Louis Zamperini's Son Reveals Details of Angelina Jolie's Visit to His Dad in the Hospital Before He Died

Leah Marieann Klett : Apr 1, 2015
The Gospel Herald

"Don't give up, don't give in, there's a reason for everything." -Louis Zamperini's last words

In an exclusive interview with The Gospel Herald, Louis Zamperini's son, Luke, gave an inside look into his father's story, and how the grace of God drastically transformed his life. Excerpts follow: (Photo via Gospel Herald)

Do you remember your dad's final words before his passing?

The night before he had to be intubated, Angelina Jolie came to the hospital to see him. She brought her laptop with her and climbed on his bed and showed him the 'Unbroken' movie, which was still in raw form. She played it for him up to and including the ordeal at sea. But she stopped before going to the prison camp, because she didn't want to take him back there. But she's the one who heard his last words. And it was something to the effect, of, "Hey, you got that right, I wore black when I ran!" and she'd reply, "No wait, that's in the next scene, we have you in this uniform first, and then you go into the black uniform." And so, the way she described their conversation, I knew he loved the film almost as much as he loved having Angie sit on the bed with him—they really had a special relationship.

His last words to all of us were, "Don't give up, don't give in, there's a reason for everything." And that's the theme of his latest book. Those are really his last words to all of us.

Do you recall any instances where someone came to faith as a result of your father's Christian witness and story?

Well, for one, there was me. I knew what my dad went through, and he never stopped talking about his faith because he was so excited over His Savior, and that was infectious. That got me when I was 7 year old; I realized that Jesus wasn't a fairy tale like King Arthur or these other things--He was a real person, and there was salvation through Him. I made the decision as a kid, but I grew up in Hollywood in the 1960's. So I got out of high school, and it was all rock n' roll and a wild lifestyle. I was kind of the prodigal son. After many years of living like a non-Christian, I finally realized that I needed to turn my life around. In my late 20's I turned my back on the music industry, got away from the drugs, and alcohol and partying, and gave my life to Christ. (Photo via Gospel Herald)

There were some from the prison camps, and many kids from the boy's camp who turned their lives around. I went to countless meetings with my dad at churches, rotary clubs-you name it, where he told his story, and if there was an altar call at the end, you would see people's hands go up, or they'd walk the aisle and give their lives to Christ. I could really see the difference in people's lives, just having met him and heard his story.

To read the interview in its entirety, click here.