07/09/2026
What an interesting conversation about a former WWII Military Chapel!
A former member of Zion Lutheran Church in Latimer and a graduate of Herington High School, Matt Wendt, shared a postcard of a WWII Military Chapel he found recently at a museum in Los Alamos, New Mexico.
Matt said the following: “A woman at the museum shared background information about the postcard, saying that in 1947, a WWII military chapel was moved from Santa Fe to Los Alamos (after the war ended) because the community didn't have a church. Rather than moving it intact, they carefully took the chapel apart and rebuilt it at its new location, which makes sense considering how narrow the roads would have been.”
This woman also mentioned that over the years, the congregation made many changes to the building, including adding stained-glass windows.
Here are some other facts about this former Military Chapel in Los Alamos:
• Originally constructed in 1943 at Bruns General Army Hospital in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
• Relocated to Los Alamos, New Mexico, in 1947 to serve the growing community following World War II.
• Originally built as a standard U.S. Army 800 Series, Type CH-1 Regimental Chapel.
• Served as an ecumenical sanctuary for all faiths—Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant—during the early days of the Manhattan Project. Just like the chapel at the Herington Army Airfield, it welcomed people of all faiths under one roof.
• During the secret Manhattan Project, there were initially no church buildings in Los Alamos, so residents held worship services in community buildings until the chapel was relocated there.
• Like the Latimer chapel, it began its life serving the spiritual needs of military personnel during World War II.
Matt said he shared information about the Latimer Lutheran Church with the woman and showed her photos. She was fascinated to learn that our chapel remains about 95% original from its days as a WWII military chapel—a truly rare piece of Kansas and military history that we're proud to be a part of.
