American war hero and Olympic runner Louis Zamperini -- whose life inspired the book and upcoming feature film "Unbroken," dies at 97.

He had been battling with pneumonia for some 40 days, his family says.

Zamperini, the American son of Italian immigrants, completed the 5,000-meter race during the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

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.

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.

He survived the ordeal, only to be held in captivity by Japan for two years.

Angelina Jolie, who directed the upcoming film based on Zamperini's life, called the loss "impossible to describe."