On a hill above Angel Fire, a white chapel rises out of the grass like a pair of wings. It is one of the most moving sights in the Moreno Valley, and it began with a family's grief.
Marine First Lieutenant Victor David Westphall III was killed in action near Con Thien, Vietnam, on May 22, 1968. Back home in New Mexico, his parents, Victor and Jeanne Westphall, decided to turn their loss into a place of peace. Using the money from their son's life insurance policy, they began building a chapel on the hill above the valley that same summer.
The Vietnam Veterans Peace and Brotherhood Chapel is unlike any other building in New Mexico. Its soaring white walls sweep upward without sharp corners, designed as a place of contemplation rather than denomination. Inside, photographs and mementos honor the men and women who served, and the chapel looks out across the Moreno Valley toward the mountains David Westphall grew up beneath.
The chapel was dedicated on May 22, 1971, three years to the day after David's death. In doing so, it became the first memorial in the United States honoring Vietnam veterans — years before the famous Wall in Washington, D.C. existed. At a time when the war still divided the country, the Westphalls insisted their chapel welcome everyone, whatever they thought of the conflict.
One tradition says everything about the place: the chapel's doors are never locked. Day or night, in summer heat or mountain snow, anyone can walk in, sit in the quiet, and look out over the valley. What started as one family's memorial became a landmark for veterans and travelers from across the country, and the seed of the larger memorial grounds that surround it today. On its hill above Angel Fire, the little white chapel still keeps its doors open.