"Ultimate Weapon" Monument
In 1957, Specialist 4 Steven Goodman, assisted by PFC Stuart Scherr, made a small clay model of an infantryman during their leisure hours. Their tabletop model was spotted by a public relations officer who brought it to the attention of Deputy Post Commander Bruce Clarke, who suggested the construction of a larger statue to serve as a symbol of Fort Dix. Goodman and Scherr, who had studied industrial arts together in New York City and were classified by the Army as illustrators, undertook the project under the management of Sergeant Major Bill Wright. Operating on a limited budget, and using old railroad track and other available items, they created a 12-foot figure of a charging infantryman in full battle dress, representing no particular race or ethnicity.
By 1988, years of weather had taken a toll on the statue, and a restoration campaign raised over $100,000. Under the auspices of Goodman and the Fort Dix chapter of the Association of the United States Army, the statue was recast in bronze and its concrete base replaced by black granite.
The statue stands 25 feet tall at the entrance to Infantry Park. Its inscription reads
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- This monument is dedicated to
- the only indispensable instrument of war,
- The American Soldier---
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- THE ULTIMATE WEAPON
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- "If they are not there,
- you don't own it."
- 17 August 1990
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