Sunday, December 13, 2009

Head east from Carthage on Mississippi 16 toward Philadelphia and after a
few miles a sign says you're in Edinburg.

It's a good thing the sign's there, because there's no other way to tell.

On June 15, 1919, Van T. Barfoot was born in Edinburg. Probably didn't make
much news. Twenty-five years later, on May 23, 1944, near Carano,Italy, Van T. Barfoot, who had enlisted in the Army in 1940, set out to flank German machine gun positions from which fire was coming down on his fellow soldiers. He
advanced through a minefield, took out three enemy machine gun positions and
returned with 17 prisoners of war.

If that wasn'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 Congressional Medal of Honor.

What did make news last week was a neighborhood association's quibble with
how the 90-year-old veteran chose to fly the American flag outside his suburban Virginia home. Seems the rules said a flag could be flown on a house-mounted bracket, but, for decorum, items such as Barfoot's 21-foot flagpole were unsuitable.

He had been denied a permit for the pole, erected it anyway and was facing
court action if he didn't take it down. Since the story made national TV,
the neighborhood association has rethought its position and agreed to
indulge this old hero who dwells among them.

"In the time I have left I plan to continue to fly theAmerican flag without
interference," Barfoot told The Associated Press. As well he should.

And if any of his neighbors still takes a notion to contest him, they might
want to read his Medal of Honor citation. It indicates he's not real good at backing down.


Van T. Barfoot's Medal of Honor citation reads;
This 1944 Medal of Honor citation, listed with the National Medal of Honor
Society, is for Second Lieutenant Van T. Barfoot, 157th Infantry, 45th
Infantry:

"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and
beyond the call of duty on 23 May 1944, nearCarano, Italy. With his platoon
heavily engaged during an assault against forces well entrenched on
commanding ground, 2d Lt. Barfoot moved off alone upon the enemy left flank.
He crawled to the proximity of 1 machine gun nest and made a direct hit on
it with a hand grenade, killing 2 and wounding 3 Germans. He continued along
the German defense line to another machine gun emplacement, and with his
tommygun killed 2 and captured 3 soldiers. Members of another enemy
machinegun crew then abandoned their position and gave themselves up to Sgt.
Barfoot. Leaving the prisoners for his support squad to pick up, he
proceeded to mop up positions in the immediate area, capturing more
prisoners and bringing his total count to 17. Later that day, after he had
reorganized his men and consolidated the newly captured ground, the enemy
launched a fierce armored counterattack directly at his platoon positions.
Securing a bazooka, Sgt. Barfoot took up an exposed position directly in
front of 3 advancing Mark VI tanks. From a distance of 75 yards his first
shot destroyed the track of the leading tank, effectively disabling it,
while the other 2 changed direction toward the flank. As the crew of the
disabled tank dismounted, Sgt. Barfoot killed 3 of them with his tommygun.
He continued onward into enemy terrain and destroyed a recently abandoned
German fieldpiece with a demolition charge placed in the breech. While
returning to his platoon position, Sgt. Barfoot, though greatly fatigued by
his Herculean efforts, assisted 2 of his seriously wounded men 1,700 yards
to a position of safety. Sgt. Barfoot's extraordinary heroism, demonstration
of magnificent valor, and aggressive determination in the face of point
blank fire are a perpetual inspiration to his fellow soldiers."

When I saw the title of this thread I just knew a h.o.a., Home Owners Association, was involved. Those idiots have nothing better to do than to tell other people how to live their lives. I'm sure there are others who might like h.o.a., to keep up property values or such, but I will never, ever, buy a house anywhere where those morons think they can control things.

Good for him and I hope he flies that flag for many, many more years.

More than nearly any other citizen, COL (USA Ret) Van T. Barfoot has earned the right to fly Old Glory in a respectful manner as he sees fit.

I hope he continues to do so and he lives past 110!

I say ditto to that Rodger. The whole thing reads like a Rambo movie. It is that kind of courage that helped defeat the Nazis . If not for individuals like him there would be no homeowners association or even an America as we know it today. I understand the concept of it but to me ones private property need be controlled by the owner and not the dictates of others. This guy should be able to fly his flag any way he wants not withstanding disrespect to the flag such as upside down for example. The homeowners should be proud and I wonder what in the h..l they are thinking. I suppose stupid can't be fixed sometimes............

As they used to say when I was working for the gummint:

"Don't f**k with a truck....you'll get dumped!"

Way to go, Colonel. Give 'em hell.

Semper Fi,
Dave