Nobody’s Email: American Hero—Van T. Barfoot

Nobody Gets Email

Since it’s Superbowl Sunday, and I don’t know about you, but I wish Lady Gaga would just sing…but we all know that we are going to be sort of ‘forced’ to watch Lady Gaga rip Trump apart at half time, so if you don’t want to be browbeaten with propaganda, I suggest you just go get something to eat.

I thought I’d post this email today especially….this is someone who Lady Gaga would NEVER declare a “hero”. All the more reason for us to.

Yes, he was white. God help us. (And God did.)

I didn’t know about this guy, but I thought everyone should, so…there you go.

Anyway, enjoy the game….Hopefully, it will be a good game.

(Thanks to my brother Gary.)

Van T. Barfoot died

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 Metal of Honor.

What did make the 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. Seen 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 will to read his Metal 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…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!

(And that’s why I’m rooting for the Patriots!)

February 4, 2017 - Posted by Joyanna Adams | American Soldiers, Uncategorized | American History, Van T. Barfoot