Thursday, October 1, 2026
Musket balls whizzing past soldiers’ ears, canons hurling lead balls across muddy fields, the glint of bloody bayonets in the sunlight. These are the sounds and sights of wars fought for American freedom.
War veterans’ burial sites exist all over Long Island. Right here in Hempstead, 25 veterans are interred among the 500 graves in the churchyard of St. George’s Episcopal Church on Front Street.
Wayne Haddock and his brother, Steve Haddock, are making sure that the gravesites — and the bravery — of those veterans won’t be forgotten.
Wayne, 59, and Steve, 62, are members of the Sons of the American Revolution, Long Island Chapter.
Wayne is also a member of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, Moses A. Baldwin Camp. His passion during his four years with the SAR has been finding veterans’ burial sites on Long island, starting with the American Revolutionary War. It was through his efforts that all 25 of the veterans buried at St. George’s were identified.
He further discovered that seven men interred at St. George’s, including the two Revolutionary War veterans, had committed themselves to the Articles of Association of the First Continental Congress in 1774. By doing so, they established their loyalty to the cause of the United States, and were designated patriots.
A signpost with a plaque carrying the seven patriot’s names was installed at St. George’s by the Sons of the American Revolution on May 17.
“I used the original military records to find the men,” Wayne said. “Then I researched them on Ancestry.com, on Fold3.com, and historic reference books about Queens County. Also, I ordered their military records from the National Archives.”
Wayne’s mission is to keep the ancient gravesites visible. To this end, he and Steve personally visit the graveyards. When the original markers for the veterans have become too broken or weatherworn to be read, Wayne appeals to the Veterans Administration.
The VA will provide, for free, either an upright marker if the original monument is tumbledown, or a flat in-ground marker if the original monument is standing but illegible.
The markers are white stone, engraved with the soldiers’ names, birth and death years, and regiment.
On Sept. 20, the Haddock brothers brought the last of six white stone grave markers to St. George’s in Wayne’s truck. The upright marker was installed on the grave of a War of 1812 soldier named Joseph Dorlon, who was a corporal in the 2nd Regiment of the New York Militia (popularly known as Bedel’s Regiment).
Helping with the installation were Bill Johnson, facilities manager for St. George’s, vestry warden Donald Franklin, and Fr. Sean Wallace, rector.
“I am honored to contribute to the restoration of the grave markers of those who gave their lives for a free America,” said Franklin, who has participated in the installation of three of the markers.
On May 17, a marker for Samuel Clowes of Bedel’s Regiment was installed, and on Sept. 5, new stones for three War of 1812 veterans and one Civil War private who died in action gleamed from the grass.
The installation of Dorlon’s monument on Sept. 20 completed the task that the Haddock brothers had set for themselves at St. George’s.
St. George’s can now guide visitors to the graves of two Revolutionary War veterans, 16 veterans of the War of 1812, five from the Civil War, one from World War I, and one man who served in both World Wars (Lt. Col. Albert Hendrix Stone, a military chaplain).
“The history of St. George’s Church is virtually synonymous with the history of Hempstead,” said Rev. Wallace. “We are very grateful to Wayne Haddock for all his research. We are also grateful for the Veterans Administration for their efforts in providing tombstones.”
