Category: Support the troops

You probably remember Col. Van T. Barfoot, the 90-year-old Medal of Honor recipient who was being harrassed by his homeowners’ association. Well, this was just passed over to us;

From the Richmond WTVR Channel 6 website:

HENRICO COUNTY – The Sussex Square Homeowners Association Board has just released the following statement regarding a World War II veteran’s battle to keep his flagpole:

“The Sussex Square Homeowners Association Board has agreed to withdraw legal action previously announced for Friday, December 11, 2009 at 5:00 p.m. against Colonel Van T. Barfoot regarding the flagpole located on his property.”

It appears from this statement, that the board will allow the Colonel to keep his flagpole, however, the homeowner’s association says it is not taking questions at this time. CBS 6 tried to reach Colonel Barfoot for comment but only received a recorded message.

From the Richmond/Petersburg WRIC Channel 8 website:

Update: The Office of Senator Mark Warner has released the following statement on behalf of the Sussex Square Homeowners Association Board:

“The Sussex Square Homeowners Association Board has agreed to withdraw legal action previously announced for Friday, December 11, 2009 at 5:00pm against Colonel Van T. Barfoot regarding the flagpole located on his property.”

Update: In response to the controversy involving 90-year old Medal of Honor recipient Col. Van Barfoot and the Sussex Square Homeowners’ Association, Virginia Congressman Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-CA) have introduced a resolution that would allow Congressional Medal of Honor recipients to display the American flag on their property at all times. The following is the official release:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-CA) and Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) introduced a resolution, H. Res. 952, allowing Congressional Medal of Honor recipients to properly display the United States flag on their property at all times.

Recent media reports, including from the Mark Levin Show, uncovered a 90 year old Medal of Honor recipient, Col. Van T. Barfoot, who was ordered by his homeowner association last week to remove a flagpole from his yard, where he raises the American flag faithfully each morning.

“I was appalled to learn that one of our decorated Congressional Medal of Honor veterans was being prevented from proudly displaying the Flag of the United States of America in an honorable way,” said Rep. McKeon. “This reminds me of that famous quote by George Washington: ‘The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional as to how they perceive the Veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their country.’ Our service men and women – especially those living with honors and distinction- should be allowed to fly the flag that represents the very freedoms they fought so hard to protect.”

“It’s a sad day when a veteran of three wars is told he cannot fly the American flag on a pole outside of his home,” said Republican Whip Cantor. “Col. Barfoot made countless sacrifices, wore our country’s uniform with honor, and has earned the right to proudly display the American flag. I thank Col. Barfoot for his service and support his patriotism and efforts, as well as those here in the House, to allow him to fly his flag.”

My son’s redeployment ceremony was yesterday.

That’s him in the 1st Squad Leader position.
Here he is at work a few weeks ago;
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Zedechek was the first to send us this link last night about a Medal of Honor recipient who is locked in a battle for the his right to fly an American flag in his front yard;

Col. Van T. Barfoot says he erected the 21-foot flagpole in September, raising the flag daily at sunrise and retiring it at sunset.

The Sussex Square homeowners’ association told him recently that the free-standing pole violates the townhouse neighborhood’s aesthetic guidelines and ordered him to remove it by 5 p.m. Friday or face a lawsuit.

“I don’t have any qualms with their authority, but the thing about it is that I cannot get enough conversation out of them where we can try to work out a solution,” Barfoot said Wednesday in a telephone interview.

A telephone message left for Alexandra D. Bowen, a lawyer representing the association, wasn’t immediately returned on Wednesday.

This is from Colonel Barfoot’s Medal of Honor citation;

With his platoon heavily engaged during an assault against forces well entrenched on commanding ground, 2d Lt. Barfoot (then Tech. Sgt.) moved off alone upon the enemy left flank. He crawled to the proximity of 1 machinegun 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 machinegun 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.

Imagine that in this country, after going through all that, he now has to fight a band of dickheads.

Tankerbabe sends us this link;

The Barfoot family is accepting donations from supporters but wants the money to go to the USO, the military service organization.

“We want the money to go the families of servicemen, not us,” said Margaret Nicholls, Col. Van T. Barfoot’s daughter.

Checks should be made out to the USO and sent to: Stand Tall for Colonel Barfoot, c/o The Hoople Group, 12105 Browning Court, Richmond, Va. 23233.

To dispel rumors that we’re a covert American Legion blog, I communicate with the VFW, too.

The post commander at Post #27 in Weisbaden Germany wants to let you know that that your VFW dues are helping troops who arrive in Germany from the war with nothing but the clothes on their backs. So here’s a video from AFN that he sent me;

Here’s a radio interview radio interview he did for more information.

Two Army doctors at Darnall Army Hospital at Fort Hood describe the visit by the former President and Laura Bush;
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