In a ceremony at EPCOT’s American Adventure pavilion, John Arant, a senior manager of casting services at Disney and U.S. Army veteran, was awarded the Purple Heart Medal. The event took place early Wednesday morning before the park opened.
Arant was honored for his bravery and injuries sustained during his service in Mosul, Iraq, in 2007. The Purple Heart, established in 1782 by General George Washington, is America’s oldest military award. Today, it is given in the name of the President of the United States to those wounded or killed in action.
The medal was presented to Arant by Jenn O’Rourke, a Disney Institute business transformation manager and Major in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. Arant’s family and fellow Disney cast members, including many military veterans, attended the ceremony. Arant wore his Army service dress uniform, and the event was set against the backdrop of the “Portraits of Courage” exhibit, featuring over 60 paintings by former President George W. Bush, honoring post-9/11 veterans.
Arant joined The Walt Disney Company in 2019 through the Heroes Work Here initiative, which aims to hire, train, and support military veterans.
This ceremony reflects Disney’s long-standing respect for military service, a tradition dating back to its founders, Walt and Roy O. Disney, who both served in World War I.
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