Work on the replacement in kind of the Protestant Chaplains Memorial and the plaque that honors those killed in service to the nation at Chaplains Hill at Arlington National Cemetery is moving forward.
“This is a done deal,” said Ken Kaetzer of American Legion Post/Squadron 135 White Plains, New York, who has been working on the effort to update the memorial for nearly 10 years. “After receiving final requirements, we received approval from Arlington to install it in September. They said once its installation is complete, we can discuss a dedication date.”
More than a decade ago, Kaetzer was doing research on veterans from his hometown of Pelham, New York, as well as veterans who attended his Alma mater, Providence College, in Providence, Rhode Island.
“When we Googled the names on the Grotto Memorial tablets at Providence, we found out that two of our World War II casualties were chaplains honored at Chaplains Hill at Arlington,” he said.
That discovery led Kraetzer and several other members of the New York State Detachment of the Sons of the American Legion to visit Chaplains Hill.
While visiting the memorial, which is located in Section 2 of the cemetery, the group found the Providence names on the Catholic Monument. Then they began looking for the names of the “Four Chaplains” who perished aboard the troopship Dorchester when it was struck by a German submarine during World War II, but could only find the three names of the Protestant and Catholic chaplains.
“There was no place for the rabbi to be honored because there was only memorials there at the time for Catholic, World War II and Protestant chaplains,” he said. “We called the Jewish War Veterans and together a project was started.”
In 2011, both houses of Congress approved the establishment of a memorial to Jewish chaplains who gave their lives in service to the nation to be placed at Arlington.
“We finished that project but one of the things that was glaring was that the Protestant memorial had never been updated beyond World War II,” Kaetzer said. “The original Protestant plaque was donated to Arlington from another location and then the Catholic plaque was added, which was up to date at the time it was donated in 1989.”
A total of 117 names from the old plaque will be copied over to the new one. The new plaque will present 25 chaplain names who died in service since WWII, nine names of chaplains killed in the Korean conflict; seven from the Vietnam War; four from the Cold War era and five from post 9/11 conflicts.
“Adding the new names is very important” said Kaetzer. “Two of the chaplains from the Korean War remain missing in action after being taken prisoner while ministering to wounded at a camp that was captured.”
Dignity Memorial is donating the Barre, Vermont granite for the replacement in kind memorial.
“We think that’s about a $25,000 donation,” he said. “What’s also important is that they are going to install it for us. You have to get a crane to lift this thing and put it in place on Chaplains Hill. It’s 25 feet up. We are very appreciative.”
Other changes are also potentially on the way to Chaplains Hill. Retired Rear Adm. Harold Robinson, a rabbi who was instrumental in getting the Jewish Monument placed on Chaplains Hill, said the renderings provided by architect Bruno Carvalho for a pathway to the monuments would make it accessible for those with mobility challenges.
“The Americans with Disabilities Act requires about 11 feet of ramp for every foot of elevation,” he said. “We’re designing it from the north along the road. It is possible to add columbarium space to the design, to provide additional interment space to the cemetery.”
“A pathway will make Chaplains Hill an accessible destination for all from scouts to Honor Flights,” added Kaetzer, son of a World War II Army officer.
The dedication ceremony for the replacement Protestant memorial could take place in either October or November.
Pentagram Staff Writer Julia LeDoux can be reached at jledoux@dcmilitary.com.