The Japanese tortured him primarily because of his Olympic status. Louis' most tormenting sergeant was Mutsuhiro Watanabe. Particularly interested in Zambrini, he constantly tortured him. Zamperini was an icon to the villagers of Ofuna, Japan, and Watanabe felt that Zamperini challenged his authority because of this. Mutsuhiro subjected Louis to horrific things such as holding a log over his head for half an hour, then punching it repeatedly. Louis was determined not to lose faith. He fought torture and starvation. The sergeant expected to break it. Nothing could break Zambrini. He would never let anyone tell him what to do or how to behave. It was hard as iron. His pain didn't end until two years later, when America dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The war was