Louis Zamperini
January 26, 1917 to July 2, 2014
In late 1931 one of Louie's deviant actions resulted in him not being able to play sports. His brother heard of what happened and asked his principal "if he could live with Louie failing" (Hillenbrand) and also that Louie's trouble making actions could stop if he could put it in something else and "... turn his life around..." (Hillenbrand)
Pete was the one in Louie's family who brought him to pursue in track. He would ride his bike behind Louie and swat him with a stick and kept him going. (Laura)
“A lifetime of glory is worth a moment of pain. Louie thought: Let go.” (Hillenbrand)
Pete had said this to Louie when he was a child but in the movie it shows that he said it right before Louie left for the 1936 Berlin Olympics. (Unbroken) Pete's words rang in Louie's ears when he was running the final lap in the 5,000-meter event and he was able to finish it in 56 seconds. Hitler himself said something in German and a interpreter translated "Ah, you're the boy with the fast finish." (Hillenbrand)