four months later the 165th arrived in New York. No regiment saw more action — 180 days of combat — with 644 killed and nearly 2,900 wounded. They were greeted as returning heroes and honoured with a parade up Fifth Avenue. 1920 Antwerp Olympics Flynn recovered from his injury and returned to athletics the following year. His coach at the Paulist Athletics Club persuaded him to try the steeplechase rather than his beloved long distance. Soon afterwards he came second in the two mile steeplechase (3,200m) to defending champion Michael Devaney. While trying out for the US Olympic Team in 1920, he won the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) title and set a new US record of 9:58.2 for the 3000 m steeplechase. Unsurprisingly he qualified for the US Olympic team bound for Belgium in both the 5,000m and 10,000m. He was also entered in the 3,000m steeplechase, an event at which he was still a novice. The 1920 Antwerp Olympics were the first games to include the 3,000m steeplechase, which was run on a grass course just inside the cinder track. Flynn won his qualifying heat comfortably, but the final didn't go as smoothly. He fell at one of the water jumps and was beaten to the tape by the favourite Percy Hodge (GBR); Flynn won the silver medal. There is little doubt that he would have been in contention for the gold had he not fallen. He also competed in the men's cross-country, individual; and men's cross-country, team, placing 9th and 4th respectively. Later years Flynn continued to run following his return from Antwerp, but appears to have retired from competitive running after 1925. He married Florence in 1924. According to the 1930 census they lived in the Upper West Side Manhattan in close proximity to US Customs, where Flynn's last known employment was as a customs clerk. At the age of 47 he applied for service in World War II, but his application was refused. It is unknown how he lived out his final years. Patsy Flynn died on 5 January 1969 at the age of 74. He is buried in Long Island National Cemetery in Farmingdale, New York alongside his wife Florence. Celebrating his memory Though his athletic accomplishments occurred nearly a century ago, Flynn's home town of Ballinadee in West Cork has not forgotten him and continues to celebrate his memory. In 1998 the local community