Following the death of their son, U.S. Marine Corps First Lieutenant Victor David Westphall III, Jeanne and Dr. Victor Westphall began construction of the Vietnam Veterans Peace and Brotherhood Chapel to honor the memory of their son and the fifteen men that died with him near Con Thien, South Vietnam on May 22, 1968.

David's mother, Jeanne Westphall, suggested that the money from David's life insurance policies be used to create the "Vietnam Veterans Peace and Brotherhood Chapel." She and David's father, Dr. Victor Westphall dedicated the rest of their lives to seeing this vision become a reality.

Building a memorial to honor Vietnam veterans was not popular during this time; the country was still involved in an increasingly unpopular war in Vietnam. However, the Westphall family persevered, relying primarily on its own financial resources.

The Chapel was dedicated on May 22, 1971, the 3rd anniversary of the death of 1st Lt. David Westphall. It was the first major memorial created to honor the veterans of the Vietnam War, and inspired the establishment of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C., which was completed over ten years later, in 1982.

Victor "Doc" Westphall dedicated his life to the Memorial. He lived in an apartment on site, and his entire purpose was honoring his son and the more than 58,000 others who died in Vietnam. He reached out to the families that had lost their loved ones, and welcomed home the "maimed in body and spirit". In his own words, "We who must will do what we can to encourage humankind to preserve rather than to destroy."