A SALUTE TO AN AMERICAN HERO - VAN T BARFOOT - MAY HE SEEN GOD

Submitted by: P McMillan

Van T Barfoot died... read on....

Yes   Remember the 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 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 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 email and didn't pass it on -

Guess what - You need your butt kicked

I sent this 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!