Exhibit focuses on military cartoons
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Minot native Dr. Cord Scott 's interest in cartoons produced by the military branches has led to writing books and other publications on the topic. Currently, an exhibit of his work is displayed at the Dakota Territory Air Museum in Minot.
Scott, an Overseas Collegiate Faculty member for the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC), said he published a book on the United States Marine Corps (USMC) cartoons of the Korean War, which he worked on while living in Korea. He also compiled United States Air Force cartoons from the Korean War for the Osan Air Base (South Korea) paper, Morning Calm.
The exhibit at the air museum came about after Scott visited Minot in 2023. While visiting Jenna Grindberg, museum director, Scott mentioned the U.S. Air Force cartoons.
"When I got back to Japan, I started putting something together for an example. It just morphed out of that," he said.
Scott continues to write about military cartoons and compile many cartoons.
"In this case, cartoons are not the film type, but single panel illustrations," he said.
He said his two most recent books focused on USMC cartoons. A 2020 published book focuses on World War I cartoons done for Marine publications, and the staff cartoonist of Stars and Stripes in World War I, USMC Pvt. Alban "Wally" Walgren. A book published last year centers on Gene Packwood, who wrote many of the Marine cartoons. Packwood, of Florida, just celebrated his 98th birthday, according to Scott.
Currently, Scott is working on a project concerning base comics from Fort Huachuca in Arizona.
Scott teaches history, government and film classes for UMGC. He has been with UMGC for 11 years - since August 2015.
"We don't have a campus, but we teach on the bases in the education centers,” he said. "I have taught all throughout Asia, but I have been in Okinawa (his current location) for the last five years."
Scott said his mother, Linda Scott, and family members live in Minot. His brother Micah is in Rugby and he has numerous cousins in North Dakota.
Scott graduated from Minot High School and Minot State University with a Bachelor of Arts in history in 1991. He received his Master's in international relations from Baylor University, Waco, Texas, in 1992.
"It was through my Master's that I was able to start my teaching career, which was as an adjunct at Minot State University. I took a class that Professor Everett Ballmann was supposed to teach. So, my teaching career was thanks to him, and it has led me to where I am today," Scott said.
Scott said teaching has allowed him to see a variety of historical places and events.
"I was able to see first hand the handover of Hong Kong to the Chinese on July 1, 1997. I have taught along the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) between the two Koreas for the institution I am at now. I have also been able to meet Iwo Jima vets and the commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps on Iwo Jima," Scott said.
He said he presented his second book, “Four Colour Combat" to the deputy United Nations commander Lt. Gen. Wayne Eyre of the Canadian Forces, who asked for another book for his friend Andrew Leslie, a retired four-star Canadian general and former minister of Defense for Canada.
Scott said he most recently was in Incheon, South Korea, for the 75th anniversary of the Incheon landings in the Korean War.
"I also presented my latest book to the commanding general of Marine Forces Korea Maj. Gen. Valerie Jackson," he said.
"I have been blessed. I have also been deemed worthy enough to be a Drazek Award winner for my teaching and a UMGC President's Award for my writing," he said.