Affixed on the right wall of the entrance to the town hall.

Plaque

A rectangular black plaque with the 9th US Infantry Division and VII Corps insignias as well as the Coat of arms of the town of Cherbourg-Octeville. The plaque is written in French.

On June 26, 1944, Sergeant Finley was among the first American soldiers to arrive at the town hall in Cherbourg, France. This date was just weeks after the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944, when Allied forces launched a massive invasion on the beaches of Normandy. Cherbourg, a strategic port city, was crucial for the Allies to secure to bring in supplies and reinforcements. The capture of Cherbourg was a critical milestone in the Normandy campaign, and Finley's role in this operation signifies his active involvement in the frontline efforts to liberate Europe from Nazi control. That evening, Cherbourg regained its freedom, thanks to the courage and determination of soldiers like Finley.

Sadly, less than a year after his courageous actions in Cherbourg, Sergeant Finley died in Germany on April 1, 1945, at the young age of 20. His death occurred just weeks before the end of the war in Europe, which officially concluded on May 8, 1945, with Germany's surrender.

Source of photo: www.memorialgenweb.org

A LA MEMOIRE 

DU SERGENT WILLIAM F. FINLEY 

39∙ R.I. DE LA 9EME DIVISION AMERICAINE 

TOMBE AU CHAMP D' HONNEUR EN ALLEMAGNE 

LE 1ER AVRIL 1945 A L 'AGE DE 20 ANS 

IL ARRIVA LE PREMIER EN CET HOTEL DE VILLE

LE 26 JUIN 1944

AU SOIR CHERBOURG RETROUVAIT LA LIBERTE

English Translation:

IN MEMORY OF 

SERGEANT WILLIAM F. FINLEY 

39^th INFANTRY REGIMENT OF THE 9^th AMERICAN DIVISION 

FELL IN THE FIELD OF HONOR IN GERMANY 

ON APRIL 1, 1945 AT THE AGE OF 20 

HE WAS THE FIRST TO ARRIVE AT THIS TOWN HALL 

ON JUNE 26, 1944 

THAT EVENING CHERBOURG REGAINED ITS FREEDOM