Officially dedicated on May 30, 1985, the monument portrays an American soldier, carrying the body of a Holocaust survivor out of a Nazi concentration camp.

The official State resolution issued on the day of the monument's dedication noted that, "our service members fought, not to conquer or to be aggressors, but rather to rescue and restore freedom to those persecuted and oppressed by the fascist powers.

The book was the idea of U.S. Navy chaplain Rabbi Arnold E. Resnicoff, who spoke at the ceremony and made the presentation.

[5] At the ceremony, a copy of the Guide was also presented to General Francis Gerard, a veteran of World War II, and Commander of the New Jersey Department of Defense.

Commentators have noted that this monument, although directly linked to the Holocaust as an historical event, has taken on larger meaning as a reminder of America's positive role in the world.