R.I.P. Mr Van Barfoot I have mixed feelings about this and the other citations I get about patriotism based on the bravery of our soldiers. Usually, my first reaction is anger, sorrow that such extraordinary efforts and violent actions are required to receive recognition for love of country. There is no doubt that Van Barfoot is a brave man and deserves respect and admiration from all of us. Allowing him to raise the flag in violation of his Homeowners Ass. Rules is poor acknowledgement for his actions. No doubt he deserves better than that. Perhaps what bothers me is that these accolades give incentive to our young men and women to serve their country by joining the military under the guise of heroic patriotism. For every hero that returned from the wars we fought, many more came back maimed in body and or mind. And, there were many whose sacrifice and bravery went without notice. Many were even reviled on their return home. Then again, I may be reacting against a deepening realization of how terribly bad and dehumanizing war is. Especially today with the almost live-reporting of events, I don’t understand why the tragedies of war move many to more violence, rather than a desire to search for better, more peaceful solutions. Better from my point of view that we advise and instruct our youth to give reflection on why they embark on such a potentially treacherous adventure. Especially when other options to serve their country are available like the humanitarian efforts promoted by the Peace Corp, Doctors without Borders, etc. And finally, those majority folks who go to work every day to do honest service, and those who without pay, support and nurture those in need, they also serve and stand in wait for recognition of their patriotism. 1. Van T. Barfoot died Dec 17, 2014 2. Van T. Barfoot died 3. Remember the guy who wouldnt take 4. the flag pole down on his Virginia 5. property a while back? 6. You might remember the news story several 7. months ago about a crotchety old man in 8. Virginia who defied his local Homeowners 9. Association, and refused to take down the 10. flag pole on his property along with the large 11. American flag he flew on it. 12. Now we learn who that old man was. 13. On June 15, 1919, Van T. Barfoot was born in 14. Edinburg , Texas . That probably didnt make 15. news back then. But twenty-five years later, on May 23, 1944, 16. near Carano , Italy , that same Van T. Barfoot, 17. who had in 1940 enlisted in the U.S. Army, set 18. out alone to flank German machine gun 19. positions from which gunfire was raining 20. down on his fellow soldiers. 21. His advance took him through a minefield but 22. having done so, he proceeded to single-handedly 23. take out three enemy machine gun positions, 24. returning with 17 prisoners of war. 25. 2.bp.blogspot/-ix-lSLEY2l0/VG 26. And if that werent enough for a days work, he later 27. took on and destroyed three German tanks 28. sent to retake the machine gun positions. 29. 4.bp.blogspot/-pIEZMB_O8bY/VG5A9N7pMhI/AAAAAAAAWyA/1438at4E1iQ/s1600/van2.jpg 30. That probably didnt make much news either, 31. given the scope of the war, but it did earn 32. Van T. Barfoot, who retired as a Colonel after 33. also serving in Korea and Vietnam , a well 34. deserved Congressional Medal of Honor. 35. 3.bp.blogspot 36. Picture? 37. What did make news...Was hisNeighborhood 38. Associations quibble with how the 90-year-old 39. veteran chose to fly the American flag outside 40. his suburban Virginia home. Seems the HOA rules 41. said it was OK to fly a flag on a house-mounted 42. bracket, but, for decorum, items such as 43. Barfoots 21-foot flagpole were unsuitable. 44. Picture? 46. Van Barfoot had been denied a permit for 47. the pole, but erected it anyway and was facing 48. court action unless he agreed to take it down. 49. 4.bp.blogspot/- 50. Then the HOA story made national TV, 51. and the Neighborhood Association rethought 52. its position and agreed to indulge this 53. aging hero who dwelt among them. 54. 2.bp.blogspot/- 55. In the time I have left, he said to the 56. Associated Press, I plan to continue 57. to fly the American flag without interference. 58. As well he should. And if any of his neighbors had taken a notion to 59. contest him further, they might have done well to 60. read his Medal of Honor citation first. Seems it 61. indicates Mr. Van Barfoot wasnt particularly 62. good at backing down. 63. 1.bp.blogspot/- 64. Van T. Barfoots Medal of Honor citation: 65. This 1944 Medal of Honor citation, listed with the 66. National Medal of Honor Society, 67. is for Second Lieutenant Van T. Barfoot, 68. 157th Infantry, 45th Infantry: 69. 1.bp.blogspot/ 70. If you got this email and didnt pass it on - 71. guess what - you need your butt kicked 72. I sent this to you, because I didnt want MY butt kicked! 73. Do the right thing! WE ONLY LIVE IN THE LAND OF THE FREE BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE! AND, BECAUSE OF OLD MEN LIKE VAN BARFOOT!
Posted on: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 02:01:07 +0000
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