Disney Bringing Portraits by President George W. Bush to EPCOT to Honor Veterans

At the start of May, National Military Appreciation Month, Disney has shared that EPCOT will soon have a new collection coming to The American Adventure Pavilion: Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief’s Tribute to America’s Warriors.

This special exhibit from the George W. Bush Institute will honor those who serve in the U.S. Armed Forces and veterans.“Celebrating those who give so much to our country has been part of the fabric of The Walt Disney Company throughout our 100-year history,” said Josh D’Amaro, Chairman, Disney Experiences. “We’re grateful to the Bush Institute for allowing us to feature this special collection and share it with our guests.”

Keep reading for more details on the new veteran portraits coming to EPCOT as well as details on how Disney is recognizing National Military Appreciation Month.

Veteran Portraits by President George W. Bush

The special exhibit Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief’s Tribute to America’s Warriors is a product of the personal commitment of President George W. Bush and the work of the Bush Institute’s Veterans and Military Families program. It features over 60 oil paintings created by President Bush of service members and veterans who have served since 9/11. President Bush has come to know these individuals personally since leaving office. You can see President Bush working on the collection below:

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Each painting has the story of the veteran depicted, written by President Bush himself, including stories of service on the battlefield, recovering from injury, and the contributions they have made in their post-military careers. The exhibit will be available starting June 9.

See pieces of the collection from its initial 2017 debut at the George W. Bush Presidential Center on the SMU campus in Dallas, Texas:

“We are thrilled Portraits of Courage will be on display for EPCOT visitors to experience this year,” said Ken Hersh, President and CEO of the George W. Bush Presidential Center. “My hope is that those who have the opportunity to see this special exhibit will also remember the leadership, service, and sacrifice behind each of the heroes painted and the unique challenges our servicemembers and their families face when transitioning out of the military.”

These paintings are a really beautiful way to honor each individual service member featured. To be able to see their faces alongside their story and recognize and recognize the impact they have made is an incredibly powerful thing.

The exhibit will also have information and resources to support post-9/11 veterans and their families. The resource Check-In enables veterans and their families to access no cost, high-quality, mental and brain health care.

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Disney will also recognize National Military Appreciation Month with Disney Consumer Products hosting a series of Disney VoluntEARS events alongside the Disney SALUTE veteran employee resource group to assemble more than 4,000 USO care packages for deployed service members which aim to provide them with a connection to home as they endure challenging conditions overseas. By the end of the month, Disney VoluntEARS will have assembled 16,000 care packages this year so far.

The Walt Disney Company has worked with the USO since 2003 on various initiatives including care packages, family room renovations, USO/character tours, and movie screenings.

As we discuss in our article on the daily Flag Retreat Ceremony at Disneyland, the Walt Disney Company has a long history of supporting military service members that dates back to the founding of the company. There are several ways that Disney aims to honor veterans for their service in defending our nation, and the new exhibit at EPCOT is a powerful opportunity to recognize the individuals featured and honor their stories.

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