At 90, World War II hero Van Barfoot was threatened with a lawsuit for flying the American flag outside his home, but he refused to take it down. His name was Van Barfoot. And he had already spent a lifetime fighting for that flag. Born in Mississippi in 1919, Van grew up on a cotton plantation. He joined the United States Army in 1940. Four years later, he would perform an act of courage that earned America's highest military decoration. May 23, 1944. Near Carano, Italy. American soldiers were pinned down by heavily defended German positions. Machine-g*n fire made advancing almost impossible. Van was a technical sergeant. And he decided to move alone. He crawled around the enemy's flank, approaching their defensive positions without being detected. Then he struck. He disabled one machine-g*n position. Moved toward another. And continued until 17 German soldiers had been captured. But the day was far from over. Three German tanks advanced toward his men. Van grabbed a bazooka. He stepped into an exposed position and f!red from approximately 75 yards away. The leading tank was disabled. The other two changed direction. Still, Van wasn't finished. After destroying an abandoned enemy artillery piece, he helped carry two seriously wounded American soldiers approximately 1,700 yards to safety. For his extraordinary courage, he received the Medal of Honor. He went on to serve in Korea and Vietnam. By the time he retired as a colonel in 1974, he had devoted more than three decades to military service. But another confrontation awaited him. And this one happened in his own front yard. In 2009, Van was 90 years old and living in Henrico County, Virginia. He had installed a 21-foot flagpole outside his home. Every morning, he raised the American flag. Every evening, he lowered it. It was a simple ritual. A personal expression of something he had spent his life defending. Then his homeowners association objected. The association said the flagpole violated neighborhood restrictions. They ordered him to remove it. And threatened legal action if he refused. A man who had survived three wars was being told he couldn't keep his flagpole. Van refused to surrender. News of the dispute spread across America. Veterans rallied behind him. Thousands of Americans expressed their support. Politicians from both major parties spoke up. Even the White House weighed in. Then came the reversal. In December 2009, the homeowners association backed down. Van could keep his flagpole. His fight also helped inspire a Virginia law protecting the proper display of the American flag. The elderly veteran had won another battle. This time without a battlefield. On March 2, 2012, Van Barfoot died at 92 after complications from a fall. But his legacy continued. In 2023, a Virginia National Guard installation was renamed Fort Barfoot in his honor. A young soldier who risked everything for his country. An old veteran who refused to take down its flag. Rest easy, Van. - @rocketgirlx3