Sergeant Elizabeth Poles was the daughter of Woodson Poles Junior. Woodson was born February 4, 1928, in Smedley, Virginia, to farmer Woodson “Woody” Poles and Mary Elizabeth Freeman.  In March 1946 Woodson entered the Army in Richmond, Virginia.  While stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia, he married Hazel Green from Phenix City, Alabama, in 1948.  In 1950 Woodson deployed to South Korea following the outbreak of the Korean War in June of that year.  He returned safely to the United States as a Corporal in August 1951 and was discharged from the Army in March 1954.  Woodson and Hazel settled in Phenix City and their daughter Elizabeth (known as Libby) was born August 21, 1957.  Woodson eventually moved back to Virginia and worked as a custodial supervisor for Fairfax County schools before retiring to Sperryville in Rappahannock County.  After attending Central High School in Phenix City, Libby followed her father into the Army.  She was stationed at Fort Meade in Maryland in 1981 and with the 73rd Transportation Company (10th Transportation Battalion) at Fort Eustis, Virginia in 1983.  In April 1983 Libby married follow soldier Darryl JeDon Bennett.  During her time in the Army she was awarded the Army Achievement Medal and the Army Commendation Medal.  By the early 1990s Libby and Darryl had left the Army, Libby as a Sergeant and Darryl as a Staff Sergeant.  Sadly, Libby lost her father Woodson May 13, 2008, and husband Darryl December 22, 2009.  Woodson was buried in Section 1 of Culpeper National Cemetery and Darryl in Jakin, Georgia.  Following the trauma of their deaths Libby was treated at VA Hospitals in North Carolina and Alabama.  She was living in Culpeper when she passed away May 1, 2018.  Libby is buried in Section 4 of Culpeper National Cemetery, not far from her father Woodson.

This is a 1973 high school picture of Elizabeth Poles.

ELIZABETH POLES

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