SALISBURY — Cheers sounded as Lonnie Poole Sr. entered the living center at the Salisbury VA on Jan. 4 to celebrate a very special day — his 100th birthday — where family and friends were there to help him celebrate.

Emotions of joy, happiness and love for those gathered could all be seen on his face as he raised his hands to wave to the crowd, and a big smile broke out, speaking volumes.

“I love you all,” Poole said to everyone, with tears in his eyes as they rolled him to the front of the room.

This is a day he had been waiting for.

“He has lived for this day,” said daughter Shelia Talbert of Albemarle.
Lonnie Poole Jr. of Georgia shared that his dad has been focusing on being 100, noting that he wanted to “be a century kid. So he’s a century kid today.”

Sharing how excited her dad was for the day, Talbert told with a big smile that one of her pastors came by that morning and Poole Sr. told him that he was awake at 12:01 that morning “wishing himself a happy birthday.”

In addition to his two children, Lonnie Jr. and his wife Debra and Shelia and her husband Jerry, two of his three grandchildren and five of his great-grandchildren were there. Other friends from Troy, where Poole was originally raised, came to help him celebrate this milestone occasion.
The celebration began with birthday wishes and welcomes from Kevin Stapleton, chief communications officer and Kevin Amick, executive director of the Salisbury VA, as they both expressed thanks for everyone being there and those who helped to make the event a success.

Amick made several presentations of a ceremonial coin, a certificate and a special letter of birthday greetings on behalf of Denis McDonough, United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs. The letter also expressed thanks to Poole for his service and sacrifice as he served in the United States Army Air Force with IX Troop Carrier Command in World War II.

“Our nation honors your service during World War II. You are part of this country’s greatest generation,” Amick read.

Poole enlisted in the military at 19, his son shared. He was a rifle instructor for several months prior to his being shipped overseas near the end of the war, serving in the glider troops. He was in England for close to two and a half years, returning home on the USS Enterprise.

Surrounded by his two children, Poole listened to the presentation and thanked everyone for coming. With emotion, he said, these are “tears of joy, not tears of sadness. I rejoice for people like you. That’s what I went into the service for, people like you. God bless.”

One of four children, Poole was only 12 when his dad died. Because they lived on a farm and the loss of their dad early, Poole Jr. shared that his dad had “to be an expert marksman with a 22 rifle, going out and shooting squirrels and rabbits,” which he would bring home for the family to live on.” Five years later, when he was 17, his mom passed away.

Not only did he serve his country, but Poole Sr. also served his community as a pastor. He was 17 and a half when he gave his heart to the Lord, his son shared, saying that when his dad was overseas and working with a pastor in Germany doing street ministry, playing the guitar, and singing and witnessing, he felt the call to the ministry.

Upon his return home, he attended Holmes Bible College in Greenville, South Carolina.

He met his wife Ann in Henderson, and she likewise attended Holmes Bible College, and they ended up getting married, Poole Jr. noted. They were married for more than 50 years prior to her passing away in 1999.

“All throughout his life, he has lived for the Lord,” Poole Jr. said of his dad, “that’s the biggest and most important thing in his life.”

Poole and his wife planted five churches.

“We were always in church, so that was the most important thing,” Poole Jr. said.

Known as a caring, giving, humble person to those who knew him and shared by multiple at the celebration, Poole helps to support multiple missionaries around the world, who have, in turn, planted numerous churches with congregations numbering the thousands.

“God is doing his work in this world,” Poole Sr. said with a huge smile. “I’m encouraged like I’ve never been before. Praise God.”

It was at his suggestion to help a family in need before Christmas, so he and his children supported a family in Georgia.

Poole Jr. shared that he’s “very humble” in anything he does.

This was also noted by friends Eugene Sexton, Rick Hogan and Sandy Dunn, all from Troy.

Serving as members of the Gideons together quite a few years ago, Sexton and Hogan shared stories of Poole during that time.

Sexton said he thought it was Poole who got him to join this group. And it was Hogan who shared that he and Poole would speak at churches in a neighboring county, and during those rides together, “you learn his heart,” learning how he and his wife helped establish churches, something he didn’t know until these opportunities arose to talk.

“You could associate him to be an, and I mean this with all my heart,” Hogan said, “an apostle because the word apostle means ‘sent.'”

During his 100 years, Poole Sr. has seen many changes take place as his son noted how his dad remembers riding in a wagon, riding a horse and buggy, and growing and selling vegetables in town.

“He has grown up through horse and buggy to cars to airplanes. He has seen the TV, cell phones and computers,” Poole Jr. told of his dad. “He has come through the very beginning to the high-tech stuff now. To see everything that he has seen is amazing.”

As guests enjoyed the special birthday cake made for the occasion and other refreshments, they took the opportunity to write memories to pass along to Poole and look at the scrapbook that was on the memorabilia table.

They also waited for their chance to speak with him, wish him a happy birthday and just reminisce with him.

His great nephew, Dean Luther of Pennsylvania, who serves as the head chaplain at the Lebanon VA, was there and shared that he loved his great uncle Lonnie, sharing a memory that he and his grandmother Annie Lyles, Lonnie’s sister, made the best persimmon pudding.

Another visitor, Nancy Raborn, with the VFW auxiliary, presented Poole with a patriotic blanket that she had made.

When asked by someone about considering the legacy of his dad and seeing all these generations gathered, Poole Jr. shared that “one of the most important things is giving of yourself to your country. It brings out some of the best in you, and I’m glad that I was able to serve, also. The most important thing is staying true to the Lord and family.”

Poole has lived a full life,” his son said and been through and seen a lot.
In the past few years, the family didn’t know a couple of times if he would make it, Talbert shared, as hospice was called in. But he pulled through.
“He’s a tough old bird,” she said with a chuckle.

Not able to see or watch TV, he does still enjoy reading, she continued.
“He’s got a reader that the VA gave him in his room, and he loves reading his Bible, and my brother sends him newsworthy things from the internet,” and if people send cards, he reads those too, Talbert noted.

Thanking those who have shown their love and care, he said with a twinkle in his eyes, “This is great. It couldn’t be greater.”

But there was one thing that Poole did want to pass along about it all, which he mentioned to his friend Hogan.

“I want this to be known, that I’m not deserving of any of this,” Poole shared. “God should get the glory and the honor. He said it’s all about God, about Jesus Christ.”