Van T Barfoot has died...
Remember the
Guy who wouldn't take The flag pole Down
Guy who wouldn't take The flag pole Down
on his Virginia
Property a While back?
You might Remember the news story several
Months ago About a crotchety old man in
Virginia who Defied his local
Homeowners Association,
And refused to take down the
Flag pole on His property along with the large
American flag He flew on it.
Now we learn Who that old man was.
On June 15, 1919, Van T. Barfoot was born in
Edinburg, Texas .
That probably didn't make News back Then.
But
Twenty-five years later, on May 23, 1944,
Near
Carano ,
Italy ,
That same Van T. Barfoot, Who had in
Carano ,
Italy ,
That same Van T. Barfoot, Who had in
1940 enlisted in the U.S. Army, set Out alone
to Flank German machine gun Positions
From which gunfire was raining Down on his
Fellow soldiers.
His advance Took him through a minefield but
Having done So, he proceeded to single-handedly
Take out Three enemy machine gun positions,
Returning With 17 prisoners of war.
And if that Weren't enough for a day's work,
he Later Took on and
Destroyed three German tanks Sent to
Retake the machine gun positions.
That probably Didn't make much news either,
Given the Scope of the war, but it did earn
Van T. Barfoot, who retired as a Colonel after
Also serving In Korea and Vietnam , a well Deserved
Congressional Medal of Honor.
What did make News...
Was his Neighborhood Association's
Quibble with how the 90-year-old Veteran chose
To fly the American flag outside His suburban
Virginia home.
Seems the HOA rules Said it was
OK to fly a flag on a house-mounted Bracket, but,
For decorum, items such as
Barfoot's
21-foot Flagpole were "unsuitable".
Van Barfoot
Had been denied a permit for The pole, but
Had been denied a permit for The pole, but
Erected it anyway and was facing Court action
Unless he agreed to take it down.
Then the HOA Story made national TV,
And the Neighborhood Association rethought
Its position And agreed to indulge this
Aging hero Who dwelt among them.
"In the Time I have left", he said to the
Associated Press,
"I plan to continue To fly the
American flag without interference."
As Well he should.
And if any of his neighbors had taken a
Notion to Contest him
Further, they might have done well to
Read his Medal of Honor citation first.
Seems it Indicates
Mr. Van Barfoot wasn't
Particularly Good at
Backing down.
If you got
This emai and didn't pass it on -
This emai and didn't pass it on -
Guess what -
You need your butt kicked
You need your butt kicked
I sent this
To you, because I didn't want MY butt kicked!
To you, because I didn't want MY butt kicked!
WE ONLY LIVE IN THE LAND OF THE FREE BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE!
AND, BECAUSE OF OLD MEN
LIKE VAN BARFOOT!