Thursday, 30 August 2012 03:16

A Final Salute

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My current issue of my VFW magazine presents a memorial in tribute to the SIXTY (60) Americans killed in

Afghanistan between April 25 and June 10, 2012.  Among them we have a brother from Las Cruces, New

Mexico; Staff Sgt. Israel P. Nuanes. May He rest in peace. Other news: Medal Of Honor recipient, Leroy Petry,

of Santa Fe along with Seven (7) other  Medal Of Honor  recipients will be honored at a memorial on saturday

September 1, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. at Angel Fire. All are welcome.

Finally, Un Hermano de Santa Fe has taken the time to E-mail me the following story;

You might remember a news story several months ago about a crotchety old man who defied his homeowners

association and refused to take down the flagpole on his property and the large U.S. Flag that flew on it.

Now you can find out who, exactly, that old man was.  Van T. Barfoot was born on June 15, 1919 in Edinburg.

In 1940, He enlisted in the U.S. Army and on May 23, 1944, near Carano, Italy, set out to flank German machine

gun positions, that were firing on his fellow soldiers. He advanced through a minefield, took out three enemy 

machine gun positions and returned with 17 prisoners of war. If that wasn't enough for a day's work, he later took

 

on and destroyed three German tanks sent to retake the machine gun positions. That probably didn't make much news,

but it did earn Van T. Barfoot, who retired as a Colonel after also serving in Korea and Vietnam, a Medal Of Honor.

What did make news... A neighborhood association's quibble with how the 90-year-old Veteran chose to fly the American

Flag outside his Virginia home. Seems the rules said a flag could be flown on a house-mounted bracket, but, for decorum,

items such as his 21-foot flagpole were unsuitable. He had been denied a permit for the pole, Erected it anyway and was

facing court action, if He didn't take it down. Since the story made national TV, the association has rethought its position

and agreed to indulge this old HERO who dwells among them. "In the time I have left I plan to continue to fly the American

Flag without interference," He told the Associated Press. And if any of his neighbors still take a notion to contest him, they

might want to read His Medal of Honor citation. It indicates he's not real good at backing down.

 

Read 1968 times Last modified on Thursday, 30 August 2012 04:48
ed Saiz

graduated from santa fe highschool in 1960.

graduated from cal. state univ. in hayward ca.

retired from fire service after 38 years

Married with a son & a daughter and 2 grandchildren.

Live in Auburn, Ca.

1 comment

  • Comment Link Michael Miller Thursday, 30 August 2012 19:24 posted by Michael Miller

    Ed, You may also be intereted in the documentary Colors of Courage: Sons of New Mexico, by filmaker and Santa Fe native Anthony Martinez. Just Google Sons of Courage....for more info.
    Michael

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