The 107th Infantry charging

The 107th Infantry Memorial stands at the intersection of East 67th Street and Fifth Avenue in Central Park. A memorial and bronze sculpture, it honors members of the 107th Infantry who died during World War I. Created by sculptor Karl Illava, who drew inspiration from his own experiences as a sergeant with the 107th Infantry, the monument cost an estimated $60,000 at the time of its construction in 1927. The sculpture depicts the actions of seven World War I-era soldiers, cast in bronze, drawing from Illava's own hands as the model for the hands of his subjects.

The figures advance from the wooded thicket bordering Central Park, as if mounting a charge, and rest on a 25-foot-wide stepped granite base designed by architects Rogers & Haneman. The inscription on the monument reads: 'SEVENTH REGIMENT NEW YORK / ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTH UNITED STATES INFANTRY / 1917 IN MEMORIAM 1918'. More than 5,000 people attended the dedication of the monument on September 29, 1927, chosen to commemorate the 9th anniversary of the Battle of St. Quentin Canal, where the regiment attacked the Hindenburg Line.

On Armistice Day 1927, the 107th Infantry Post of the American Legion held a religious service and Rev. Peter E. Hoey placed a floral wreath at the memorial to pay tribute to the war dead. In October 1973, the Commanding officer, Sir Gregor MacGregor of the Scots Guards, held a wreath laying ceremony at the statue to commemorate the unit's World War I service with the British Army. Pro-Palestinian protesters vandalized the 107th Infantry Memorial in May 2024, graffitied during the protest, and an American flag was burned in front of the statue.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons