Colonel Harry Albert "Paddy" Flint (February 12, 1888 – July 24, 1944) was an officer of the United States Army who served with distinction during World War II. Although at 56 years of age he was considerably older than was considered generally acceptable for field-grade front-line infantry officers, he is most known for leading the 39th Infantry Regiment from its service in Sicily from July 1943 until he was mortally wounded six weeks after the Normandy landings in June 1944. Early life Harry Albert Flint was born in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, on February 12, 1888, the third of seven children born to Mabel and Charles G. Flint. Inspired by stories of returning veterans of the Spanish–American War, by age 11 he was decided upon a military career. Flint was educated in St. Johnsbury, and graduated from St. Johnsbury Academy in 1907. He took the entrance examination for the United States Military Academy and scored well, but there were no vacancies, so he did not receive an appointment. He attended Norwich University for six months in preparation to enter West Point, and in May 1907 he was appointed to the United States Naval Academy. He attended the Naval Academy until March 1908, when he received an appointment to West Point. Flint graduated from West Point in 1912 ranked 41 of 95. He received his commission as a second lieutenant of Cavalry was assigned to the 4th Cavalry Regiment. Start of career Flint served initially with the 4th Cavalry at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii and in Manila, Philippines. During the Pancho Villa Expedition of 1916, Flint was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, and his request for service on the border with Mexico was turned down. When it appeared that the United States would enter World War I in 1917, Flint transferred to the Field Artillery, hoping this would facilitate an assignment to a combat unit. World War I Flint served in France during World War I, and his regiment provided replacement soldiers for units on the front lines. After the war was brought to an end due to the Armistice with Germany on November 11, 1918, he joined the Third Army—the Army of Occupation—in Koblenz, Germany. Flint performed several staff assignments, including employing his cavalry background to serve as a remount officer. He received the Czechoslovak War Cross 1918 from a grateful Czech government, which appreciated his honesty when buying and selling horses.