 47 days