HomeMy WebLinkAboutHistory of Bugs Bunny Minuteman ImagePatriot's Day
Lexington, Massachusetts
April 17, 2000
This picture of Bugs Bunny as a Minuteman is a gift to the Lexington Lions Club's, U.S.S.
Lexington Committee, from the U. S.S. Lexington CV -2 Minutemen Club, in appreciation of their
dedication to preserving the memory of the five United States Naval ships christened U.S.S.
Lexington, and the men who served aboard those five Lexingtons.
About the Picture
In 1982 Donald E. Foster created this Bugs Bunny Minuteman for the U.S.S. Lexington CV -2
Minutemen Club of which he is a life member. This picture is an enlargement of that creation. The
U.S.S. Lexington CV -2 was known as the minutemen ship.
Donald E. Foster
Donald E. Foster was born November 10, 1917, in Fort Smith, Arkansas. He enlisted in the U.S.
Navy in 1936, in Long Beach, California, and served aboard the U.S.S. Lexington CV -2 from
1936 to 1942. In 1945, at the end of World War II, Don was discharged from the Navy, and as he
wanted to be a cartoon animator he enrolled [benefit of the GI Bill] in Chouinard Art Institute in
Los Angeles, a training ground for the Walt Disney animators. [This is now the California Institute
of the Arts] After completing four years at Chouinard Art Institute Don applied for and was hired
by the Warner Brothers Studios as a graphic artist working with Chuck Jones, and for the next
twelve years he did not have a day off Their feature attractions were Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck
and Don did publicity sketches and animation. In 1962 Chuck Jones left Warner Brothers Studios
to form his own cartoon animation business and Don went with him and there he remained until he
retired in 1982.
U.S.S. Lexington CV-2 Minuteman Club
[signed] Vincent L. Anderson
Chairman - Memorial Committee
April 17, 2000
Today the U.S.S. Lexington CV -2 Minutemen Club's Memorial Committee proudly presents to the
Lexington Lions Club, U.S.S. Lexington Memorial Committee, this framed picture of Bugs Bunny
as a U.S.S. Lexington CV -2 Minuteman.
The original creation was done by a CV -2 shipmate, Donald E. "Don" Foster. After World War II,
Don left the navy and as his desire was to become a cartoon animator he enrolled in the Chouinard
Art Institute in Los Angeles, California, [now the California Institute of the Arts] that was a
training ground for Walt Disney animators. After four years at Chouinard Art Institute, Don was
hired by Warner Brothers Studio working under Chuck Jones, and their star attractions were Bugs
Bunny and Daffy Duck. Don was a graphic artist and did publicity sketches as well as animation.
In 1982 Don made the Bugs Bunny U.S.S. Lexington CV -2 Minutemen for our Minutemen Club.
With Don's permission the Memorial Committee had the original enlarged and framed for this
presentation to the U.S.S. Lexington Memorial Committee.
Memorial Committee Members
12/1:
cent L. Anderson
aipe/
Paul L. Howard
Donald F. Foster
Served aboard the U.S.S. Lexington CV-2 - 1936/42 - E & A Divisions
Post WW g Cartoonist with Chuck Jones at Warner Bros. Studio.
[Bugs Bunny & Daffy Duck were their star attractions]