America's heroes!!!
Remember the Guy that Wouldn't take the Flag down
I love this....and this man certainly doesn't look 90 years
old! Great soldier's story...
Head east from Carthage on Mississippi 16 toward
Philadelphia . 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 back then.
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 the American 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:
This 1944 Medal of Honor citation, listed with the National
Medal of Honor Society, is for Second Lieutenant (then Tech Sergeant) Van T. Barfoot, 157th Infantry, 45th Infantry
Division:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the
risk of life above and beyond the call of duty on 23 May 1944, near Carano , Italy . 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
grenade, killing 2 and wounding 3 Germans. He continued along the German defense line to another machinegun emplacement, and with his
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
tanks. From a distance of 75 yards his first shot destroyed the
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 pointblank fire are a perpetual inspiration to his fellow soldiers.
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