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Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Hackley Family World War I Correspondence, 1917-1918, Ms2025-045, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
The Hackley Family World War I Correspondence was purchased by Special Collections and University Archives in July 2016.
The processing, arrangement, and description of the Hackley Family World War I Correspondence was completed in June 2025.
Woodford B. Hackley was born August 2, 1894, in Culpeper County, Virginia. His father was Walter Hackley and mother was Alice Wood Hackley. He was enlisted into military service on September 28, 1917, and was discharged April 10, 1919. He married Elizabeth Clair Blair, who died in 1987. Woodford died on September 24, 1978.
External sources:
Woodford Broadus Hackley. February 13, 2007. Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/17917465/woodford_broadus-hackley. Accessed June 16, 2025.
Woodford Broadus Hackley in the U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010. Ancestry Library. https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/search/collections/2441/records/7551313. Accessed June 16, 2025.
The collection contains four letters sent during World War I. The first was sent from France on October 6, 1917. The letter was handwritten by Sgt. Dan P. Wood and addressed to Alice M. Hackley, his aunt. Dan writes about memories of a friend and his hopes for a reunion when everyone returns home. The second letter was sent from France on November 1, 1917, and was handwritten by William H. Beach. It is addressed to W.B. Hackley, a fellow soldier. William writes that he is unsure of where Hackley is and the intention of the letter is to locate him. Letter three was a typed letter, sent on January 30, 1918, by Dan Hackley and was addressed to Woodford Hackley. He writes that he has been stationed at three different towns while in France and he wonders if Woodford has arrived there yet. He also questions Woodford's work at the University of Virginia hospital unit. The fourth letter was handwritten and sent on December 18, 1918 to Woodford Hackley. The letter informs Woodoford that the sender has arrived in France.
The guide to the Hackley Family World War I Correspondence by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (