Col Van T. Barfoot Can't fly the US Flag

[First_N_Last]

I'm a simple veteran of 1969-71 & I am riding my bike to support a VET who has earned the right to fly a US Flag in his yard.

 

Here is a facebook page with some info worth reading...

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=190716948379

 

(from the page)

90 year old Retired Army Colonel and Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Van T. Barfoot has been ordered by his homeowner's association to stop displaying his U.S. flag on his own flagpole in front of his own home. The homeowner's association disapproves of the 21 foot flagpole (not the flag) and has now hired a law firm and legal proceedings against him appear to be pending.

Mr. Barfoot is a true American hero and has earned the right to display the very flag he fought so hard to protect. He is a veteran of three wars: WWII, Korea and Vietnam. He also won the Purple Heart and several other decorations before retiring from the service in 1974.

Call and or fax Coates & Davenport, the law firm representing the home owner association.

 

 

 

The following is email info about a ride starting in Richmond, VA to support the Col & to protest his Homeowner's Association...

 

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I have received info about a ride to support a medaled Vet & to protest a neighborhood association group which will prevent him from flying the US Flag. The info is from my DSCR friends...

[divider]

Got this off my VROC website. I think I will go. Anybody else?

I received this email today from My chapter of the American Legion

Riders. If any one is close enough, I urge you to turn out and support

this American hero!

Email Contents:

 

I received an email from Lester Brewer asking for Riders on 11 December

to ride with them in protest of the treatment Col Van T. Barfoot, Medal

of Honor recipient is receiving for flying the American Flag at his

home. Col Van T. Barfoot, Medal of Honor recipient has been ordered to

remove his flag pole. Coates & Davenport law firm, representing the

home owners association has ordered Col Barfoot to remove the flag pole

by 5:00 pm today or face legal action. Late yesterday afternoon they

extended the order for one week, Friday 11 December to comply with the

order.

A resolution signed by President Bush in 2006, reads: Homeowner

associations may not adopt or enforce anything that would restrict

someone from flying the American flag.

In response to the treatment of this Medal of Honor recipient, Lester

Brewer is asking other Riders to ride with him on 11 December to protest

this treatment of an American Hero. If you plan to ride, contact Lester

at less_brewer@comcast.net. Note: This is not an American Legion

sponsored protest.

Date: Friday. December 11, 2009

Stage: American Legion Post 284, 505 Springdale Ave., Colonial Heights, VA

Depart: 11:00 am for Col Barfoot's home

Riding Order:

Large flags

small flags

no flags

cages

For God and Country

Randy E. Guild

\---\

[divider]

Les/ALCON

Okay, I have about 6 willing guys from my group going to ride at this time.

I would like to see more and am in hopes there will be more later. My group

is meeting yours at the AL on Springdale in Colonial Heights about 1030 -

1045.

The South Richmond Hog group is forming up some personnel also. SRHD Hog

group is meeting at 1000 at SRHD on Courthouse.

Don't know about Ft. Lee guys yet. No response.

Les, where does this guy live? Any other info on the resolution as yet? They

may get this settled before we go so we need to be prepared to abort if

necessary. Correct??

DSCR Group:

Date: Friday 12/11/09

Time: 1030-45

Place: American Legion

505 Springdale Avenue

Colonial Heights, VA

SRHD HOG:

Date: Friday 12/11/09

Time: 1000

Place: South Richmond Harley Davidson

Courthouse and Hull Street Road

Chesterfield, VA

 

Randy E. Guild

Project Manager

\---\

-----Original Message-----

From: Lester Brewer [mailto:less_brewer@comcast.net]

Sent: Monday, December 07, 2009 5:49 PM

To: Guild, Randy E (DSCR)

Subject: RE: Flag Pole

Thanks Randy,

 

We need all the support we can get.

 

Les

-----Original Message-----

From: Guild, Randy E (DSCR) [mailto:Randy.Guild@dla.mil]

Sent: Monday, December 07, 2009 2:02 PM

To: less_brewer@comcast.net.

Subject: Flag Pole

 

I am trying to get together our group of DOD civilian workers and

veterans to ride with us. I Will give you a head count on Weds. Also I let

other half of group at Ft. Lee know what is going on. Maybe they will join

us.

Randy E. Guild

Project Manager

DSCR-VIA

\---\

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That is all I've got on this. Can you believe this? To Vets, the flag is very special. So many of our friends & realtives have been laid to rest under it.

 

johnb

[Freebird]

Would have been for a good cause but it looks like he has now won.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,579773,00.html

[99silver]

Thank You, Col Barfoot to have the NADS to stand up to the weasels.

[Monty]

A true Hero....Salute!!!

 

"Van Barfoot is presented with the Congressional Medal of Honor for valorous actions during World War II. Barfoot showed his mettle in Carano, Italy, where he 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 — all in a single day. Exhausted by his herculean efforts, he still managed to move two of his wounded men 1,700 yards to safety."

[First_N_Last]

John,

I appreciate the support, but the ride is off at this time. Please forward this to all those who was willing to support the Col.

Thanks,

Les

　

Riders,

We have been asked not to do the ride at this time to support Col. Barfoot.

He is living with his daughter and Pete Pettry has been helping me set this up spoke with her this morning She said that it would not be a good idea for the American Legion or any Riders to do a visit this Friday. Mr. Barfoot is 90 years old, under a lot of stress, and very overwhelmed right now. ***Mr.

Barfoot is very pleased with the outpouring of support via letters and phone calls.

Above all, they hope to have a resolution by this Friday and do not want to further complicate the situation if it can be resolved between them and their neighborhood association. She did ask to keep them in prayer that this will be resolved soon.

So....... at this time and in supporting the family's wishes, I say the

ride is off. If after Friday they do not resolve the situation, we can set up another ride.

I appreciate all you patriots for the show of support, planning and willingness to correct this injustice.

Riding with Respect, Riding with Honor, Riding to Remember,

Les Brewer

Post 284 Southern Virginia American Legion Rider Director

　

[Aussie Annie]

Three wars!! What a hero

 

He's earnt the right to fly whatever he pleases :clap2::clap2:

[KiteSquid]

Good news!!!!!!

 

 

The homeowners association has backed down.

 

here is the article from the Richmond times dispatch HERE

 

 

UPDATE: Deadline dissolves in Barfoot flag fight

 

By Staff Reports

Published: December 8, 2009

Updated: December 8, 2009

 

A homeowner's association said today it will drop threatened legal proceedings against Col. Van T. Barfoot over the Medal of Honor recipient's refusal to get rid of a vertical flag pole.

 

"The Sussex Square Homeowners Association Board has agreed to withdraw legal action previously announced for Friday, December 11, 2009 at 5:00 p.m.," U.S. Sen. Mark Warner announced this evening shortly after 6.

 

"I think this is about neighbors helping neighbors," said Alexandra Bowen, a lawyer who until today was representing Sussex Square Services Inc., the homeowner association board. Bowen said she is no longer involved in the dispute.

 

Barfoot, 90, faced a deadline of Friday to remove his flag pole or face unspecified legal action.

 

On another front today, U.S. Rep. Eric I. Cantor, R-7th. introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives resolving that any recipient of the Medal of Honor be permitted to "properly display" the flag from the recipient's property.

 

While the resolution notes that Barfoot, who lives in western Henrico County, was ordered by his neighborhood homeowner's association to remove the pole, the resolution does not specifically state that using a pole is the manner to properly display the flag.

 

The homeowner's association has no prohibition against flying the flag but objects to Barfoot using a pole.

 

It was not immediately clear what action might be forthcoming from either the homeowner's association or Barfoot.

[Brenda H]

OK so he can fly the flag. He just can't do it on a pole?? My first question would be - How long has he had the pole? And why didn't they ask him to stop putting it up in the first place? I cannot see any way that a flagpole could not be "aesthetically pleasing" {sp?}. The man spent most of his adult life making sure those dodos could sue him for using a flagpole?

 

So called homeowners associations have little tin god complexes. One here in Houston told one family that they could not keep their brand new $50K+ Ford Supercrew pickup. It was not a good enough brand to be seen in that neighborhood! The dingbats finally decided that the family could keep it but only if they parked it in their garage. They couldn't park it on the street or in their own driveway. Up to a certain point, homeowners associations do serve a purpose. But there should be a limit in just what they can do.

 

Just remember this mess any time you move into a restricted neighborhood. Make sure what the homeowners association can do and what it can't. One lady in Houston found out that by missing her membership dues one year, they could take her house and "auction" it off to someone for a 10th of what it was worth. She got her house back, after the association found itself under investigation by the State Attorney General!

[davecb]

This just proves how many idiots there are today. Let someone tell me I can't have a flag on a flagpole, which I do, and I will show them the working end of my gun to get them off my property. If it offends them, they can move to another country. If they don't support the American flag, they need to be run out of this country.....

[Aussie Annie]

OK so he can fly the flag. He just can't do it on a pole?? My first question would be - How long has he had the pole? And why didn't they ask him to stop putting it up in the first place? I cannot see any way that a flagpole could not be "aesthetically pleasing" {sp?}. The man spent most of his adult life making sure those dodos could sue him for using a flagpole?

 

So called homeowners associations have little tin god complexes. One here in Houston told one family that they could not keep their brand new $50K+ Ford Supercrew pickup. It was not a good enough brand to be seen in that neighborhood! The dingbats finally decided that the family could keep it but only if they parked it in their garage. They couldn't park it on the street or in their own driveway. Up to a certain point, homeowners associations do serve a purpose. But there should be a limit in just what they can do.

 

Just remember this mess any time you move into a restricted neighborhood. Make sure what the homeowners association can do and what it can't. One lady in Houston found out that by missing her membership dues one year, they could take her house and "auction" it off to someone for a 10th of what it was worth. She got her house back, after the association found itself under investigation by the State Attorney General!

 

So is that where the phrase "Only in the U.S. of A." comes from?

:bang head: So, if you join the homeowners assoc. I take it that you check your common-sense at the door before entering

[flb_78]

I'm going to play devil's advocate here and ruffle some feathers.

 

The Colonel lived out in the country where he could do whatever he wanted. His family talks him into selling his country house and move into town so they can keep an eye on him. He moves into a HOA community and signs the paperwork giving up his private property rights to the HOA. He then violates the contract which he just signed with them. I'm siding with the HOA on this one.

 

I hate HOA's. I think it's absurd that anyone should be able to tell me what I can and cannot do with my own property, but if one wishes to live in a neighborhood where everyone cuts their grass to the same height and no one is allowed to park along the curb to give the impression of a nice neighborhood, I can't then side with them because they don't like all the rules and choose to break them.