The Old Cadet Chapel at the United States Military Academy

Real Places Behind THE QUEST OF KIP SAUNDERS

Old Cadet Chapel

Built in the neoclassical style in 1836, the Old Cadet Chapel originally stood near The Plain. When the Academy expanded its academic buildings and constructed the massive new Military Gothic Cadet Chapel overlooking the campus in 1910, officials determined that the old chapel was no longer needed. It was scheduled for demolition.

Cadets and alumni came to the rescue. They couldn’t part with a chapel that meant so much to them, where cadets were married, funerals performed, babies of graduates baptized, and prayers offered. The cadets and alumni raised funds to move the Old Chapel stone by stone to its new location inside the front entrance to the West Point Cemetery. That is where it has stood since 1911.

Inside the building, the wooden floor beneath the red carpet creaks when walked upon. The white pews are straight-backed and trimmed with stained oak. Above the raised sanctuary are the words, "Righteousness exalteth a nation; But sin is a reproach to any people." Along the walls hang many bronze plaques with the names and dates of famous Revolutionary War heroes, including George Washington and Henry Knox. One plaque is blank except for the title “Major General” and the date of birth “1740.” Many years ago, generations of cadets erased the disgraced name from the plaque of the traitor Benedict Arnold who failed in his attempt to turn West Point over to the British.

The chapel is a hallowed place. Quiet, except for the occasional creak of the old wooden floor. Peaceful. A place to reflect, to take stock, and to pray.

I visited the Old Chapel occasionally when I was a cadet. Whenever I stepped inside, questions crowded my mind: Can I uphold the righteousness proclaimed above the sanctuary? Can I possess the fortitude and courage of Washington and the other revolutionaries? Can I avoid the ambition and greed of Benedict Arnold? Can I live by the Academy’s motto, “Duty, Honor, Country”?

Beneath all those questions was one that mattered even more: Can I become the man God intended me to be?

That final question lies at the heart of THE QUEST OF KIP SAUNDERS. Kip's journey isn't really about returning to West Point. It's about answering that very question.

Looking back now, I realize I probably wasn't the only cadet asking those questions. Every generation has likely walked through the doors of the Old Cadet Chapel carrying doubts, hopes, fears, and dreams. The building has witnessed countless moments of celebration and sorrow, of confidence and uncertainty, of beginnings and endings.

The Old Cadet Chapel is more than a historic building. It's a place where young men and women confront life's most important questions. The answers help shape the course of their lives, but they are discovered one choice at a time.

And maybe that's true for all of us. We each need a quiet place now and then—a place where the noise of the world fades and where we can honestly examine our hearts. I didn't find easy answers, but the chapel gave me a quiet place to seek them. Sometimes, that's where every worthwhile journey begins.