Fort Moore Historic Trail Site

Fort Moore Historic Trail

Historical Site 24. The original Infantryman Statue
National Infantry Museum, rotunda. 3800 South Lumpkin Road.
Built 1960.

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The Infantryman Statue was created in 1960 for the purpose of standing in front of Infantry Hall when it opened in 1964.  It is also called the “Follow Me” statue and sometimes wrongly called “Iron Mike”.  The statue’s sculptor / designer was PFC Manfred Bass.  Its model was OCS Candidate, Eugene Wyles.  It is about 12’ tall, made of fiberglass over a steel frame and coated in bronze.  Its action pose displays leadership qualities of the Infantryman in combat.  It was dedicated May 3, 1960, on Eubanks Field by then-Secretary of the Army Wilber Brucker, then four years later was moved to its intended home in front of Infantry Hall.   With the renovation of Infantry Hall /  McGinnis-Wickam Hall in 2009, a replica was made for that building and the original now stands as the centerpiece of the rotunda of the Infantry Museum.  It is a worthy home for what has become the Infantry's signature icon.