The current edition of Friends Journal (Air Force Museum) includes pictures of a few of the dozens of Disney designs currently on display at the Museum.
 
During World War II, Walt Disney Studios created hundreds of designs for Military Units. 
 
For those in the Dayton, OH area, it appears a trip to the museum to see this display would be worth the time and effort.
 
I just returned from the area but was unable to visit the museum.  Hope to do so in February as well as see the restoration on the "Memphis Belle"

Jerry
S/Sgt. USAF Radio Operator '52-'56
C-119 "Flying Boxcar"

cousin of T/Sgt. Frank Hrehocik RO/Gunner
381st BG - 533rd BS

381st BGMA LTM

Volunteer - National Museum of the US Air Force

The exhibit could have been much more than it is.  They were initially going to include way more three-demensional items: stationary, drinking glasses, matchbooks, menus, greeting cards, patches, posters, etc with Disney insignia designs.  They were also going to look at Disney's home fornt contributions as well.
 
For some reason they decided not to pursue this angle, despite being offered four of the top collections in the world.
 
I have a collection of around 250 or so Disney WW II related items.  I wrote and self-published one book on the topic: http://www.toonsatwar.com
 
I am now looking for a publisher for my second book: Cartoon Crests of World War II - Disney Designs.
 
During the war Disney artists designed just over 1,100 combat insignia.  I have a database that contains information on about 1,000 Disney designs. 
 
I have also interviewed the children of the of the Disney artist who created most of the designs.  They sent me around 110 11x17 xeroxes of their father's wartime work while he was at Disney's.  Each sheet contains 4 or 5 images.  Very cool archive of material.
 
I used to conduct research at the Disney Archives in Burbank, but they closed it down to outside researchers because of some lousy writers who wrote untrue, unflattering things about Walt Disney.
 
My collection of Disney insignia is the most complete record outside of the Disney Archives.  I also have around 500 images in my database, as well as around 400 biographies for units that received a Disney design.
 
To see some Disney insignia designs, go to: http://www.militariacollecting.com and sign up, it's free, then go to the Disney forum under the United States section.  You can see some of my collection there.
 
If anyone has any questions about Disney's war contributions just ask me and I'll be more than happy to provide an answer.

The reason the Museum did not pursue those additional Disney items for the exhibit is because the items would all have to be insured against theft or damage since their on loan from private collectors.  The collectors insisted their items not be displayed without the museum insuring them first at the museum's expense.  The Museum felt it could not afford to insure any additional items for the exhibit as a result.  The insurance they have on all the existing items in the exhibit is already a bad enough expenditure in itself since many of these items are
irreplaceable.   

Jim Finlaw   

That's a really interesting response Jim.

First, what is your involvement with the museum that you know such details?

The reason I ask is that because I was the one working with Tom Horvitz on the potential addition of non-art items for the exhibit.  I was the one that was in contact on many occasions with the museum curator Terry Aitken.

At NO point in time was the issue of insurance ever discussed with me.  Let me reiterate that so you understand - the topic of insurance was NEVER mentioned.

As a matter of fact, I have a private insurance policy that covers theft or damage during the transportation and display of any items in my collection.  Therefore, the museum would not have been out one single nickel in regards to insuring any item from my collection...and I had about 250 items to offer.  The same goes for the incredible Disney WW II patch collection that was being offered on loan.

I believe the museum needed an exhibit to attract attention during the slow times - ie: over the winter season when tourists are far and few between.  I believe that, for the most part, museum staff including the head curator were far more interested in filling vacant space quickly than mounting an exhaustive and informative exhibit.

I have tons of information and photographs regarding the Disney artists involved in the creation of insignia, as well as dozens of related items.  There were artifacts, photos, interview clips, film clips, etc., and I would have been more than happy to have helped out at the time and it wouldn't have cost the museum one single dime.

BTW, if you are associated with the museum and the exhibit, you have display information included in the exhibit that is incorrect, at least one piece on display that isn't related to Disney in any way, and at least two items that are not WW II related.

The museum has done a good job representing Disney's insignia contribution.  Tom's art is outstanding, and the art from the Pentagon, which I had previously mentioned to Terry, is also great.  It's just that the exhibit could have been a lot better than it is.

Oh, and after re-reading your post, I am a bit dismayed with your last comment about insurance being a "bad enough expenditure."

What do you mean by that?  Do you expect people who don't have the type of insurance like I do to take a chance when loaning their items out against potential theft or damage?  I would think it would be just the right thing to do for the museum to insure items, especially when it is the museum that will ultimately benefit from the added tourist dollars.

Jerry,

With out regard to Dave's comments, sounds like the an excellent display.  Would imagine it would be great for children to see.  I was raised in Fairborn, OH.  Before they built the new museum, I spent many a Saturday morning walking through the old museum and looking.  Never got tired of seeing the display.  Trivia Note:  In the later part of the 1960's the .50 Caliber machineguns were removed from the outside aircraft and sent to Vietnam.  They were not replaced until some years later.

Howard Keller (LTC, USA, Ret)

As one who has seen the display, I have to say that it WAS neat to see, but was hoping for more, esp. actual patches (there were few).  I had volunteered to photograph the display for the webmaster of USAFPatches.com, a patch collector's web site/forum.  The display was fun, but I guess I was left wanting much more.  The display was mainly the art work in one person's collection (except for the rescued B-52G noseart panels from the Boneyard).  The now-out-of-print book "Disney Dons Dogtags" has many many more as do the book DisneyDave has written and his new one (I'll be contacting you directly re. those, Dave!)... but the display is still worth seeing, IMHO.
 
Gary

Gary

CBI Unit Lineages & History
http://www.cbi-history.com/

I have also seen the display and as Gary has stated it does want to you see more and wished there was more.   But it does give the general person who might not be into the "ww2 thing"  a good insite of what Disney animation was like back then for our guys.
Ken

Looking for ww2 vets for stories and the gear carried with them. To take to the schools and teach our kids KEEPING THE HISTORY ALIVE
Renact in the 8th AF 100th bg
If you can read this, Thank a teacher
If you are readingthisinEnglish,Thankavet

I have seen photos of the display.  I am very familiar with Tom Horvitz's collection and the art that came from the Pentagon.  (As a matter of fact I pointed out to the curator that he had an incomplete list of art from the Pentagon.  I supplied him with a list of what they had that doubled what the museum knew about).

I guess my disappointment is the fact that I was led along believing the work I was doing to help the museum secure items for the display were going to be incoporated into the display.  I was and still am unhappy with the way the curator handled this whole affair.  How did I find out he was no longer interested in my contributions?  I received an email outlining the new reduced scope of the exhibit that was meant to be sent to someone else - I received the email in error.   Sour grapes....maybe.

I know what was available for loan to the museum and I can honestly say the museum lost out big time.  The patch display that was made available had over 3 dozen or so authentic WW II era patches with Disney designs - painted leather, embroided, decal on leather, silkscreen - absolutely amazing stuff.

The amount of insignia related memorabilia and home front memorabilia availavle would have increased the "wow" factor 10 fold.

Maybe the museum will want to do an expanded exhibit one day.

Hello all..
 
   A few years ago the late John Bello, probably one of the best Militaria collectors around here ( Tulsa), bought a Marine Corps nurse's estate.  There had to have been over a dozen Marine Aviation Disney patches.. Decal on leather, they were fantastic... I have a copy of Disney dons Dogtags, and although it's great, I was disppointed that more patches weren't included..
 
Bill

David,
 
I think it was the Wright-Patterson AFB Legal Department that insisted the Museum buy insurance for these loaned Disney items since their in charge of the Museum's legal matters.  Even though these items are already insured by the private collectors, the base Legal Department has the authority to insist the Museum buy additional insurance to cover these loaned items with their own policy or else they will not allow the items to go on exhibit in the Museum for legal reasons.  There is a lot of politics involved between Wright Patterson AFB, Washington and the Museum, which is likely why Mr. Aitken was not at liberty to discuss the matter with you.  I'm sure the Museum would have liked to have added those additional Disney items to the exhibit, but I was told the Museum could only afford insurance coverage for just the items they have on display now and nothing more.  Hope this answers your question.   
 
I work in the Museum's Restoration Division as a volunteer.  Currently restoring the Bristol Beaufighter Mk.Ic and the Boeing B-17F Memphis Belle.       
 
Jim Finlaw

Thanks for clarification Jim.  I just wish Terry had said "we can't afford the insurance right now."  I would have told him about my policy, then I would have given him a very, very lowball figure that he could have had passed by legal.  The museum could have carried negligible coverage and I still would have been covered through my private rider.  Oh well.

Anyhow, I'm not going to gripe about it anymore.  They did the best thatthey could.  I would still recommend anyone who can, to visit the display.  The art on exhibit is worth the visit.

If anyone has any Disney insignia questions, just ask.  I'm more than happy to search my database for information for you.

If anyone wants to learn more about Disney's involvement in the war, please visit the militaria collectors forum, sign up to become a free member, then look for my Disney forum in the United States section:

http://www.militariacollecting.com/

Regards,

David

Bill, those patches would have been neat to see.  Any idea what happened to his estate and where the items were scattered too?  I hope that if the collection was sold, that it was sold intact.

BTW, do we have the ability to include images inside our posts on this site?

Hi Dave..
 
   No idea what happened to them.. As far as images, yes you can upload to this post,OR, you could post them in the photo section..
 
Bill

Thanks Bill.

I've got some neat images I'd like to share.  I'll get them posted when I have a few spare moments.

Dave,
 
It seems like I recall the AF Museum recently discovering that a lot of irreplaceable artifacts had come up 'missing'.  That might have had a bearing on their insistance on insurance on display articles.
 
On the Disney subject..... as a boy, in the '50s, one of my favorite TV programs was "Mickey Mouse Club"; a bunch of talented kids and two adult men (wearing mouse ears!). One of the men was Jimmy Dodd (who I see, in minor parts, in a few old movies from the '40s from time to time), and the other was "Roy" (don't recall his last name; I think it was "Williams";  but know he was a Disney artist). It's my understanding that Big Roy designed the Navy CB insignia in WWII. (You undoubtedly already knew this, but perhaps some of the other folks here didn't)

Hello Big Bob.

The Roy on the MMC tv show was indeed Roy Williams.  Because of his size he was affectionately referred to as the "Big Mooseketeer."  Roy began his career at Disney's in the early 1930s.  He worked mainly in the Story Department.

Roy helped Disney artist Henry "Hank" Porter create some of the 1,100 insignia designed by artists at the Studio during WW II. 

Porter was Disney's main insignia artist and he created the lion's share of designs, but a group of four men could be called upon to help Porter out when he became innundated with requests.  They included George Goepper, Van Kauffman, Bill Justice and Roy Williams.

Perhaps the most well known insignia created by Williams, with some collaboration by Porter, was the "Flying Tiger" design.  Chennault gave Porter and Williams a gold clasp pin of the design as recognition.  The story has it that Williams thought of the initial design, but Porter is the one who actually drew it.

I have been lucky enough to track down two of Porter's surviving children - the third died in August of 2005.  I was able to interview Porter's son and daughter.  The daughter worked for her father as his assistant at the Studio in the summer of 1944.  She gave me a great interview and I was able to discover a lot of new info about how the designs were created.  (Porter's original assistant was drafted).

Porter's two children, both in their 80s, also graciously xeroxed 66 11x17 sheets for me containing images of their father's work.  Hank started at the Studio in animation, working on Snow White, but the light from the animator's drawing board hurt his eyes, so Walt Disney had him moved into the Publicity and Merchandise Art Department.

In that department Porter created hundreds of images that were used on toys, in books and publications and all manner of advertisting used to promote the films and merchandise.

The xeroxes his children sent to me contain over 300 images including insignia art, home front material and publicity art.

Hi Big Bob.

Forgot to add, the Navy's Construction Battalion insignia (seabee) was actually designed by a file clerk at the Rhode Island CB base by the name of Frank Iafrate.  I have an interesting write-up by him that details how he thought of the design.

While they didn't create the original bee design, Disney artists did design insignia for four CB units including the: 60th, 78th, 112th and a female version named Phoebe for Camp Hueneme.

M      I     C     K      E       Y        M     OOOOO      UUUUUU      S       EEEEEEE   OH yes I remember it well.  One of the first shows I watched in 1953 on our first TV.   The most famous was Annette Founachello. Spelled name wrong. Wonder how she is doing? Has MS. A cousin of mine has the same desease and is doing well. She said she walked for the first time in years because of a new medication that reverses some  of the symtoms.
 
Regards:

SFC Dave Youngblood USARetired Nephew of TSGT Alfred(Bud) I. Windle 93d BG

Off topic, but the 1930s Mickey Mouse Club had more members at the time than the combined memberships of the Boy and Girl Scouts.  Some theaters had over 1,200 members and had so many youngsters wanting to join the club they had a morning and afternoon meeting.

Was in Florida a couple of weeks ago, took the kids on the annual pilgrimage to Disney World & spent a couple-three days there.  While wandering through the Disney-MGM portion they have a nice historical walk thru exhibit that is a great place to get out of the heat.  Very few folks going through, I guess it isn't gee-whiz enough, but I liked it and it brought back a lot of happy memories.  Anyway, I remember thinking as I walked through how great a display of squadron/unit insignia from WWII would look.  They have nothing of the sort on display, zero.  Maybe they'd rather not risk offending their international visitors, but what a shame for such a great piece of their company history.
 
Rich