In 2015, Joe Weisharr became one of five finalists selected to build the national World War 1 Memorial in Washington D.C. His design included a sculpture built by Sabin Howard, that would be the centerpiece of the project. Howard spent nearly a decade on this piece, titled A Soldier’s Journey, telling what Howard called in a recent interview with North Jersey, “a movie in bronze.” A Soldier’s Journey tells the story of a soldier’s life, beginning with leaving his home up until he returns, where he hands a girl his helmet.
Howard likes to think of himself as a “rectifier” of his art, sculpting his art in a process that has been done for centuries. Modern techniques of sculpting often utilize design software and 3D scanning technology. 3D scanning especially speeds up the design process. Howard was able to use traditional sculpting methods while also utilizing technology that saved him, quite literally, years of time.
Howard hopes that when people view his statue for the first time it will be like when he “Went to go see the David when [he] was 25” he recalls in a CBS Sunday Morning Interview. Traditionally, David was portrayed as triumphant after his victory over Goliath, but in Michelangelo’s version, he appears to be caught in a moment of uncertainty. The statue of David is one of the most recognizable works of the renaissance period. Howard reminisced in the same interview that, “a sculpture is made in God’s image, so is mine, it’s a simple thing but very deep.”
On September 13th 2024, the unveiling of A Soldier’s Journey, was met with praise and admiration. Terry W. Hamby, chairman of the World War 1 Commission Committee in a recent interview reflected that, “It captures the essence of [a soldier’s] journey, the challenges they face, … the spirit that drives them forward and those they left behind and fought to return home to.” This Veterans Day, it is expected that 5,000 people will attend the ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery’s memorial amphitheater in Washington D.C. Many of whom will see A Soldier’s Journey for the first time. Perhaps Howard hopes they will leave feeling the same way he did when he went to see the statue of David.
