PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Former Olympian and World War II hero Louis Zamperini, who died shortly after being named grand marshal of the 2015 Rose Parade, will be represented by his family at the annual New Year’s celebration in Pasadena, California.
Tournament of Roses President Richard L. Chinen made the announcement Monday during the ceremony naming members of the parade’s royal court.
Zamperini died July 2 at age 97, two months after being named grand marshal to symbolize the 126th Rose Parade’s theme, “Inspiring Stories.”
As an athlete, Zamperini competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. During World War II, he survived the crash of a bomber and 47 days adrift in the Pacific Ocean, then endured two years as a Japanese prisoner of war. His story is the subject of the best-selling book and upcoming movie “Unbroken.”
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