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James Scott in uniform, Plaza, San Diego, CA [7/1943]

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
  • Branch of Service: Marine Corps
  • Service Unit/Ship: Headquarters and Service Company, 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division
  • Location of Service: San Diego, California; Camp Pendleton, California; Camp Elliott, California; Pacific Theater; Solomon Islands; Guam (Mariana Islands); Iwo Jima; Volcano Islands
  • Highest Rank: Corporal
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/86524

View full service history

"It wasn't unusual for complete strangers from other outfits to come to my barracks, foxhole or tent and ask for a drawing of themselves." (Video self-interview, 2:06)

Corporal James A. Scott was in his third year of art school when he enlisted in the Marine Corps in November 1942. He sketched and painted throughout his training and while in the Pacific Theater; working even from his foxhole, he created vividly colored watercolors that remain vibrant nearly 75 years later. Doing a brisk business in portraiture, he gave away for free most of the likenesses he created, charging only the officers. As he notes in his self-interview, many of the Marines whom he drew sent the portraits home to their families, and in some cases, these sketches would be the last images the families would receive of their loved ones--such was the significance of art in a combat zone. Scott's eye was also drawn to the South Pacific landscape; he drew strangler figs and coconut trees, and created a garden of jungle plants around his tent that served as a frequent backdrop for portraits.

Self Interview

More Resources

View 6 images in sequence.
[ Photo Album ]
View 4 images in sequence.
[ Thanksgiving Day 1943 Marine Training Center Camp Elliott, California ]
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[ 8 & 3/4 by 7 & 3/4 inch pencil on paper drawing titled "PFC Mahon - Maneuvers off Guadalcanal June 7, '44." ]
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[ 10 & 1/2 by 8 inch pencil on blue paper mounted to cardboard, titled "July 22, 0430 Bombing Cabras island, Guam." ]
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[ 10 & 1/2 by 8 inch pencil on blue paper mounted to cardboard, titled "June 8, '44, Kwajalein." ]
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[ 10 & 1/2 by 7 & 1/2 watercolor on paper mounted to cardboard, titled "Orote Peninsula, Cabras Island, Apra Harbor from 9th Marines front lines, Guam Aug 1 '44." ]

Show more resources (39)

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[ 10 & 1/2 by 8 inch colored pencil drawing mounted on cardboard, "June 22, '44 Convoy - Guam Campaign." ]
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[ 7 & 1/4 by 5 & 1/2 inch pencil drawing, "Sailors on the bridge - June 19, '44." ]
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[ 10 & 3/4 by 14 inch ink drawing, "Strangler fig or banyan, Guadalcanal '44." ]
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[ Pencil drawing, "Davit - Jun 27, '44." ]
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[ 10 & 1/2 by 7 & 1/2 inch pencil drawing mounted on cardboard, "July 5, '44, Eniwetok, Respit from Ship bound." ]
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[ 11 & 1/2 by 8 & 1/2 inch pencil drawing mounted on cardboard, "Coconut tree, Guam, '45." ]
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[ 10 & 1/2 by 7 & 3/4 inch pencil drawing on official, blue Navy recordkeeping paper mounted on cardboard, "Assok, Southern Guam, Jan '45." ]
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[ 8 & 1/4 by 6 inch pencil drawing on paper mounted on cardboard, "Reading - LST 411 Nov. '45." ]
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[ 9 x 10 & 1/2 inch pencil drawingon paper mounted to board, "Asleep, LST '411', Nov. 45." ]
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[ 10 x 9 inch pencil drawing on paper in matte frame, "'Thoughts' - LST 411 Nov. '45." ]
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[ 9 & 1/2 by 12 inch painting, "Private 'Tex' Henington, Guadalcanal, Solomon '44." ]
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[ 9 x 12 painting mounted on card board, "Glen Peters, 'Pete', Guadalcanal, May '44." ]
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[ 12 x 16 watercolor painting mounted on cardboard, "Red Phillips, Lt. Elmer Phillips, W. Virginia, Sept. '44, Guam." ]
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[ 7 & 1/2 x 10 & 1/2 watercolor painting mounted on cardboard, "Swimming, Eniwetok '44." ]
View 2 images in sequence.
[ 10 & 1/2 x 14 & 1/2 inch watercolor painting on paper, "Yellow Palm, April 2, 1944, Balesuma River, Guadalcanal." ]
View 2 images in sequence.
[ 9 x 12 watercolor on cardboard, "Poinciana Tree - Guam - June 10, '45." ]
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[ 10 & 1/2 by 7 inch watercolor on paper mounted to cardboard, "Plaza at Agana, Guam - afternoon July 31, '44." ]
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[ 10 & 1/2 by 7 inch watercolor on paper mounted to cardboard, "Agana, Guam, July 31, morning of capture." ]
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[ 10 & 1/2 by 7 inch watercolor painting mounted in matte frame, "Assan Pt., Guam, July 29, '44." ]
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[ 10 & 1/2 by 7 inch watercolor painting mounted in matte frame, "Rest on way to front lines - N. Guam - Aug. 6, '44." ]
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[ 10 & 1/2 by 7 inch watercolor painting mounted in matte frame, "Eniwetok Atoll." ]
View 2 images in sequence.
[ 9 & 1/2 by 6 inch pencil on paper drawing, "Mangroves - Guadalcanal - March '44." ]
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[ 9 & 3/4 by 6 & 1/2 inch pencil on paper drawing mounted on cardboard, "Maneuvers off Savo Island '44." ]
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[ 10 by 6 & 1/2 inch pencil on paper drawing mounted on cardboard, "0630, 21, July 'D' Day. Guam." ]
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[ 10 & 1/2 by 7 inch pencil drawing on paper, "Solitaire - shipboard - Kwajalein Atoll July '44." ]
View 2 images in sequence.
[ 10 by 6 inch pencil on paper drawing, "July 23, '44 - Shelling near Cedelupe (?) P.I. by our shore batteries - Assan in [illegible] - Guam." ]
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[ 5 x 6 inch pencil on paper drawing mounted on cardboard, "Chow line, July 25 '44, Guam Campaign." ]
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[ 10 & 1/2 by 7 inch watercolor on paper mounted on cardboard, "4th Bm. 12th Marines, 3rd artillery posit. Guam campaign, Aug. 4 '44 - Near Agana Airfield." ]
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[ 7 & 3/4 by 10 & 1/2 inch watercolor on paper, "'Frenchy' Vaillancourt, Eniwetok, July ,'44." ]
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[ 10 & 1/2 by 7 inch colored pencil on paper mounted on cardboard, "Higgins boat detail June 13, '44." ]
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[ 10 & 1/2 by 7 inch watercolor on paper mounted on cardboard, "Church, Agana, Guam, July 31, '44 - Moment of capture." ]
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[ 10 & 1/2 by 7 inch pencil drawing on paper mounted on cardboard, "Cpl. Elmer R. Phillips, 'K' Co. 3rd Bm. 3rd Marines, Front Lines, Guam, July 23 '44." ]
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[ 6 & 1/2 by 8 inch pencil drawing on blue paper mounted on cardboard, "Kwajalein Atoll, Still life - June 12, '44." ]
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[ 10 & 1/2 by 7 inch pencil drawing on paper mounted on cardboard, "Cleaning a carbine on the hatch, June 10, '44 - Kwajalein Atoll." ]
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[ 9 & 1/2 by 6 & 1/2 inch ink on paper drawing mounted on cardboard, "Red at the range, Balesurma River, Guadalcanal, March, '44." ]
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[ 10 & 1/2 by 7 inch pencil drawing on paper mounted on cardboard, "June 28, '44, Eniwetok." ]
View 15 images in sequence.
[ Art in the Pacific War Zone ]
View 17 images in sequence.
[ Solomon Islands Art Show Catalogue ]
View 7 images in sequence.
[ Hand written transcript of interview with James A. Scott ]

About this Item

Title

  • James Allen Scott Collection

Names

  • Setterholm, Susan
  • Scott, James Allen

Home State

  • California

Headings

  • -  Scott, James Allen
  • -  World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Marine Corps.

Repository

  • Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Gender

  • Male

Race

  • White

Status

  • veteran

Service History

  • World War, 1939-1945

    • Branch of Service: Marine Corps
    • Service Unit/Ship: Headquarters and Service Company, 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division
    • Location of Service: San Diego, California; Camp Pendleton, California; Camp Elliott, California; Pacific Theater; Solomon Islands; Guam (Mariana Islands); Iwo Jima; Volcano Islands
    • Highest Rank: Corporal
    • Dates of Service: 1943-1945
    • Entrance into Service: Drafted
    • Military Status: veteran
    • Service History Note: The veteran served as a demolition specialist and an intelligence man.

Materials

  • Video: DVD [1 item] -- Self-interview (collected 2012-12-02; 2012-12-02)
  • Manuscript: Creative works [40 items] -- Handwritten document (collected 1943-1945)
  • Manuscript: Printed matter [3 items] -- Typewritten document (collected 1943-1945)
  • Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Handwritten document (collected 2012-12-02)
  • Manuscript: Clippings [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 1943-1945)
  • Photograph: Original photographic print [6 items] -- Photographs (collected 1943-1945)
  • Video: DVD [1 item] -- Reference copy (collected 2012-12-02; 2015-06-18)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/86524

Online Format

  • image
  • video

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

Using VHP Material in Publication or Exhibition

The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service. The Veterans History Project Collection includes oral histories along with documentary materials such as original letters, diaries, photographs, and memoirs.

Veterans and interviewers contribute these materials to the Library for scholarly and educational purposes, retaining any copyright they may hold. Therefore, permission must be obtained before using the interview or other materials in exhibition or publication. Researchers or others who would like to make further use of these materials should contact the Veterans History Project for assistance.

As a publicly supported institution, the Library generally does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot give or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute material in its collections. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item from the Library’s collections and for securing any necessary permissions rests with persons desiring to use the item.

Please contact us with questions.

Obtaining Copies of VHP Materials

In order for VHP materials to be duplicated, we must receive written permission from the interviewee for you to obtain a copy of the recording unless the proposed use is limited to personal use, research, or other uses permissible by copyright law. If the interviewee is deceased, their next-of-kin may grant written permission.

Please contact VHP for assistance if you need to contact a veteran for permission to use their materials in exhibition or publication, or if you have received permission from the veteran and need access to high-resolution copies of VHP collection materials.

Citing VHP Materials

Please use the following formats when citing Veterans History Project materials (substituting the appropriate name and collection ID number).

Materials as a whole:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Manuscript material:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Memoirs (MS02), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Transcript (MS04), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Correspondence (MS01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Recording:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Audio recording (SR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Video recording (MV01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Photograph:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH01), photographer unknown, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH03-PH14), Ralph Williams photographer, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Computer file:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Computer file (CF01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Artifact:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Artifact (AR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Setterholm, Susan, and James Allen Scott. James Allen Scott Collection. 1943. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.86524/.

APA citation style:

Setterholm, S. & Scott, J. A. (1943) James Allen Scott Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.86524/.

MLA citation style:

Setterholm, Susan, and James Allen Scott. James Allen Scott Collection. 1943. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.86524/>.