Thursday, December 24, 2009

Christmas Eve 1968

It's a timeless message that was first shared by the crew of Apollo 8 on Christmas Eve 1968:



Merry Christmas to everyone.

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Homeowners Association Caves: Veteran Allowed to Fly Flag

Follow up on an item I previously noted and a very happy ending. A 90 year old Medal of Honor winner won his battle with his homeowner's association with an assist from both of Virginia U. S. Senators (hat tip: Hot Air):

RICHMOND, Va. — A 90-year-old Medal of Honor recipient can keep his 21-foot flagpole in his front yard after a homeowner's association dropped its request to remove it, a spokesman for Democratic Virginia Sen. Mark Warner said Tuesday.

The Sussex Square homeowners' association likewise has agreed to drop threats to take legal action against retired Army Col. Van T. Barfoot, Warner spokesman Kevin Hall said.

The association had threatened to take Barfoot to court if he failed to remove the pole from his suburban Richmond home by Friday. It had said the pole violated the neighborhood's aesthetic guidelines.

This was a no-win situation for the homeowners' association and they made the right decision. Hats off to Senator Mark Warner and Senator Jim Webb for standing up for Col. Barfoot. The homeowners' association also made the right decision by allowing this American hero to keep his flag.

Monday, December 07, 2009

Remembering Pearl Harbor's Last Hero

The Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor Naval Station on December 7, 1941 marked one of the darkest days in America history and prompted our entry into World War II. Fifteen servicemen were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor on that day but only five survived the battle. Lt. John William Finn, who turned 100 years old this past summer is the only remaining survivor of those fifteen men. He reportedly was headed to Pearl Harbor today for commemoration ceremonies. Mary Katherine Ham has a wonderful profile of this genuine American hero that is well worth reading.

Ed Morrissey reminds us also of the enduring lesson of Pearl Harbor:

The lesson from that war is that appeasement and complacency doesn’t keep one from having to fight a war. It usually forces one to fight from an extreme disadvantage. That’s a lesson we have not remembered in dealing with expansionist powers in our own time, even after a second shock like 9/11 after years of complacency in dealing with al-Qaeda. We’re falling back to treating radical Islamist terrorism like a Law and Order episode, and allowing one of the main drivers of radical Islamist terror, Iran, to arm itself with nuclear weapons with no consequences whatsoever.

We must never forget Pearl Harbor.

Sunday, December 06, 2009

Decorated Veteran Ordered to Remove Flagpole

Click on the video to see the story and prepare to be outraged. 90 year-old Colonel Van D. Barfoot who served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor this week was served with a notice from his homeowner's association to take down his flagpole because it violates the association's bylaws. This is nitpicking by the homeowner's association. I sincerely hope that they realize what a tremendous debt we owe to Colonel Barfoot and millions of others like him who have faithfully served their country. Perhaps his homeowner's association could find a way to exercise some grace and allow him to keep his flagpole.



Hat tip: Townhall

Saturday, December 05, 2009

Sportsman of the Year - Derek Jeter

I'm not much of a fan of the New York Yankees but admire their consistency. One of the keys to their success is Derek Jeter who this year garnered Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year award. After reading Tom Verducci's profile of Jeter in this week's magazine, I came away impressed with the man who could easily be called Mr. Yankee. Congratulations to Derek Jeter for an outstanding season and an impressive career so far.