Luis Zamperini -- A Trojan Track Star

   Anytime I took 'Amby' Schindler to Old Torrance for a delightful Mexican dinner, he mentioned his pals, Pete, and Luis Zamperini.  They both ran for Dean Cromwell, their esteemed coach. Luis ran the mile in the spring of 1936, and he was regarded as one of the United States fastest milers. 
   "In a dual high school track in Los Angeles, Luis represented Torrance High in a dual meet. My brother was on the Roosevelt High School Track team. Long after the dual meet, my brother mentioned that Luis outdistanced the other milers soon after the race began. (As told to me by Abe Elorriaga during lunch at the Li'l Oak Cafe, in Encinitas.)
   All were on Dean Cromwell's Track Team that scored more Olympic Game medals than all but four countries. 'Amby'  Schindler did not go as his 6 foot 4 inch high jump fell a bit short. His other buddy won the event. Schindler had been injured during the fall of 1935 in a football game against Santa Ana Jr. College. He needed to forgo the one hundred yard hurdles, his specialty.  
   Schindler bought a house after the war on the bluffs of Torrance, Below him stood the Zamperini house. They Each time we dined at Dino's Cafe, he spoke about Luis. Old Torrance sits on railroad tracks. Today, the brick buildings serve as apartments and the Moose Lodge is in back of the restaurant. 
  "Torrance corner street vendors sold lots of fruit and vegetables, including corn. Every time we large corn stalks, we bought some. We love corn.  Of course Torrance had its fill of black corn, or oil. Derricks  pumped the black gold everywhere in Torrance."  
   "Luis used the rail road tracks from Torrance to Redondo Beach and back each day. The Moose or the Lion's Lodge asked us to give speeches A few times we spoke to the Moose or Lion's Lodge in Old Town Torrance.  He was, like me, always in prime condition. We often broke bread together."

Chicago All Star Game-Hall of Champions 

  Zamperini was supposed to be the  Grand Marshall in the 2015 Rose Parade, and a vacancy is waiting for a new Trojan Legend. Let me throw Ambrose Parks Schindler into the parade. The Schindler story took me seven years to finish -- since I was not a writer.  Oh yes. A film with Angelina Joli as director will soon appear at   your neighborhood theater.
   Like 'Zamp' he was also born in 1917, in May of that year. Along the way, Schindler met Red Grange, Jessie Owens. and other greats. Ambrose was the hero of the 1940 Rose Bowl Game and also the Collegiate Player of the game in the 1940 Chicago All Star Game.  
   Am now in the market for a publisher. Anyone can reach me at chicagoallstar@gmail.com