![\"\"](\"http:\/\/i42.tinypic.com\/r29lwk.jpg\")
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\nYou might remember a news story from December, 2009 ago about a crotchety <\/p>\n
\n\t Old man who defied his homeowners association and refused to take down <\/p>\n
\n\t The flagpole on his property and the large flag that flew on it. Now you can <\/p>\n
\n\t Find out who, exactly, that old man was. <\/p>\n
\n\tOn June 15, 1919, Van T. Barfoot was born in Edinburg — probably <\/p>\n
\n\tDidn’t make much news back then. <\/p>\n
\n\tTwenty-five years later, on May 23, 1944, near Carano , Italy , <\/p>\n
\n\tVan T. Barfoot, who had enlisted in the US Army in 1940, set out to <\/p>\n
\n\tFlank German machine gun positions from which fire was coming <\/p>\n
\n\tDown on his fellow soldiers. He advanced through a minefield, <\/p>\n
\n\tTook out three enemy machine gun positions and returned <\/p>\n
\n\tWith 17 prisoners of war. <\/p>\n
\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\tIf that wasn’t enough for a day’s work, he later took on and <\/p>\n
\n\tDestroyed three German tanks sent to retake the machine gun positions. <\/p>\n
\n\t![\"\"](\"http:\/\/i41.tinypic.com\/2zdu3k6.jpg\")
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\n\tThat probably didn’t make much news either, given the scope of the <\/p>\n
\n\tWar, but it did earn Van T. Barfoot, who retired as a colonel after <\/p>\n
\n\tAlso serving in Korea and Vietnam , a Congressional Medal of Honor. <\/p>\n
\n\t![\"\"](\"http:\/\/i39.tinypic.com\/of2er6.jpg\")
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\n\t![\"\"](\"http:\/\/i40.tinypic.com\/2415dux.jpg\")
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\n\tWhat did make news was a neighborhood association’s quibble with <\/p>\n
\n\tHow the 90-year-old veteran chose to fly the American flag outside <\/p>\n
\n\tHis suburban Virginia home. Seems the rules said a flag could be <\/p>\n
\n\tFlown on a house-mounted bracket, but, for decorum, items such <\/p>\n
\n\tAs Barfoot’s 21-foot flagpole were unsuitable. <\/p>\n
\n\t![\"\"](\"http:\/\/i43.tinypic.com\/35i7s4k.jpg\")
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\n\t![\"\"](\"http:\/\/i39.tinypic.com\/ftj53a.jpg\")
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\n\tHe had been denied a permit for the pole, erected it anyway and was <\/p>\n
\n\tFacing court action if he didn’t take it down. Since the story made <\/p>\n
\n\tNational TV, the neighborhood association has rethought its position <\/p>\n
\n\tAnd agreed to indulge this old hero who dwells among them. <\/p>\n
\n\t![\"\"](\"http:\/\/i39.tinypic.com\/8w039k.jpg\")
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\n\t![\"\"](\"http:\/\/i42.tinypic.com\/v81wqx.jpg\")
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\n\t"In the time I have left I plan to continue to fly the American flag without <\/p>\n
\n\tInterference," Barfoot told The Associated Press. As well he should. <\/p>\n
\n\tAnd if any of his neighbors still takes a notion to contest him, they <\/p>\n
\n\tMight want to read his Medal of Honor citation. It indicates he’s not <\/p>\n
\n\tReal good at backing down. <\/p>\n
\t![\"\"](\"http:\/\/i43.tinypic.com\/2wefi95.jpg\")
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\tVan T. Barfoot’s Medal of Honor citation: <\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/i42.tinypic.com\/1z1h5p0.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/i41.tinypic.com\/muvcbd.jpg\")
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