The Cadet Chapel, with its seventeen shining spires, first captured my imagination during a family trip to the Air Force Academy in the early 1970s. Back then, the cadets were all men, and college felt like a distant dream. Still, the gleaming peaks of that chapel stayed with me—symbols of aspiration, courage, and faith. Fast forward to August 1980, Parents’ Weekend: Here I am! —now a proud member of Stalag 17 Squadron, Class of 1984. The painting before you is inspired by a photo we took that weekend, a moment forever etched in my heart. The Protestant Cadet Chapel became my spiritual home—my true Alma Mater. Within its soaring walls, I found restoration, resilience, and community through the Cadet Choir and congregation. With Mr. Boyd at the console of the majestic 4,334-pipe organ, we lifted our voices to High Flight, patriotic medleys, and the beloved Air Force Hymn. I can still see the sunlight streaming through the stained glass, scattering color across the pews, and hear the soft creak of the aluminum panels as clouds passed overhead. It was here, in 1983, that I married a 1982 graduate—my choir companion and the love of my life. Forty-two years later, that love still endures. (The story of how we managed to marry in 1983 is a tale for another day!) In 2024, I returned for my class reunion and set up my easel on the overlook, ready to paint the view that had once inspired me so deeply. But the familiar silhouette was gone. The iconic spires that once reached for the heavens had been replaced by a massive white enclosure. The chapel—our landmark of light—was being restored. When I joined the cadets for lunch in Mitchell Hall, I realized with a pang that none of them had ever seen the chapel as we knew it. They hadn’t sung beneath its soaring arches or felt the peace that flowed through that sacred space. Though I understand that time brings change, my heart aches knowing that this generation hasn’t yet experienced that part of our shared heritage. Still, I hold onto hope. I pray that future cadets—women and men alike—will one day step into the restored chapel and feel the same inspiration and comfort that once filled our hearts. And when High Flight rings out once more within those walls, I know the spirit of the chapel—and all who loved it—will rise again.