American war hero and Olympic runner Louis Zamperini -- whose life inspired the book and upcoming feature film "Unbroken," dies at 97.<br/> <br />He had been battling with pneumonia for some 40 days, his family says.<br/> <br />Zamperini, the American son of Italian immigrants, completed the 5,000-meter race during the 1936 Berlin Olympics.<br/> <br />But as if that triumph wasn't enough for him -- Zamperini spent weeks on an inflatable raft after his plane crashed during World War Two.<br/> <br />That discipline would serve him well years later in World War Two when his military plane crashed and he was forced to spend weeks on an inflatable raft.<br/> <br />He survived the ordeal, only to be held in captivity by Japan for two years.<br/> <br />Angelina Jolie, who directed the upcoming film based on Zamperini's life, called the loss "impossible to describe."
