Lawrence Joseph Scott was born in 1910 in Saskatchewan, Canada. His family made their way south and ended up in Alabama. In 1924, having finished 8th grade at the age of 14, L.J. lied about his age and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.

Sometime in the 1930s, L.J. was stationed in Peking, China. As a member of the famous China Marines, he performed his duties on horseback. For a period of time, his commanding officer was Captain Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller, one of the most famous and decorated U.S. Marines. Years later, L.J. was transferred to Pearl Harbor, along with his wife, Cliz. They were there on December 7th, 1941.

After WWII ended, he retired to El Cajon, California. Later in life, L.J. took advantage of the G.I. Bill and attended Grossmont College, where he graduated Valedictorian with a G.P.A. of 4.0. He died in 1985 and was buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego. He is survived by his son Robert, and his daughters Bonnie and Sandra