Evening star., 1929-11-15
MEMORIAL CHAPEL
WORK UNDER WAY.
Ground Broken for Edifice at
Walter Reed on Armi-
StiCe Day.

A frayed. tottering old woman, near
ly 30, came one day to the Red Cross
House at Walter Reed Hospital and
left a crumpled $40 bill.
"This is to help build the chapel
and in memory of my boy who fought
in France" she smiled bravely, though
her eyes were misty.
She made two subsequent visits. Eacn
time she left another $40 bill. in men,
ory of her father and husband. who
had died fighting their country's bat
ties.
Through such sacrifices was made
possible the beautiful little memorial
chapel, non-secretarian in character.
which soon is to rise on wooded knoll
on the hospital grounds near the cor
ner of Fourteenth and Dahlia streets.
Virtually every stone that is to be set
in place will represent some personal
sacrifice or volunteer gift in memory
of loved ones who lost their lives in
war. Congress gave $4,000 toward IT,
but gifts have made up the rest.
The first fruits of this labor of love
unteer body of the Red Cross, was
realized on Armistice day, when ground
was broken for the memorial chapeI.
After Chief of Chaplains Edmund P.
Esterbrook had Solemnly dedicated the
ground, Mrs. Henry r. Rea, chairman
of the Gray Ladies committee, turned
over the first bit of earth.
Chapel to Cost 100000.
The idea of a non-sectarian chapel
at Walter Reed had its inception III
the mind and heart of Miss Margaret
H. Lower, director Of the Red Cross
at the hospital. The project was eager
ly taken up by the Gray Ladies, who
pledged themselves to erect the chapel
at cost of 100000.
The memorial has the authorization
of Congress and the approval Of the
Secretary of War. 1t has also the un-
qualified approval Of Gen. John j.
Pershing. Gen. Charles p. Summerall,
chief of staff of the Army; Col. Carl r.
Darnall, commanding the Army medical
center; Bishop James F. Mcdowell of
the Methodist Episcopal Church in
Washington, Right. Rev. James e. Free
man. Bishop of washington; Archbishop
Michael j. Curley of Baltimore, Rabbi
Simon wise and Maj. Gen. Frank T.
Hines, director Of the United States
Veterans Bureau.
The chapel is to be of gray stone,
after the English type, and will seat 204
worshipers. 1t will connect with a
nortuary chapel, where last rites will
ne held for those who died In their
country's service. The gray stone of
which it Is to be built will be given from
the quarrieS belonging to the Riley es-
tate of Norbeck, Md. Miss Elizabeth
Riley served as Gray Lady during the
war. The plans have been passed upon
by the Fine Arts Commission and the
construction will be under the direction
Of Maj. Gen. B. F. Cheatham, quarter
master general.
The first private financial impetus to
the building was given by D.. w. Grif-
fithS, who gave the proceeds from the
first showing here of his spectacular
film America" to the Gray Ladies as
the nucleus of their chapel fund. An
ex-service man, then travelling on the
Keith circuit, sent his check for SIS.
Nora BayeS followed with $50. Roxy
and his original gang having, when they
severed connections with the Capital
Theater In New York, a personal fund
of 1854 sent it to the Gray Ladies with
q letter of congratulations on their fine
undertaking. A benefit play, Believe
Me, Xantippe," staged at Polls by the
enlisted men, patients, aides and dieti-
tians Of the hospital, netted $3,049 Sc.
The stage hands for this performance
all voluntarily came forward and gave
their pay toward the benefit. A Polish
boy, who died at Walter Reed, left $50
in his win for the fund. And so it has
gone.
Mrs. Weeks 10 Give Window.
Included in the memorials are the
reredos, chimes, communion rails, pull
pit, hymnal boards, lectern, etc. A
beautiful stained glass window will be
given by Mrs. Weeks in memory of the
late Secretary of War Weeks. The or
gan will be given in memory of a gen.
eral who served in the Civil War.
The chapel tower will be memorial
to the well loved Brig. Gen. James D.
Glennan, who for eight years COM
manded the Army Medical Center and
who helped build the dream of the
chapel, but died before its realization.
Gen. Glennan had planned the tower
himself, patterning it after an old Eng
lish church tower built high upon a
cliff which he had observed as he sailed
one day into Plymouth, England. The
"a pews are memorials, as are the WIN
dows and the buttresses.
When completed, the chapel Is to be
under regulations prescribed by the
commanding officer of the Army Medi-
cal Center. It is to be strictly nom
sectarian in character. Upon accept
tance by the Secretary Of War it shall
become the property of the United
States, free from debt and without re-
strictions of its use. The corner stone
will be laid around Easter Sunday.