Marine Corps Base Quantico -- Driving down Catlin Avenue or Embry Loop aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico, one can clearly see the steeple of the chapel reaching up into the sky. The building itself is a thing of beauty on the outside, boasting a contemporary-Colonial architecture with a Georgian theme. But, The United States Marine Corps Memorial Chapel, as it is officially dubbed, holds a unique beauty on the inside as well. Instead of the typical stained glass windows one would normally expect to see in a chapel, the MCM chapel has etched glass windows, with each art piece depicting an important scene in Marine Corps history.

Perhaps the earliest part of history depicted in the window art is the drawing that boasts the very beginnings of the Marine Corps. “Thou has girded me with strength unto the battle” Psalm 18:39 dons the bottom of the window. The rest of the window is dedicated to the founding of the Marines on Nov. 10, 1775. The etching includes an eagle and a shield bearing a fouled anchor and surrounded by 13 stars, a design honoring the buttons of the first Marine uniforms. A Continental Marine stands before the Philadelphia Tun Tavern, the legendary birthplace of the Corps and the first Marine recruiting rendezvous. In the upper section of the window is an open book, while the hand of Destiny, holding a victor’s wreath, points to the yet unwritten pages of Marine Corps history.

Also depicted in the 18 etched windows are important battles, Lt. Col. John Glenn’s historic flight through space on Feb. 20, 1962 and one window is dedicated to enlisted Marines, to name a few. But, the one thing besides Marine Corps history that each window has in common is that they were all born from a labor of love.

None of the windows were paid for by the government or the Marine Corps. The window art was accomplished through the donations of quarters, nickels, dimes and even pennies from those who loved the chapel and what it stands for — a remembrance of those that have served and sacrificed.

So, the next time you visit the chapel, be sure to notice and appreciate the unique etchings that adorn the windows. You likely will not see anything like it in any other chapel.