Van T. Barfoot died Remember the guy who wouldn't take the flag pole down on his Virginia property?

2015-08-19T18:15:13-04:00

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 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 wor, he later took on and destroyed three German tanks sent to retake the machine gun positions. That probably didn't make much news either,mgiven 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 hisNeighborhood Association's quibblewith 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 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

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 19 at 2015 6:15 PM

2015-08-19T18:15:41-04:00

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 19 at 2015 6:20 PM

2015-08-19T18:20:10-04:00

Rest in peace Colonel Van Barfoot. You done good.

Response by 1LT Gerald O'Hare made Aug 21 at 2015 10:59 AM

2015-08-21T10:59:03-04:00

I love this man.

Response by SGT Jimmy Russo made May 15 at 2022 6:45 AM

2022-05-15T06:45:55-04:00

I Love HOA 's

Response by SFC Gene Garcia made May 29 at 2023 10:05 AM

2023-05-29T10:05:54-04:00

Sounds like my kinda guy. Luckily my neighbors don't complain about mine.