Last year I had the opportunity to fly my business partner from my home airport up to Los Angeles. I looked through the charts and found a smaller airport near LAX in the city of Torrance. A double runway airfield right next to the ocean west of Long Beach. Little did I know we would be flying into the the famous Zamperini Field!
My business partner , a USMC veteran , and I get ready for the flight to Zamperini Field. Zamperini Field was named after Louis on December 7, 1946, 5 year anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Arrived Zamperini Fireld Torrance Ca with USMC Veteran Jimmy Carter
Showcased at Zamperini Field are some of his trophies from the 1936 Olympics where he actually met Adolf Hitler at the event. The juxtapositioning of the Nazi Flag next to the Olympic flag really strikes a nerve. The irony.
More Zamperini trophies of sport and war.
The Nazi Swastika flag Zamperini received at the 1936 Olympics.
The Great Zamperini
42nd Bomber Squadron
US Army Air Corp Uniform
434th Fighter Squadron was stationed a Torrance Field during WW2
The P-51 was a favorite here
Lucky Louie!
B-24 Liberator
Zamperini was a bombardier on a Consolidated B-24 Liberator seen here landing at Ramona Airport.
Unbroken
New Universal Pictures Movie directed by Angelina Jolie features Zamperini’s story on the big screen.