Air Force museum will display Disney military art Published Dec. 5, 2005 By Rob Bardua National Museum of the U.S. Air Force Public Affairs DAYTON, Ohio (AFPN) -- From "Donald Duck" to "Jiminy Cricket," a special exhibit that showcases more than 50 of Walt Disney's original World War II insignia designs will open Dec. 13 at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. The exhibit, entitled "Disney Pins on Wings," will include the original Walt Disney Productions insignia designs and selected examples of Disney influenced materials from the museum's own collection. Included among these items will be World War II flight jackets with Disney designed insignia and original Desert Storm inspired nose-art sections from six B-52G Stratofortresses. "This exhibit will be the largest collection of original Walt Disney insignia artworks ever placed on public display," museum senior curator Terry Aitken said. He said although most of the items featured will be from U.S. Army Air Force units, examples from other service branches will be included, too. Swamped with requests from the military and war industry during World War II to use the world-famous Disney characters in creating distinctive unit insignia, the Disney Studio had set up a special five-man crew of artists to meet the demand for the designs, said Disney archivist, David R. Smith. He wrote the foreword for the book "Disney Dons Dogtags." "They meant a lot to the men who were fighting," Walt Disney was quoted as saying. "How could you turn them down?" Mr. Smith said the insignia are a contribution to the war effort, done over a five-year period. The Disney Studio created 1,200 different insignias for bombing squadrons, naval vessels, training schools, chaplains' corps, women's units and even Allied units. Of those, Donald Duck appeared in more than 200 designs with his famous temper fitting him perfectly for militant postures. The exhibit will run through June 11. Admission is free.