People tell me 'If your dad can survive 47 days on a life raft, I can complete kidney dialysis,' or 'If he could forgive The Bird, I can forgive my brother who hasn't spoken to me in 10 years.' It's a story that inspires on many different levels."
Louis Zamperini was an Olympic runner, highly decorated war veteran, POW camp survivor, author of two memoirs and inspiration for the movie “Unbroken,” directed by Angelina Jolie.
“I never took it for granted that I had a hero for a father,” says his son, Luke Zamperini, “but he was a hero to me because he was a great father.
“When my dad came back from World War II, he was a famous athlete who was presumed to be dead. It was such an interesting tale of what happened that people began to ask him to tell his story right away — and he began to take a couple of shots of alcohol to do that.
If you go
* What: Bryan Opportunity Dinner * When: 6 p.m. April 16 * Where: Chattanooga Convention Center, 1100 Carter St.* Tickets: $50; reservation deadline is Thursday * For information or tickets: 423-775-7323 or bryan.edu/dinner