Col. Van T. Barfoot, a local Medal of Honor recipient, is under the gun from his Henrico County community's homeowner association. In a five-paragraph letter to Barfoot that he received yesterday, Barfoot is being ordered to remove a flagpole from his yard. The decorated veteran of three wars, now 90 years old, raises the American flag every morning on the pole, then lowers and folds the flag at dusk each day in a three-corner military fashion. In a priority mail letter, the Coates & Davenport law firm in Richmond is ordering Barfoot to remove the pole by 5 p.m. Friday or face "legal action being brought to enforce the Covenants and Restrictions against you." The letter states that Barfoot will be subject to paying all legal fees and costs in any successful legal proceeding pursued by the homeowner association's board. Barfoot's daughter said this evening that news reports about the association order have prompted an outpouring of sympathy and offers of help from people following her father's ordeal. Tonight, the Sussex Square Homeowners Association issued a statement reiterating its position that Barfoot directly violated the association board's denial of his request to erect a flagpole. "This is not about the American flag. This about a flagpole," the statement reads. Barfoot lives in the Sussex Square community in far western Henrico; its board of directors rejected a plea from Barfoot in July to approve the pole, disallowing the fixture on aesthetic grounds. There is no provision in the community's rules expressly forbidding flagpoles, Barfoot's daughter said. But she said the board ruled against her father's fixture and ordered it removed in July, deciding that free-standing flag poles are not aesthetically appropriate. Short flag stands attached to porches dot the community. "Dad sort of feels like this is the end," said Margaret Nicholls, Barfoot's daughter, who lives a few doors away. But she said this morning that she and her husband are attempting to generate support for her father's cause, a flag-raising rite that he has undertaken for most of his life. Barfoot received the Medal of Honor on the battlefield during World War II in Italy and fought as well in the Korean and Vietnam wars. A portion of a highway in rural Mississippi, his native state, was named in his honor this fall. A building at McGuire Veterans Hospital in Richmond also carries his name. Barfoot began regularly flying the flag on Veteran's Day this year despite the Sussex Square board's decision. He said in November that not flying the flag would be a sacrilege to him. "There's never been a day in my life or a place I've lived in my life that you couldn't fly the American flag," he said.
Somebody, I bet the 90 year old hero (who is worth a 1,000 of you or me incidentally) could get the pole UP at ninety better than you could at twenty. Have some reverence. You will never have the luck to know someone that heroic, tough or brave. Not a one, take my word on that one.
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
This is the firm representing the homeowners who hate the flag. Motherless liberal idiots. I am being nice by the way. Let them know how you feel for harassing this gentleman and hero.
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
The 90 Year Old Vet was Told To Take Flag POLE Down-
Although I believe that rules are rules.....honestly, they couldn't have cut this guy some slack? HE'S 90 YEARS OLD for God's sake! Perhaps if they did cut him some slack, it would have shown some solidarity when it comes to being an 'American' and what this flag still represents to 'some'.
I know the issue is the pole....but did they see him installing this pole? And if they did, perhaps they should have questioned him then.
Just another reason why I would NEVER live where there is a group (association) that oversees and overlooks everything I do. I still want to live FREE! But hey, it's a personal choice.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
I stand firmly behind the colonel and the rights to display the American Flag in a respectable manner, and as much as I hate to agree with somebody (god help me), he just erected the pole in September, after asking for permission in July (when he was denied) ... that's where the bone of contention is. Where was he saluting prior to this? He's lived in this subdivision for a long time, why is he installing the pole just now?
Quoted Text
Barfoot, who fought in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam, was told in July that he could not put up his freestanding flagpole in his Sussex Square neighborhood — but he installed it anyway.
On Tuesday, he says, he got a letter from the homeowners' association telling him the 21-foot pole he erected in September violates the community's aesthetic guidelines.
I stand firmly behind the colonel and the rights to display the American Flag in a respectable manner, and as much as I hate to agree with somebody (god help me), he just erected the pole in September, after asking for permission in July (when he was denied) ... that's where the bone of contention is. Where was he saluting prior to this? He's lived in this subdivision for a long time, why is he installing the pole just now?
I know that the pole and the timing is the issue....but it isn't like he was installing a clothesline, a direct tv dish, an outdoor fire pit or blow up swimming pool. Although they may be allowed for all we know. Just no flag pole.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Although I believe that rules are rules.....honestly, they couldn't have cut this guy some slack? HE'S 90 YEARS OLD for God's sake! Perhaps if they did cut him some slack, it would have shown some solidarity when it comes to being an 'American' and what this flag still represents to 'some'.
I know the issue is the pole....but did they see him installing this pole? And if they did, perhaps they should have questioned him then.
Just another reason why I would NEVER live where there is a group (association) that oversees and overlooks everything I do. I still want to live FREE! But hey, it's a personal choice.
Well see- we can agree on something- I think---- the " spirit " of a law is can be as significant as the " letter " of the law.
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