News Poem
English II
Lucky Louie
Born in Olean, New York
Moved to Torrance
Tough and resilient and full of torque
Lucky Louie with his lucky stance
Competitively running distance
The Torrance Tornado, Zamp the Camp
Made the US Olympic track team in 1936
Competed in Germany for stamps
Ran the 5,000 meter
Finished in eighth place
Impressed Adolf Hitler
Hitler applauded him and took his hand in an embrace
Taste of military life had begun
An Army Air Corps flight
School cadet in the spring of 1941
September 29, duly drafter member ready to fight
Commissioned a second lieutenant
Deployed to Hawaii
11th Bombardment Group ready at any moment
Seventh Air Force very lively
On May 27, 1943
Crew left Kualoa
On the Green Hornet to set a plane free
Search for a B-25 who needed a tow
Headed to Newark Palmyra Island
Both port engines failed
One after the other were canned
Slammed into the sea, jailed
Terrific explosion
FInally forced his way out
See fire, smoke, and debris erosion
Cord attached to an inflatable life raft floating about
Pick up pilot, Russell Phillips
And Tail-gunner Francis McNamara made it in
Six days later McNamara drew his last gasp
Slipping quietly into the sea with a grin
Drifted 2000 miles
Japanese harbor boat spotted us on the 47th day
Took them to Wotje in aisles
So weak and so gray
42nd day of detention
Put aboard a ship bound Yokohama
Unload 10,000-ton ships with tension
Shoveling out coal with faces of trauma
Cruelty, abuse
Part of daily life
Moved from camp to camp not able to choose
In a state of near starvation, a constant strife
James Sasaki would lie
A classmate from the University of Southern California
He had been a spy
Placed in charge of soldiers from America
Tried to recruit me to broadcast
Anti-American propaganda with his script
Zamperini agreed in 1944 to do the act
Refused to do a second news show when asked
Sent to another punishment camp
Beaten by a sadistic officer
Sergeant Matsuhiro Watanabe had an iron clamp
The Bird they called him, was an expert enforcer
Watanabe beat him severely
Forced him to hold a hardwood beam overhead
Punched him in the stomach clearly
The beam fell down on Zamperini’s head
September 6, 1945 the war had ended
Japanese surrendered, the Americans thrived
Took me a month to reach home and it was splendid
Arrived at Long Beach, California on October 5, 1945
Awarded the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Philippine Liberation Medal
Purple Heart with oak leaf clusters
Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal
American Campaign Medal with battle stars
1948 Olympics in London
His battered body didn't respond the way it used to
Sank into despair because he didn't get a rerun
Turned to alcohol and brawling and he had no clue
Conversion under Reverend Billy Graham
In 1950 returned to Japan as a missionary
Able to meet Sasaki but it was no scam
Embraced him and forgave him making history
Watanabe had gone into hiding after the battle
When I finally located him
He refused to talk to me for fear I would tattle
I was disappointed but it was all on a limb
In 1998, on his 81st birthday
Zamperini ran a one-kilometer leg
And lit the Olympic torch in Japan, yay
For the Winter Olympics in Nagano, and he was sparkling
He was an inspirational speaker
Skater till the age of 81
Skier till the age of 91, an adventure seeker
Author, and he sure loved to run
His life inspired millions
At the age of 97, fate knocked at the door
Pneumonia took him from us citizens
Lucky Louie was lucky no more