Timeline, Locations and People
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Torrance, CA
Through 1936
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Zamperini Family:
Louie
Frank – father
Louise – mother
Pete – brother – 20 months older – graduated high school
with 10 varsity letters
Virginia – sister
Sylvia – sister – married Harvey
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1936 – 1940
University of Southern California
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James “Jimmie” Saski – imposter, daily trips to Torrance
to set up radio transmitter near power station
Payton Jordan – college friend
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1941
Ephrata, Washington
“Super Man”
B-24 plane
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Russell Allen Phillips – pilot – wore pants with one leg
shorter than other, preferred not to speak - Cecy – finance
Stanley Pillsbury – top turret gunner
Clarence Douglas – engineer
Robert Mitchell – navigator and nose gunner
Frank Glossman – radioman and belly gunner
Ray Lambert – tail gunner
Harry Brooks –
radioman and waist gunner
George Moznette Jr. – copilot
Charleton Hugh Cuppernell – new copilot
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1943
“Green Hornet” B-24
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Louie
Phil
Cuppernell
Enlisted man who joined at last minute
Frances McNamara – tail gunner – loved sweets
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Raft
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Louie, Phil and Mac
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1943
Kwajalein Island
Ofuna – secret interrogation center
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Kawamura – Christian Guard
Jimmie Sasaki – on Navy ship and at Ofuna
Sueharu Kitamura – medical officer – tortured prisoners –
aka “The Butcher” and “The Quack”
Commanders Arthur Maher and John Fitzgerald – both spoke
Japanese
William Harris – beaten by “The Quack”
Fred Garrett – held in same cell where Louie scratched his
name below 9 who died
Fred Tinker – dive bomber pilot and opera singer
Phil – eventually sent to Ashio
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1944
Omori POW Camp
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Louie, Frank Tinker
1945 – Bill Harris arrived
Mutsuhiro Watanabe – “The Bird”
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1945
Naoetsu POW Camp
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“The Bird”
August 20 – war ended, Americans dropped supplies to
prisoners
To Okinawa to recuperate
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After the war:
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Louie married Cynthia Applewhite
Children: Cissy and
Luke
1949 –converted to Christianity at Billy Graham crusade
1950 – returned to Japan
1997 – Louie wrote letter forgiving “The Bird”
1/22/1998 – returned to Japan to carry torch for Olympics
2003 – “The Bird” died
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For discussion:
NOTE: All page
numbers refer to the hardback edition.
3. Discuss the incident where Mac ate
all of the chocolate survival food supplies.
Were you surprised that Louie and Phil forgave him? How did he cope with the knowledge of what he
did?
4. Who do you think Jimmie Sasaki really
was? Should suspicions have been raised
earlier about his identity?
5. Consider
the relationship between “The Bird” and Louie.
Why did The Bird focus on Louie?
6. How can you explain all of the
guards’ evil and cruel behavior toward the POWs? According to The Bird, they were taught that
the POWs had surrendered which was a shameful thing in Japan and so they only
deserved to be treated as they were.
Also he stated that he, “...had a good heart, but Japan at that time had
a bad heart. In normal times I never
would have done such things.” (page 393) (see also page 195)
7. How were
the POWs able to survive?
a. Loss
of dignity – dignity is very important to the Japanese culture. The author stated, “This is likely one of the
reasons why Japanese soldiers in World War II debased their prisoners with such
zeal, seeking to take from them that which was most painful and destructive to
lose.” (page 183)
b. The
triumph of subversion – the POWs did all they could to defy the guards without
their knowledge. (see page 204)
8. Discuss the experiences of the other
soldiers:
a. Bill Harris – He chose to stay in the military and then
disappeared in Korea. What do you think
happened to him? Is there a connection
to his experiences in WW II?
b. Russell Allen Phillips
1.) Why did he
wear one pant leg shorter than the other?
2.) It stated early in the book
that he preferred not to speak. How did
this affect him later in life?
3.) How did he handle Louie
getting all of the attention when he lived through the same experiences?
9. Consider the experiences of those at
home, not knowing the fate of their loved ones for years. How did they cope? Are we as strong today?
10. Discuss
your reading experience. How did you
feel reading this book – entertained, sad, angry?
*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at wordassociation.com, amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. Click on link on upper right to go to Amazon page.
*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at wordassociation.com, amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. Click on link on upper right to go to Amazon page.