Success of Angelina Jolie's Movie "Unbroken" Highlights Untold Stories of World War II POWs

CARBONDALE, Ill., Dec. 30, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The box-office success of "Unbroken," a movie about the true-life war-time experience of Olympian Louis Zamperini, has brought new attention to the issue of the appalling treatment by Imperial Japan of its prisoners of war during World War II.

As we approach the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, many remarkable and compelling stories of valor, perseverance and survival remain untold.

The American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor (ADBC) Memorial Society has maintained constant support and engagement with surviving POWs of Japan and their families and the ADBC is uniquely positioned to provide unrivaled media access to these veterans who are located throughout the United States and their incredible histories. A number of former POWs from California, Connecticut, Nebraska, and New Mexico recently returned from a reconciliation trip to Japan.

These men, all in their 90s, represent all the Services.  Most were POWs longer than Mr. Zamperini and some were held with him in the Ofuna, Omori, and Naoetsu POW camps. Others are survivors of the infamous Bataan Death March, the building of the Thai-Burma Death Railway, and solitary confinement in occupied China.

"The box office success of Angelina Jolie's biopic 'Unbroken' on the heels of this coming year's 70^th anniversary of the end of World War II highlights a history shared by thousands of Americans that needs to be better known and should not be lost," Jan Thompson president of American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor Memorial Society said today.

For help in contacting these American heroes, please contact the ADBC Memorial Society President Ms. Jan Thompson at (618) 521-3654 or [email protected].  Website: http://www.dg-adbc.org/

The ADBC Memorial Society is also available for any information on the backgrounds of these men or details on the historical context to help bring their stories to life.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/success-of-angelina-jolies-movie-unbroken-highlights-untold-stories-of-word-war-ii-pows-300014528.html

SOURCE American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor

Related Links

http://www.dg-adbc.org/