"Wait...What?!?" - Mickey Gas Masks

No matter how much information we think we have at our disposal, every once in awhile we learn something new about Disney...

Courtesy of today's "Now I Know" e-mail newsletter...

On December 7, 1941, Japanese kamikaze pilots bombed Pearl Harbor, bringing the United States into World War II. The United States' entry into battle increased the threat which the nation had, other than Pearl Harbor, avoided; namely, that Axis powers may launch assaults on American soil. Isolated geographically from the war, this seemed unlikely previously, but with the United States now an active participant in the Allies' efforts, the risk became more and more real.

As part of America's domestic security efforts, the government issued and distributed gas masks to the population of Hawaii. But the masks were made for adults, and not only did they not fit young children, but they were scary devices which would be hard to get a child to use anyway. The solution: Mickey Mouse -- in gas mask form.

According to Major Robert D. Walk, a one-time instructor at the US Army Reserve Command, the mask was designed to be a toy of sorts, but with a practical side. Children were to carry it around and wear it "as part of a game" in order to make the mask emotionally comfortable, with the goal of getting children to don the protective gear quickly and leave it on. Roughly 1,000 of these were made, and thankfully, they were never used, as the United States was never hit with a chemical attack.

Want a mask? Sorry, but they are nearly impossible to find. After the war, the military distributed some of them to senior officials as keepsakes. But by and large, most went the way of the 8-track-- obsolete and therefore discarded.

That's some incredibly interesting stuff...and another bizarre chapter to add to the story of Walt Disney and World War II. I really wish I picked up that "On the Front Lines" DVD when I had the chance.

I should give credit where credit is due for this one. Dan Lewis publishes his "Now I Know" newsletter daily, free of charge, and it's always excellent work. And did I mention it's FREE? Subscribe here.