A new graphic novel published by the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) continues their long-running and popular Medal of Honor series, each issue depicting the life and heroism of a Medal of Honor recipient. The latest issue is about Van T. Barfoot, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in World War II, before he went on to serve in Korea and Vietnam.
Barfoot enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1940 and was deployed overseas in mid-1943 with the 157th Infantry Regiment and participated in a number of amphibious landing operations in Sicily and Salerno. In 1944, was was a part of the invasion of Italy, landing in Anzio.
The allies were fighting a series of battles with the Nazis in Italy, and attempted to break out on May 23, assaulting enemy positions. Barfoot bravely moved ahead of his unit to scout the way forward, navigating his way through a minefield and taking out a Nazi position with a hand grenade. He continued his one-man assault, clearing a trench line and killing another Nazi machine gun crew with his Thompson submachine gun.
By the time Barfoot linked back up with his squad, he had killed eight enemies and taken seventeen prisoners. But the Nazis were not done fighting just yet; they counterattacked the Americans with Panzer tanks. Barfoot destroyed one tank with a bazooka and gunned down the crew of another with his Thompson. Before the day was done, he helped several wounded American soldiers find their way back to friendly lines.
By the fall of 1944, Barfoot was a company commander serving in France when he received word to report to headquarters. He was being awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery in Italy.
Amazingly, this was not the end of Barfoot's military service but rather just the beginning. He went on to serve tours of duty in Korea and in Vietnam, where he logged 177 flight hours as a pilot. Reaching the rank of Colonel, his final stint before retirement was serving as an advisor to the Army National Guard.
In 2009, by then retired and living in Virginia, Barfoot made national headlines over a dispute with his Homeowners' Association, who told him to remove his flag pole from his lawn, to which he refused. The story blew up on social media and in the press, forcing the HOA to back down within a week of the publicity. Why some Home Owner's Association thought they could back down a guy who stood up to the Nazis is a question that remains unanswered.
The AUSA graphic novel about Van Barfoot is available now, free of charge on their website. The comic is penned by comic book industry veterans, with Chuck Dixon writing, Jim Lavery providing the artwork, Peter Pantazis doing the color, and Troy Peteri doing the lettering.