An inscribed plaque attached to a reddish stone about 2 feet high.

The memorial marks the location where Corporal William 'Billy' A. Leonard of the 107th Infantry Regiment, 27th Infantry Division fell on July 14, 1918 while on an operation with the British Army on the Scherpenberg hill near Mount Kemmel.  He is considered the first American soldier to fall in Flanders in Belgium in World War 1. He is buried in the nearby Flanders Field American Cemetery.

This memorial is dedicated to the memory of Corporal William Leonard (Jul 1890* -14 July 1918), the first American to die in the Liberation Offensive. Leonard hailed from the town of Flushing, New York where he served as editor of a local newspaper. He enlisted immediately when war was declared and joined the 107th Infantry Regiment of the 27th Division. He continued writing in the Regimental paper and was loved by his comrades for his wit and cheer. Leonard volunteered to join a British Observation Party "just to see how they do it". During an operation to repair barbed wire the night of the 14th he was hit during an artillery barrage and killed instantly, the first man of his division to be killed in action. Corporal Leonard was buried on the Scherpenber just above this monument. His body was later moved to the o Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery where he rests in honor to this day.