The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: Hazcat on December 09, 2009, 11:42:50 AM
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RICHMOND, Va. (Dec. 9) -- A 90-year-old Medal of Honor winner can keep his 21-foot flagpole in his front yard after a homeowners association dropped its request to remove it, a spokesman for Democratic Virginia Sen. Mark Warner said Tuesday.
The Sussex Square homeowners association likewise has agreed to drop threats to take legal action against retired Army Col. Van T. Barfoot, Warner spokesman Kevin Hall said.
The association had threatened to take Barfoot to court if he failed to remove the pole from his suburban Richmond home by Friday. It had said the pole violated the neighborhood's aesthetic guidelines.
Neither Barfoot's daughter, Margaret Nicholls, nor homeowners association president Glenn Wilson has returned telephone messages.
Dropping the issue effectively ends a request that White House press secretary Robert Gibbs on Monday called "silly."
Warner and Sen. Jim Webb, both Virginia Democrats, had rallied behind Barfoot, a World War II veteran.
In a letter last week, Webb urged the association to "consider the exceptional nature of Col. Barfoot's service when considering his pride and determination in honoring our flag."
Barfoot's fight also has lit up veterans bulletin boards and blog sites supporting him.
Barfoot won the Medal of Honor for actions while his platoon was under German assault near Carano, Italy, in May 1944. He was credited with standing up to three German tanks with a bazooka and stopping their advance.
He also won the Purple Heart and other decorations, and served in Korea and Vietnam before retiring from the service in 1974.
http://news.aol.com/article/world-war-ii-veteran-van-t-barfoot-can/799470
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one for the good guys
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An outbreak of commonsense, and Warner and Webb proving that Blue Dog Dems are worth having.
FQ13
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An outbreak of commonsense, and Warner and Webb proving that Blue Dog Dems are worth having.
FQ13
Some of them can be worth having around! But not all of them by any means!!!! :P
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TOUJOURS PRET
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An outbreak of commonsense, and Warner and Webb proving that Blue Dog Dems are worth having.
FQ13
I don't think it was common sense... I think they could not take the heat.
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When bleeding heart liberals are under pressure they go down like a prom dress. They change with the wind.
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We're going to send the Colonel a Christmas card. Don't know if it's appropriate to post his address, but I found it on Anywho.
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I still would take the pole down,...........
FOR A FIFTY FOOTER!!!! Can you imagine if this actually had gone to court,,,,the Judge ( a real one ), would have really enjoyed throwing this out of court.
When they HOA's try this crap, they need this National response to "remind them".
Hell, even Gibbs, the WH Press Secretary called this "silly".... (He called this ONE thing right anyway)....
Good for Col. Barfoot. Heard he singlehandedly went against 3 German Tanks with a single bazooka and a Garand. Held them off long enough to coordinate their capture...
God Bless Col. Barfoot.
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http://imkane.wordpress.com/2009/12/04/colonel-van-t-barfoots-metal-of-honor-citation/
Barfoot, Van T.
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant,
U.S. Army, 157th Infantry, 45th Infantry Division.
Place and date:
Near Carano, Italy, 23 May 1944.
Entered service at:
Carthage, Miss.
Birth:
Edinburg, Miss.
G.O. No.: 79, 4 October 1944.
Citation:
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 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.
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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It's great that the Col can keep his flag up. It's sad that his country is at half-mast and failing. :(