[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 23, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H4587]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      LOUIS ZAMPERINI POST OFFICE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Maxine Waters) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in 
recognition of the life and legacy of an American hero, Louis 
Zamperini.
  Louis Zamperini was an Olympic runner who, while serving as an airman 
during World War II, was captured and held as a prisoner of war. Many 
remember Louis Zamperini as an inspirational symbol of resilience, 
athleticism, and service.
  The city of Torrance and the residents of our community in the 43rd 
Congressional District of California are especially proud and inspired 
by Louis Zamperini.
  Louis Zamperini was the son of Italian immigrants. He moved to 
Torrance, California, at the age of 3 and was a graduate of Torrance 
High School. It was during his tenure at Torrance High School that 
Zamperini's abilities in track and cross country first gained 
notoriety.
  Nicknamed the ``Torrance Tornado,'' Louis Zamperini set the national 
high school record in the mile at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 
1934. His record time of 4 minutes 21.2 seconds was unbroken for 20 
years.
  As a teenager, Zamperini qualified and competed in the 1936 Olympic 
Games in Berlin, Germany, where he finished eighth in the 5,000-meter 
run. After the Olympics, Zamperini earned a scholarship to the 
University of Southern California, where he became one of the 
university's most celebrated student athletes.
  Louis Zamperini enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps and 
served in World War II as a B-24 Liberator bombardier in the 372nd Bomb 
Squadron.
  During a rescue mission on May 27, 1943, Zamperini's plane crashed 
into the sea. Zamperini spent 47 days adrift in a life raft fending off 
starvation and fighting to survive. The United States military believed 
he had perished in the crash and informed his parents of his death in 
June 1943.
  In actuality, Zamperini was captured by a Japanese patrol boat and 
held as a prisoner of war. Over the next 2 years, he was regularly 
beaten and starved. Louis Zamperini was finally liberated following the 
Japanese surrender in September of 1945.
  Zamperini became an evangelical Christian and gave inspirational 
speeches across the country. He also founded the Victory Boys Camp, a 
wilderness camp, to assist at-risk youth.
  Louis Zamperini passed away on July 2, 2014, in Los Angeles at the 
age of 97 years old. Zamperini was married for 54 years to his wife, 
Cynthia, who preceded him in death. He was survived by his son, Luke, 
his daughter, Cynthia Garris, and his grandson, Clay.
  People across the country are familiar with Louis Zamperini's story, 
which was told in the 2010 book, ``Unbroken: A World War II Story of 
Survival, Resilience, and Redemption,'' by Laura Hillenbrand, which 
rose to number one on The New York Times Best Seller list. In 2014, 
director Angelina Jolie released a movie about Zamperini adapted from 
Hillenbrand's book.
  Because of his remarkable athletic abilities and heroic service to 
our country, Louis Zamperini will forever be remembered as a hero and 
favorite son of Torrance. That is why I am so very proud to announce 
that today, in collaboration with California's senior United States 
Senator, Dianne Feinstein, I have just introduced a resolution to 
rename the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1433 
Marcelina Avenue in Torrance, California, as the Louis Zamperini Post 
Office Building. My legislation has the bipartisan support of the 
entire California delegation in the House of Representatives.
  Over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, as we honor the memory of the 
brave military servicemembers who have given their lives for our 
country, let us all reflect on the legacy of Louis Zamperini and 
countless other American heroes who have sacrificed to protect our 
ideals, our democracy, and our country

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