"To top it off, 1935 was the year Adolph Hitler banned Mickey Mouse cartoons from German Theaters. Later, during World War II, Mickey Mouse encouraged Americans to support the war effort by purchasing War Bonds. " Pat Williams

Mickey Mouse's picture was on the gas masks worn by children in the London Blitz. On D-Day, June 6, 1944, soldiers in Normandy were given the password "Mickey Mouse."

I am so excited today, and I was not sure if I'd be able to REALLY tie my thoughts into our theme of using Walt's life as inspiration. Then I opened one of my books and there it was! Mickey taking a role in WWII!

I'm excited because, last night, I downloaded the near-finished draft of a book that I've been waiting for YEARS to see finished. This draft had the photos of scrapbook memories that Harold Gantert, a POW from Stalag Luft III, carried back from Germany.

I spent hours at The Empire Diner in Parsippany, NJ, asking questions to get this quiet, humble man to tell me his story. Then I spent hours going over tapes to write his words down. I heard stories about prison concerts, theatre, gardens, parties.

By the time I was done, I could envision the camp and practically hear the shows and concerts in my mind. I was like Clara in the Nutcracker Suite, my head full of of all sorts of colorful characters in places I'd never visited. Only THIS was a prison!

After hours of writing, I took on a co-author and the reformatting began. Then came the struggle to scan the documents and place them in the book. And now, without doubt, we are just a few edits away from having something.

The story of Harold's year in Stalag Luft III sounds as if he were away at Boy Scout camp. He was captured within months of D-Day, when soldiers used Mickey Mouse as their Password.

The point of the story is that, with the right attitude, you can endure any hardship, any discomfort, any injustice, any deprivation, and come out OK. You might even have a great scrapbook, a few funny stories, and some happy memories.

I wanted to share the story SO BADLY because, if it changes one other life the way it changed mine, it NEEDS to be shared.

When I opened the document last night and saw the draft with the photos I had a moment. I'd almost given up! I thought it would never get done.

But there it was. A story that is almost ready to go out into the world.

As optimistic as I try to be, I have to admit that many aspects of today's world are downright toxic. I think having Mickey on a gas mask may have made it a little brighter for some. I'm hoping that Harold's story will do the same for a few people now.



Read more about Mickey and WWII on page 60

Williams, Pat How to Be Like Walt:Capturing the Disney Magic Every Day of Your Life. Florida:Health Communications, Inc. 2004