Veteran battles homeowners group on flag issue - Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

Veteran battles homeowners group on flag issue

RICHMOND, Va. — A 90-year-old Army veteran who earned the Medal of Honor during World War II is battling his homeowners’ association for the right to fly the American flag from a pole in his front yard.

Retired Col. Van T. Barfoot says he erected the flagpole in September. The homeowners’ association at his suburban Richmond subdivision told him that the free-standing pole violates aesthetic guidelines and ordered him to remove the structure or face a lawsuit.

Barfoot earned his medal for actions in Italy in 1944 and is one of about 90 surviving Medal of Honor recipients. He’s also been awarded the Purple Heart and other decorations.

Neighbors have expressed their support, but ultimately it’s up to the nine-member association board on whether they will grant an exception to the rules.