WICCOPEE – Back in 2018, when performing the annual ritual of placing flags on the graves of veterans, Commander Jim Reynolds of American Legion Post 1758
in Hopewell Junction discovered that the headstone of Revolutionary War veteran Henry Charlock, located in a small cemetery in Wiccopee in the Town of East Fishkill, had fallen over or been vandalized and was broken.
The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs does replace broken headstones, but only those of people who served in the U.S. military, which included Washington’s Continental Army. Since
Charlock fought with the New York Militia, he was not eligible.
Initially, it was considered to raise money with a GoFundMe campaign. But when Dutchess County initiated a veterans’ micro-grant program, Commander Reynolds applied for money to pay for the headstone, and the application was approved.
With the help of Cassidy Memorials, a new headstone was designed, ordered and delivered and put in place last fall. A proper dedication was scheduled for Independence Day, 2024.
When the day arrived, many local dignitaries came, including town, county and state officials as well as representatives of the daughters of the American Revolution, and a group of Revolutionary War reenactors.
