THROWBACK THURSDAY- Courtesy of Lesley from the West Hempstead Historical Society!
Every Memorial Day, we gather in West Hempstead to form a parade, place a wreath and attend gatherings to remember the sacrifices that individuals and families have made during times of war. In July, The Historical Society will display its exhibit “War and West Hempstead” at the library. Our community has had a long history in various conflicts, the first being by Tanglewood Preserve on June 22, 1776 at the Battle of Hempstead Swamp. Supposedly, loyalists wanted to kidnap General Washington but were arrested by Patriots. Our archives show no accounts of involvement in the Civil War but are quite detailed about the Spanish American War. In the second photo we see Charles Langdon’s father (Charles became prominent in real estate and insurance) in a tent at war in 1898. Camp Black was in Hempstead and Abner Bedell’s home in West Hempstead on the Turnpike was used to treat veterans in 1897. This site, which was called Nassau Hospital, has become Winthrop Hospital. On August 17th, 1927, Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt, wife of the late President, dedicated a Spanish American War monument in West Hempstead after a parade and flowers dropping from airplanes to mark the event.
After WWI, two American Legion Posts were started in our community-the Cathedral Post and the Robert Van Cott. The Cathedral Post put up a memorial for WWI in 1939 on Railroad Avenue at the Plaza for the old train line that went into Mineola. Two thousand people attended the dedication of the boulder, plaque and cannon. By 1942, America was at war again and the cannon from the WWI memorial was melted down for scrap metal and the monument was moved to the Cathedral Post. Master Sergeant Arthur McLean served in both WWI and WWII. He ultimately received the Bronze Star.
Consider the dedication of Henry Viscardi who was wounded in WWII. Eleanor Roosevelt urged him to create a place for wounded veterans to obtain work and Abilities of West Hempstead was born. Viscardi went on to serve as the disability advisor for eight Presidents and founded the Viscardi Center. Town of Hempstead has placed a sign in his honor at the original West Hempstead site of Abilities.
In 1973, a monument to all veterans who fought for “the life, liberty and happiness of this great nation” was dedicated at Echo Park. In 1973 a monument, “We Remember” was dedicated at Hall’s Pond Park for the Korean and Vietnam War veterans. On July 14th 2016, we dedicated the 911 Memorial at Hall’s Pond Park in memory of the twelve members of our community killed at the World Trade Center attack on September 11, 2001. Steel from the collapsed buildings was used to make the monument.
At this year’s parade on May 30th, everyone reading this will be a little more informed about our community and war. And be sure to look for our society President, John Shaud, who wears his Civil War uniform in honor of his relative, Major Daniel Sickles. See you there!
Original source can be found here.
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