Virginia Tech Alumni Association News - Fall 2001
War Memorial Monument and Chapel Restoration and Rededication
Virginia Tech alumni of the last century were passionate about service to their nation - many who were alumni and students in the early 1940s went to war. All who fought in combat, fought bravely. Not all survived. Those who made the ultimate sacrifice were not to be forgotten. Their names are inscribed on the memorial that was built on campus and officially dedicated in May, 1960. Eventually, the names of all Virginia Tech alumni and students killed in defense of their country in the 20th century were inscribed on the eight pylons.
It has been forty-one years since the vision of grateful alumni became reality. This magnificent monument and chapel were the culmination of that vision. It has been a focal point of the campus and probably the place most often visited, photographed, sketched and painted. Its restoration was completed this August and rededicated on September 8 as a treasured part of the campus.
The monument's pylons seem to rise out of the earth through the chapel and reach to the heavens. On each is inscribed a "character trait" of the university, which actually constituted the true core values of the institution then, as they remain today Brotherhood, Duty, Honor, Loyalty, Leadership, Service, Sacrifice and Ut Prosim. Also inscribed are the names of 419 alumni and students who died in service to their nation during World Wars I & II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and Desert Storm.
Alumni volunteers began raising funds for the project months after the war ended in 1945 and continued well into the 1960s. Its original cost was half a million dollars. Construction began in 1951. Its contractor was the English Construction Company, an alumnus-owned company which waived all profit margins for the project. Its talented sculptors were Donald DeLue, Henry Kreis, and Charles Rudy.
The recently completed restoration included repair of storm drainage, restoration of the pylons, resealing the roof of the chapel, terrace restoration, installation of new lighting, and enhancements to the chapel interior.
There is nothing quite like it on any campus. It symbolizes more than sacrifice - more than character traits. It is truly symbolic of the university motto, Ut Prosim, That I May Serve.
Construction of the War Memorial spanned nine years, 1951-1960