By Joan Thomas, NMMC Art Curator
Operation Independence took place in Quang Nam Province, South Vietnam, in February 1967. The action involved two battalions of the 9th Marines, 3d Marine Division. This was one of several operations that took place in late January and early February of 1967. 1stLt Leonard Dermott, USMCR documented the operation for the Marine Corps Combat Art Program. He was among the first Marines selected to serve as a combat artist in Vietnam. Initially, the combat art studio was going to be in Japan with the artists making trips to and from Vietnam to document the actions of the Marines. Dermott recommended finding a studio in Vietnam so the artists would not lose time and mobility by being so far away from the action. They would attend briefings and be able to move quickly to embed for several days, or for the duration of an operation, to record the experience. This was successful, with a studio set up at the Combat Information Bureau in Da Nang. Dermott and the other active duty artists were able to manage the activities of the reservists and civilian artists who came for several weeks at a time to document Marine Corps actions. During his time in Vietnam, Dermott covered a wide range of topics from everyday experiences, the wounded, patrols, and combat operations. The drawings below are Dermott’s impressions of the combat he witnessed and participated in during Operation Independence.
While Dermott was adept in working with watercolors and oils, when he was in the field, he worked in pencil, charcoal, and felt tip pens to be able to quickly document the events around him. In all, Dermott produced more than 180 works of art for the Marine Corps collection.
Further reading is available in the U.S. Marine Corps History Division publication Marines in Vietnam 1954-1973: An Anthology and Annotated Bibliography, 1985. This publication can be downloaded here.
Further reading is available in the U.S. Marine Corps History Division publication Marines in Vietnam 1954-1973: An Anthology and Annotated Bibliography, 1985. This publication can be downloaded here.
The Marine Corps Combat Art Program traces its origins to 1942. Its mission: Keep Americans informed about what “their Marines” are doing at home and overseas. Managed today by the National Museum of the Marine Corps, the collection has grown to include more than 9,000 works of art created by 350 artists.
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