Requests were so numerous that the studio had to set up an entire five-person unit devoted to insignia, under the lead of artist Hank Porter, to even come close to meeting demand. One of Disney's earliest creations and a character that's defined the company for generations Mickey is the happy-go-lucky company mascot who's been at the forefront of Disney's. Company artists created images of Disney characters for unit patches, eventually providing insignia to almost 1,300 units in the U.S. The use of Disney’s characters in war-related work helped to strengthen the perception of the Disney brand as a symbol of the United States and its values.ĭisney was most prolific during the war as a morale booster for the troops. By the end of the war, however, the title “Salesman of the American Way” may well have belonged to Walt Disney himself. It was made to look like Mickey Mouse in an attempt to make the gas masks less hostile and scary to children. It’s no secret that Walt Disney truly hopes to take families and children away from their everyday stresses and fears. This is a photo of a WWII gas mask designed by Walt Disney. Roughly 1,000 of Walt’s respirators were created, but they were reported as not really a notable presence on the home front during World War II. Porter, Chief of the Chemical Warfare Service. In 1943 The New York Times singled out Donald Duck, in particular, as an “ambassador-at-large, a salesman of the American Way” for his representation of the United States both at home and abroad. Production began on Walt’s Mickey Mouse gas mask. This design of the Mickey Mouse Gas Mask for children was presented to Major General William N. Disney’s entire stable of characters was employed in the name of patriotism, and by 1943 newspapers were reporting that up to 90 percent of the Disney studio’s work was for government agencies. government at cost), and military insignia for over 1,000 different units in the U.S. Throughout the early 1940s, Disney churned out military training films, educational shorts (provided to the U.S. Artists, animators, and Walt Disney himself pitched in, enlisting Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and other beloved Disney characters in the war effort. But space was not all that Disney would provide the troops. Army troops requisitioned half of Walt Disney’s Burbank, California, studio for their use. Given the longevity of Mickey Mouse, 90 years old now, there’s no sign of that relationship slowing.On December 7, 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, drawing the United States into World War II. The studio regularly coordinates film productions with the military, and service members and their families enjoy discounts at Disney’s theme parks. They also had five gold colored stars, each representing a staff member killed in the line of duty.įast forward to today, the military’s century-long relationship with Disney continues to evolve. The studio’s 1944 annual report noted the breakdown of staff serving included 85 army, 49 navy, 21 Marines, two merchant marines and one WASP, or Women Airforce Service Pilots. Each star represented an employee serving in the military. According to David Lesjak, author of “Service with Character – The Disney Studio and World War II,” the studio had a service flag with 165 blue colored stars on it. By 1944, they employed 600 people and 25 percent of them either voluntarily enlisted or had been drafted. Production began on Walt’s Mickey Mouse gas mask. Disney wanted to check the progress of a gas mask he’d designed. In June 1942, the Disney studio in California became a war plant. : In January 1942, Walt Disney came to Washington and met with civil defense and chemical warfare officials. Officially used only once for a medical unit
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