Col. Van T. Barfoot, 90, Wins Battle Against Virginia HOA to Fly the Flag

Medal of Honor Recipient Victorious in Battle Against Homeowners Association


AP Photo/Richmond Times-Dispatch, Eva Russo
Nov. 2: Col. Van T. Barfoot, 90, and his daughter Margaret Nicholls
lower the flag outside Barfoot's home in Henrico County, Va.

On Tuesday, December 01, the Sussex Square homeowners association (HOA) in Virginia threatened legal action against 90-year old Van T. Barfoot if he did not take down his flagpole from his yard by 5 p.m. Friday.

Barfoot noted that there is no provision in Sussex Square's rules that forbids erecting flagpoles. For the Barfoot family flying the American Flag is a cause worth fighting for.

Van T. Barfoot is a retired Army Colonel that bravely defended our Freedoms in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Col Barfoot is a recipient of the Medal of Honor and Purple Heart.

Col. Barfoot, while fighting during WWII in Carano, Italy, single-handedly destroyed a set of German machine gun nests, killed eight enemy soldiers, took 17 prisoners and stared down a tank before destroying it and killing its crew AND managed to move two of his wounded men 1,700 yards to safety. Col. Van T. Barfoot did all this in a single day!

The Sussex Square HOA refused to make an exception for this man.

Folks, this is an American story and should transcend partisan politics. Patriotism is not owned by any given Party. I have no idea how Col. Barfoot votes and quite frankly, I do not care. I do know that Barfoot is an American hero and an honored Defender of Freedom that deserves our respect and gratitude. Democratic Senators Warner and Webb agreed and championed the cause.

Veterans' groups rallied resulting in national media attention. Obama's spokesman called the HOA request "silly." For an excellent retelling of the colonel's heroics check out Mark Levin's commentary:



On December 08, it was reported that the Sussex Square HOA agreed to stop their legal action against Van T. Barfoot. The retired Army Colonel is now free to fly the Flag in his front yard.

This is reminiscent of the management of the Oaks Apartments in Oregon ordering the residents to stop displaying the American Flag on their apartments and/or vehicles, more on that here.

Col Van T. Barfoot at 90-years old is one of the oldest living World War II veterans who received the Medal of Honor; Barfoot is not alone in that distinction.

Please meet John William Finn who at 100-years old is our nation's oldest living Medal of Honor recipient and also the only living Pearl-Harbor-Day Medal of Honor recipient.

Click here for Col. Barfoot's Congressional Medal of Honor Citation.

Click here for Lieutenant John William Finn' story.

Sources:

Fox News

Embedded in article

Happy Birthday John William Finn

John William Finn, wiki commons

By Tony Vega

"Any nation that does not honor its heroes will not long endure"~ [attributed to] Abraham Lincoln

In a society enamored with popular culture, far too often our American heroes are determined by the media that delivers such figures into our living rooms, the Michael Jackson coverage is a timely example.

The true American heroes of our time are often the unsung ones. There are indeed men and women that understand the value of a handshake and of service. There are moments when an individual will perform extraordinary feats of heroism that captures our attention and hearts.

This content is to illustrate one particular Defender of Freedom, Lieutenant John William Finn. Lt. Finn did receive accolades for his heroics during WW2 in the form of medals, but many haven't heard of this Great American. That's not their fault, for John William Finn did not win any MTV awards, nor did he earn the title “King of Pop.” No, John Finn earned the grade of Lieutenant in the United States Navy.

John William Finn was born July 23, 1909, today is his 100th birthday. Finn received the first Medal of Honor in WW2 for his action the day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. On December 07, 1941, Finn was actually at Kaneohe Bay, which was hit several minutes before Pearl Harbor.



Finn is the oldest living Medal of Honor recipient and is also the only living Pearl-Harbor-Day Medal of Honor recipient.

During the first attack by the Japanese, John William Finn was an Aviation Ordnanceman Chief Petty Officer and took control of a .50 caliber machine gun mounted on an a completely exposed section of the air station's aircraft parking ramp. He continued to fire on the attacking planes despite being hit by shrapnel 21 times.

"I got the hell shot out of me, but it didn't kill me. If you aint dead you can still manage to do something"- Lt. Finn [from video]

John William Finn lived on base and shared quarters with his lovely wife Alice. While Finn was defending his country on that fateful day, his wife, Alice was tending to life saving duties in her capacity as a nurse. In September 1942, Lieutenant John Finn was presented the Medal of Honor for his heroism.

"My deal was... is inconsequential the way I see it. Some of the guys [that made the ultimate sacrifice] you just cannot believe what they did, what they were fighting for, it was our Freedom. And our right to liberty and justice and love of God, whatever God you worship...to have that Freedom."- John William Finn, Lieutenant US Navy, retired. [Excerpted from video]

In addition to the Medal of Honor, Finn's decorations include the Purple Heart; American Defense Service Medal; Navy Good Conduct Medal with two bronze stars; American Campaign Medal; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal; World War II Victory Medal; and the Navy Occupation Service Medal.

Finn is the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from the attack on Pearl Harbor, as well as being the oldest living recipient. As of 2009, Finn is the only Aviation Ordnanceman Medal of Honor recipient in the history of the rate (US Navy utilizes "rates" not "rank"). In addition to all of this, Finn's Medal of Honor is the only medal of its kind with a citation on the back summarizing the events of heroism.

"Although painfully wounded many times, he continued to man his gun and to return the enemy's fire vigorously and with telling effect throughout the enemy strafing and bombing attacks and with complete disregard for his own personal safety. It was only by specific orders that he was persuaded to leave his post to seek medical attention. Following first aid treatment, although obviously suffering much pain and moving with great difficulty, he returned to the squadron area and actively supervised the re-arming of returning planes."- John William Finn's MOH citation

Mr. Finn currently resides in California, his birthplace. He reportedly resides alone since his wife's death in 1998.

Folks do yourself a service and view the video of John William Finn and listen to this Great American tell his story, his manner and style of speaking gives a hint to why that WW2 generation is the greatest generation this nation has ever seen.

On behalf of my family to Lieutenant Finn, Happy Birthday Sir and May God bless John William Finn and all our Defenders of Freedom.

Sources:

http://www.greatamericans.com/channels/military

http://www.geocities.com/ntchistory/finn/finn.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_William_Finn