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| Allan
S. Flynn |
| NO.
17760 • 30 Jun 1928 - 25 Dec 2000
|
Died
in Mount Pleasant, SC
Interred in Memorial Gardens, Mount Pleasant, SC |
Allan Sarsfield Flynn dedicated his life to the Army and to serving
his country. Following in the footsteps of his father, a veteran
of both world wars, and his older brother, a WWII veteran, Allan
entered West Point in 1946. Thirty two years later, he retired to
South Carolina with his love for the Army, his zeal for service,
and his sense of humor all still intact.
Allan was born and raised in Gardner, MA, a small mill town in
the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains. During his senior year
at Gardner High School, he captained the football team, representing
a team and city full of spirit and pride. After his high school
graduation in 1946, he entered West Point later that summer. From
an early age, he had always wanted to dedicate his life to serving
his country in the armed forces.
On 10 Jun 1950, four days after his West Point graduation, Allan
married Irene Crand, his high school sweetheart. They had a three
year honeymoon, as he put it, with the "Big Red One" in
Germany. While there, he became a father with the birth of their
first son, Michael. Allan returned to the States for a three year
tour at Ft. Benning, home of the Infantry, where, to use his own
words, he taught and was taught, earning both his jump wings and
his Ranger tab along the way. Their second son, Stephen, was born
during the Ft. Benning tour.
After the Advanced Course in 1956, Allan was separated from his
family for the first of three times, serving an 18 month tour in
Korea as a company commander. Upon his return to the United States,
he joined the 101st Airborne Division at Ft. Campbell. Allan served
in the 501st Battalion, and he proudly spoke of its heritage as
the first paratrooper battalion during WWII. In 1959, Allan was
assigned to serve as an assistant professor of military science
at the Ogontz campus of Penn State University. Their third son,
David, joined the family in 1961.
In 1962, Allan attended Command and General Staff College at Ft.
Leavenworth. He graduated in 1963 and the family then headed overseas
again for three years in Naples, Italy. There he served in the headquarters
of the Armed Forces South Europe. While in Naples, Allan first became
involved with the Boy Scouts, serving as a troop scoutmaster. He
would continue his volunteer work with the Boy Scouts off and on
for the next 15 years, later earning the Boy Scout’s prestigious
Silver Beaver Award. Back in the States in 1966, he joined Ft. Riley’s
9th Division as a brigade executive officer during their preparation
for duty in Viet Nam. In December 1966, the division sailed for
Viet Nam and, shortly thereafter, Allan assumed command of the 5th
Battalion, 60th Infantry. His performance in the division earned
him a Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and countless Air
Medals.
He returned home in 1967, with a parcel of war stories that he
freely shared throughout the rest of his life. He began a two year
tour with Office of the Chief of Staff of the Army, earning a second
Legion of Merit. From DC he traveled to Newport, RI, to attend the
Naval War College, concurrently earning a master's degree in international
affairs from George Washington University.
His next assignment was for two years at Headquarters, Continental
Army Command, at Ft. Monroe, VA. In 1972, Allan returned to Viet
Nam, where he served in Headquarters, Military Assistance Command,
and earned a third Legion of Merit, as well as the Joint Service
Commendation Medal. In 1973, Allan brought his experience back to
Ft. Bragg, NC, in the XVIIII Airborne Corps, first in Headquarters,
then as Corps G 4, and finally, in 1977, as deputy chief of staff.
In 1978, Allan retired as a colonel after nearly 30 years of commissioned
service at home and abroad, and headed to Mount Pleasant, SC. Not
content to sit around the house telling war stories, he became the
general manager of the South Carolina facility of Connecticut based
Target industries, which manufactured and installed chair lifts
and driving devices for the handicapped. He later earned a real
estate license and worked briefly for Max Hill Realtors.
In 1986, he was honored to become a grandfather, a title he carried
as proudly as his military titles. Although he accepted full retirement
in 1993, he was not content to be idle and volunteered his time
at the Naval Hospital in Charleston, as a tutor in an adult literacy
program, and on the homeowners association board. He loved tennis
and walks on the beach near his Mount Pleasant home and was an avid
reader, loved crossword puzzles, took a strong interest in Republican
Party politics, and maintained a life long love of opera and poetry.
After a series of physical setbacks, Allan died on Christmas Day.
His wife, Irene; sons Michael, Stephen, and David; and grandchildren
Joe, Tim, Maggie, Georgia, and Troy survive him.
Allan was proud to have served his country. He willingly endured
the rigors and necessary sacrifices of an Army career because he
believed in a common good. Those who knew him will remember him
as a soldier always.
-- Son David Flynn
|
USMA 1950