Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Medal of Honor Recipient Ordered to Remove Flagpole

What is the world coming to when a 90 year old Medal of Honor recipient from World War II can't raise his American flag because some asinine neighborhood association has "aesthetic issues" with his flagpole?

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that Barfoot received a letter yesterday that orders him to remove a flagpole from his yard. Every morning he raises the American flag but this somehow offends the board of directors of the Sussex Square community where he lives. Barfoot's daughter says there is no provision in the rules that says he can't have a flagpole, but it was ordered removed anyway. It seems that the association prefers short flagpoles fixed to your house instead.

Should he lose his case he will be "subject to paying all legal fees and costs in any successful legal proceeding" taken by the homeowners association.

From the Medal of Honor official site, here is his 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.


Barfoot fought for that flag. He put his life on the line and saved the lives of others for that flag. It's a sad, terrible day in America if he isn't allowed his flagpole.

(Photo credit: Joe Mahoney: Richmond Times-Dispatch)

9 comments:

G.R. said...

I wonder what type of life those in the home owners' association would be living had it not been for people like Col. Barfoot?

It probably would be safe to say they wouldn't be living in a community that would need a home owners' association. Chances are they would be living in a country that would deny them more precious freedoms than the ownership of a flag pole.

Quite Rightly said...

Thanks for posting this.

I think we should all be ashamed that we have let our country come to a point where idiots (not to mince words) feel obliged to sign a letter to a hero like Barfoot telling him what he can do with his flag. If they had two brain cells to rub together, they would be honored to have him in their midst, not to mention grateful that he has enough life and strength left in him to raise the flag every day.

lofa said...

Isn't there something more important than HOA [home owners ASSociation] should be more mad over than a flag pole? Good grief! I think HOA has a few screws loose.

Qob said...

Thing is, this is the sort of thing, even if it did violate some sort of rule, a mature person would look at the circumstance and say, "Yea, we're gonna let this go" but unfortunately that sort of maturity is increasingly rare.

Anonymous said...

I think he needs to add a gallows next to it, one noose for each HOA member, no waiting.

But I'm a vicious sob.

PunditGeorge said...

The tragedy in this is that the HOA should pay for and maintain the flag pole and flag on behalf of their honored neighbor. But, alas...

I don't recall for sure, but he may have been in town when Sheveport/Bossier hosted the MOH Convention in 2002.

Reaganite Republican said...

What a weird place this country is turning into... and so quickly

Why? I don't see any reason for attacking all our own values and traditions that made us great in the first place- it's idiotic, and needs to stop

ABNPOPPA said...

Is he going to fight this asinine order? Is so is there a organization set up to take up legal fees? Please advise me at ABNPOPPA@GMAIL.COM. I want to contribute!

They call me Pops

By the way nice blog.

G.R. said...

Mark Levin was talking about this on his radio program the other night. As always, something like this fires Mark up, and he told him staff he wanted to have them contact the "slip and fall" lawyers representing the MOA to come on and explain themselves.
And if I'm not mistaken Mark said he was going to put something up about this on his website.