Cathedral of the Air

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The Cathedral of the Air sits in a grove of trees and grassy fields and soars like man's attempts to fly, rising in Gothic lines to the sky. Located on Lakehurst's Center Street outside the front entrance to the Naval Air Engineering Station, the Cathedral of the Air is maintained by base personnel. An annual nondenominational service for America's prisoners of war and missing in action is held here.

The Cathedral of the Air was conceived in the late 1920s by a member of the American Legion, Gill Robb Wilson of Trenton, with ground broken in 1932 for a memorial to the self-sacrifice and devoted service of aviators. This cathedral was built entirely by the AMERICAN LEGION. There were no federal subsidies or grants, and the labor was mostly by volunteers.

Eighteen stained-glass windows have been installed through the years commemorating the history of flight in fact and in myth -- from the mighty horse Pegasus and the wax wings of Icarus, to one window honoring Dr. Hugo Eckener, the German pioneer of lighter-than-air aviation. depictions of humanity’s quest to reach the heavens. It begins with the myths of pegasus and Icarus’ wax wings. The 18 panels then gradually lead along the history of human flight, from experimentation with lighter-than-air travel such as zeppelin airships to the Wright Brothers pioneering airplane flight. The windows dazzle the eyes. The spectrum of colors falls on the pews and nondenominational worshippers amid the subdued sounds of prayer.

It's a unique institution, sitting as it does outside the main gate, yet maintained by the government. Many people find it a comforting place to take stock of themselves. It's a beautiful place often used by military personnel for weddings.

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