Mitchell Flint (June 27, 1923 – September 16, 2017) was an American lawyer and veteran aviator. He was a

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

fighter pilot during World War II, and later served as an American volunteer pilot in Israel's first fighter squadron during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.PILOT CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY WITH PLANE RIDE
at LarchmontChronicle.com, by Jane Gilman; published 8/1/2008; retrieved May 2, 2012 Mitchell Flint was credited as one of the people who assisted in the creation of the

Israeli Air Force The Israeli Air Force (IAF; he, זְרוֹעַ הָאֲוִיר וְהֶחָלָל, Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal, tl, "Air and Space Arm", commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial warfare branch of the Israel Defens ...

. Mitchell Flint was born in 1923 in Kansas City, Missouri.Mitchell Flint
at 101Squadron.com, by Alex Yofe, retrieved May 2, 2012 His father Harry worked for the

Pendergast Pendergast ( ga, de Piondárgas, ''Piondárgas'') is a Norman-Irish surname derived from Prendergast. Pendergast may refer to: *Aloysius Pendergast, character in novels by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. *Clancy Pendergast (born 1967), Ameri ...

political machine. Harry was a decorated American fighter pilot during World War I and helped develop then-teenager Mitchell's lifelong love of flying at Kansas City's original airfield. Flint graduated from Westport High School in Kansas City, where he took part in the school's

Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps The Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC -- commonly pronounced "JAY-rotsee") is a Federal government of the United States, federal program sponsored by the United States Armed Forces in high schools and also in some middle schools acr ...

, graduating with honors. He volunteered at age 18 to serve as a naval fighter pilot in World War II. Following his successful completion of the

Civilian Pilot Training Program The Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP) was a flight training program (1938–1944) sponsored by the United States government with the stated purpose of increasing the number of civilian pilots, though having a clear impact on military prepare ...

, Flint served in the Pacific Theater on the naval air carrier, the USS ''Wasp'', under Admiral John S. McCain Sr. Flint performed dive bombing missions in the Pacific while flying the

Vought F4U Corsair The Vought F4U Corsair is an American fighter aircraft which saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Designed and initially manufactured by Chance Vought, the Corsair was soon in great demand; additional production contract ...

fighter aircraft. He shot down a

kamikaze , officially , were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units of military aviators who flew suicide attacks for the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, intending t ...

and was ultimately awarded three Air Medals. After six years of service in the Navy, he continued flying for sixteen years in the

United States Navy Reserve The United States Navy Reserve (USNR), known as the United States Naval Reserve from 1915 to 2005, is the Reserve Component (RC) of the United States Navy. Members of the Navy Reserve, called Reservists, are categorized as being in either the Se ...

, ultimately achieving the rank of commander. Concerned for the plight of Europe's

Holocaust Survivors Holocaust survivors are people who survived the Holocaust, defined as the persecution and attempted annihilation of the Jews by Nazi Germany and its allies before and during World War II in Europe and North Africa. There is no universally accep ...

in the aftermath of World War II, Flint volunteered as an American fighter pilot in Israel's first aviation unit - 101 Squadron. He served under Commander

Modi Alon Mordechai "Modi" Alon (17 January 1921 – 16 October 1948) was an Israeli fighter pilot who with the formation of the Israeli Air Force in May 1948, assumed command of its first fighter squadron. Flying the Avia S-199, Alon participated in the ...

and flew alongside

Ezer Weizman Ezer Weizman (; he, עֵזֶר וַיצְמָן ''Ezer Vaytsman''; 15 June 1924 – 24 April 2005) was the seventh President of Israel, first elected in 1993 and re-elected in 1998. Before the presidency, Weizman was commander of the Israeli Ai ...

, the country's future president, during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Flint may be the only pilot in history to fly the Corsair, Avia S-199,

North American P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team headed by James ...

, and Supermarine Spitfire in wartime combat. Flint attended, and along with other Arab-Israeli War volunteers, was saluted for his efforts at Israel's Silver Anniversary in 1979, and again in 1999, at Israel's Golden Anniversary. Flint lived in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

, where he earned his law degree from

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...

, and had a family law practice for over fifty years. At the time of his death he was married to Joyce Flint, a former fashion designer-turned conservator, and had two sons, Michael, a film producer in Hollywood, and Guy, an educator. Oh, you Sons of Moses with your Crooked Noses
at JewishJournal.com, by Danielle Berrin; published January 10, 2008; retrieved May 2, 2012 He also served as a Co-Director for Machal West, an organization composed of American Veterans who fought with Israel in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. He co-founded the organization.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Flint, Mitchell 1923 births 2017 deaths UCLA School of Law alumni Lawyers from Los Angeles Lawyers from Kansas City, Missouri Jewish American military personnel United States Naval Aviators United States Navy pilots of World War II 1948 Arab–Israeli War pilots Israeli military personnel of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War Military personnel from Missouri Israeli Air Force personnel Recipients of the Air Medal American expatriates in Israel 20th-century American lawyers 21st-century American Jews American people of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War American Zionists