The Air Force Academy Chapel (video 1) has become one of the icons in American ecclesiastical architecture and the most visited man-made monument in Colorado. ^{Ref. 1} However, it was embroiled in controversy from its inception to its completion, resulting in significant changes in the design and structure. When the original design was rejected, the architect, Walter A. Netsch, Jr., was forced to return to the drawing board in search of a more acceptable proposal. Had the controversy not existed, it is doubtful that Netsch would have been credited with the design of the chapel, but would have remained an anonymous team player within the firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM).