Fort Dix in Burlington County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The Ultimate Weapon
This monument is dedicated to the only indispensable instrument of war, The American Soldier---
The Ultimate Weapon
If they are not there, you don't own it.
17 August 1990
[A nearby companion marker, shown in pictures below, outlines the people and effort needed to restore this monument. One side reads]:
The "Ultimate Weapon" Monument was built by two extraordinary soldiers, Specialist 4 Steven M. Goodman and Private First Class Stuart J. Scherr, and originally dedicated on 20 March 1959.
In 1987, The Ultimate Weapon Restoration Committee, sponsored by The Association of The U.S. Army, took on the task of restoring the badly weathered statue. The committee raised over $100,000 to make the restoration a reality. The statue was recast in bronze and the concrete base was replaced by black granite. On 17 August 1990, the monument before you was rededicated to the five million soldiers who have trained at Fort Dix since 1917. The following Members of The Ultimate Weapon Committee made the restoration a reality:
William Demas, Chairman Gerie Dowling, Co-Chairman Lucinda Boyington Dr. Hubert Byron James Challender Art Covello Richard Dowling Paul Kelly Mike Kittis Leon Kurland Tanya Lantz Dan Limbaugh Lester J. Maisto, Jr. George Mattson Marilyn McHugh Clinton Miller James Nash Barry B. Newstadt Clinton L. Pagano John F. Poulson Dennis L. Sexton James E. Snyder Ted Strempack Steve Whitmore Carl A. Williams
Honorary Members: C. Kenneth Thiebauth Harry Budniak Leo Norton
Major General James W. Wurman
Commanding
[The opposite side of the nearby companion marker reads]:
This statue symbolizes the core of American Military Might, The Soldier. Each corner of its eight-sided pedestal, like a compass, points to the corners of the Earth symbolizing worldwide response. The shape of the base, tapering as it rises, focuses attention on the statue, as attention is given in support of our soldiers. The pedestal's three-tier design represents: in the lower, our Naval Forces: in the middle, our Land Forces: and in the upper, our Air Forces. All serve in support of the American Soldier who is "The Ultimate Weapon."
Fort Dix graciously thanks the following major donors who generously contributed to the AUSA Ultimate Weapon Restoration Committee.
List of donors follows
Additionally, we gratefully acknowledge former Fort Dix commanders, Major General Thomas W. Kelly and Major General Rocco Negris, Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army, Ernest N. Sever and all those other soldiers and citizens who donated their time, effort and money to make the restoration of The Ultimate Weapon Monument a reality.
Major General James W. Wurman
Commanding 17 Aug 1990
Erected 1990.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Military. A significant historical date for this entry is March 20, 1959.
Location. 40° 0.633′ N, 74° 37.367′ W. Marker is in Fort Dix, New Jersey, in Burlington County. Marker is at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and West 8th Street on Pennsylvania Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Fort Dix NJ 08640, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. 44th Infantry Division (here, next to this marker); MacDonald Hall (approx. 0.4 miles away); World War II Monument (approx. 2.3 miles away); Upper Springfield Meeting House and Cemetery (approx. 2½ miles away); Dedicated To Those Who Served (approx. 3.6 miles away); Smithville Historic District (approx. 6.9 miles away); An Industrial Village (approx. 6.9 miles away); Conservation and Environmental Studies Center, Inc. (approx. 7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Dix.
More about this marker. This statue is the bronze version that was made from the original in 1990. The original statue was created by applying layers of automotive body filler putty over wire mesh and sculpting it as it dried. It was sanded to its aluminum-color shiny finish and painted to resemble bronze. The original was restored in 1990 and is now mounted outside of the headquarters building in Fort Dix.
Also see . . . The Ultimate Weapon book on Amazon.com. 2008 book by Stuart Scherr, one of the sculptors of this statue, on Amazon.com. Excerpt:
One day Steve saw a photo of a soldier in a dramatic charge and he began to sculpt it in a clay material for his own amusement. I contributed by building the rifle, base and other bits and pieces. ... an officer came into the building and noticed the small statue. ... A few days later we were informed that the Brig. General would like to see us. ... The brig General asked us if we could build a larger statue for the post. We confidently said yes.(Submitted on February 27, 2023.)
Credits. This page was last revised on March 18, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 21, 2008, by Ronald Claiborne of College Station, Texas. This page has been viewed 9,081 times since then and 352 times this year. It was the Marker of the Week March 19, 2023. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on April 21, 2008, by Ronald Claiborne of College Station, Texas. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. Photos of the original version of this sculpture, now in front of headquarters in Fort Dix • Can you help?