Wanted Wings,” created by im- prisoned Army Air Forces bom- bardier Emmet E. Cook — and asked Disney if he could create a formal insignia for the prisoners to wear on their jackets. Disney had his No. 1 insignia artist, Hank Porter, improve the design drawn by Cook, but the war ended be- fore the insignia could be shipped to the POWs in Germany.


Doing their part


While many Disney employees served in the military, others found ways to support the war eff ort by enter- taining the troops and raising funds for the United Service Or- ganizations (USO). On June 29, 1941, for example, Disney participated in an all-star CBS radio special billed as “The Million Dollar Broadcast” to benefi t the then-nascent USO. In ad- dition, Donald and Daisy Duck were featured on USO promotional posters. Disney also provided art for innumer-


A Disney artist modeled the combat insignia at left after Army Air Forces bombardier Emmet E. Cook’s drawing, above, for Stalag Luft III prisoners of war.


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able homefront initiatives, including rationing, salvage drives, bond promotions, and victory gardens. Walt wasn’t the only Disney


employee to step up personally. A group of nearly 70 Disney artists formed their own the- atrical troupe and performed at military camps and hospitals throughout Southern Califor- nia. The ensemble included singers, dancers, actors, and artist Ward Kimball’s band, the Hugajeedy 8. Walt Disney Studios’ asso- ciation with the military con- cluded with the end of World War II. “Walt did everything that was asked of him during the war, and much of what the stu- dio produced was either done for free or at-cost,” says Lesjak. “Out of all of the cartoon studios, Walt, by far, contributed the most.”


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Victory garden books encouraged children and adults to grow the most produce possible; winners often received war bonds.


— Don Vaughan is a freelance writer from North Carolina. His last feature article for Military Offi cer was “Rare but Deadly,” October 2016.


IMAGES: COURTESY DAVID LESJAK, INCLUDING 56TH PURSUIT SQUADRON, 398TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP, 47TH BOMBARDMENT SQUADRON, AND 628TH TANK DESTROYER BATTALION ON PREVIOUS SPREAD


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1. Military base newsletters, 2. magazines, and 3. fliers frequently included Disney- designed adver- tisements for war bonds. 4. Envelopes with cartoons and mili- tary insignia were created by Walt Disney Studios in the 1940s. Some designs included inspira- tional messages and today are hard to find.


FEBRUARY 2017 MILITARY OFFICER 69


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