Elery Edwin FINNEY

Source : Carla Mans & Ellen Marchese
Fields of Honor Foundation (Netherlands) 

Parents : Elbridge E. & Doda Mae Pullen FINNEY

Siblings : Eunice Viola, Gerald Bernard, James Olen, Albert Milton & Bessie Inez 

Source : Michael V. Drachman

 CEMETERY TEMPORARY of Blosville N°3508

Story of Cemetery Temporary  

Map of Normandy American Cemetery

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor which brought our country into WWII, Elery joined the service, along with his 3 brothers as did most young men. After doing his basic training in the US, he was shipped overseas and participated in the D-Day landing on the beaches of France.

Elery survived the initial beach landing, and this after his transport ship sank. He was killed on July 4, 1944, so survived the hand to hand combat fighting the Germans for almost a month before he was shot.

His sister, Viola Presley, had a premonition of his death. She was changing her baby's diaper when she saw in her mind' eye Elery crouching along the hedgerows. She saw him lift his head, then get shot and falling. She couldn't shake the image, and almost a month later, they were notified of his death.

They never did receive any of Elery's effects after the war. They speculate that he must have lost most of his possessions when his first transport ship sunk, so there wasn't anything of his to be sent back to his family.

His Father, E.E. Finney, asked to have him buried in France rather than bring him back to Arkansas to be buried. He had already had to bury Elery's brother, Gerald, and could not face going through that again.

Of the 4 brothers, 2 were killed in action and 2 came home. Gerald was serving in the Pacific Theater and was killed on Guam. He was killed by shrapnel. At the time, the family lived in Hiwasse, Arkansas. Another boy from Hiwasse was in Gerald's unit and was able to tell the family what happened to him. Gerald is buried in Fort Smith, Arkansas at the National Cemetery.

Albert served in the Navy and James was in the Army.

James also was involved in the D-Day landing. He marched across Europe fighting the Germans. He helped to liberate several French towns and villages. He ended up in Germany at Auschwitz at the end of the war and helped to liberate the Jews that were still alive.
{Copied from the "Suzi's Ancestry" family tree at Ancestry.com.}

Source : Carla Mans

Source : Carla Mans

Source : Carla Mans

Source : Carla Mans

Source : Ancestry

Source : Carla Mans

Source : Carla Mans

Source : finneygirls (Ancestry)

Source : Ancestry

Source : Carla Mans

Source : Carla Mans

90^th INFANTRY DIVISION - TOUGH OMBRES

Activated/Activé	Normandy/Normandie
25 Mar 1942	Days of Combat/Jour de Combat  308
	Casualties/Victimes 19 200
Entered Combat/Entré au combat
9 Jun 1944 Normandy
Commanding Generals/Commandants généraux Maj. Gen. Henry Terrell, Jr. (Mar 42 - Jan 44) Brig. Gen. Jay W. MacKelvie (Jan 44 - Jul 44) Maj. Gen. Eugene M. Landrum (Jul 44 - Aug 44) Maj. Gen. Raymond S. McLain (Aug 44 - Oct 44) Maj. Gen. James A. Van Fleet (Oct 44 - Feb 45) Maj. Gen. Lowell W. Rooks (Feb 45 - Mar 45) Maj. Gen. Herbert L. Earnest (Mar 45 - Nov 45)	Campaigns/Campagnes Normandy (6 Jun 44 - 24 Jul 44) Northern France (25 Jul 44 - 14 Sep 44) Rhineland (15 Sep 44 - 21 Mar 45) Ardennes-Alsace (16 Dec 44 - 25 Jan 45) Central Europe (22 Mar 45 - 11 May 45)
PLAN DE ROUTE DE LA CAMPAGNE - CAMPAIGN ROUTE MAP
DIVISION CHRONICLE The 90th Infantry Division landed in England, 5 April 1944, and trained from 10 April to 4 June. First elements of the Division saw action on Dday, 6 June, on Utah Beach, Normandy, the remainder entering combat, 10 June, cutting across the Merderet River to take Pont l'Abbe in heavy fighting. After defensive action along the Douve, the Division attacked to clear the Foret de Mont Castre, clearing it by 11 July, in spite of fierce resistance. An attack on the island of Seves failing, 23 July, the 90th bypassed it and took Periers, 27 July. On 12 August, the Division drove across the Sarthe River, north and east of Le Mans, and took part in the closing of the Falaise Gap, taking Chambois, 19 August. It then raced across France, through Verdun, 6 September, to participate in the siege of Metz, 14 September - 19 November, capturing Maizieres les Metz, 30 October, and crossing the Moselle at Koenigsmacker, 9 November. On. 6 December 1944, the Division pushed across the Saar and established a bridgehead north of Saarlautern, 618 December, but with the outbreak of the Von Rundstedt drive, withdrew to the west bank on 19 December, and went on the defensive until 5 January 1945, when it shifted to the scene of the Ardennes struggle. It drove across the Our, near Oberhausen, 29 January, to establish and expand a bridgehead. In February, the Division smashed through Siegfried fortifications to the Prum River. After a short rest, the 90th continued across the Moselle to take Mainz, 22 March, and crossed the Rhine, the Main, and the Werra in rapid succession. Pursuit continued to the Czech border, 18 April 1945, and into the Sudeten hills. The Division was en route to Prague when the war in Europe ended.	CHRONIQUE DE DIVISION La 90th Infantry Division débarque en Angleterre le 5 avril 1944 et s'entraîne du 10 avril au 4 juin. Les premiers éléments de la Division ont combattu le 6 juin à Utah Beach, en Normandie, le reste étant entré en combat, le 10 juin, traversant la rivière Merderet pour prendre Pont l'Abbe dans de violents combats. Après une action défensive le long de la Douve, la Division attaqua la Foret de Mont Castre, la défrichant le 11 juillet, malgré une résistance féroce. Une attaque sur l'île de Seves échoua, le 23 juillet, le 90ème la contourna et s'empara de Periers, le 27 juillet. Le 12 août, la Division traverse la Sarthe, au nord et à l'est du Mans, et prend part à la fermeture du Falaise Gap en prenant Chambois le 19 août. Il a ensuite couru à travers la France, à travers Verdun, le 6 septembre, pour participer au siège de Metz, 14 septembre - 19 novembre, capturant Maizières les Metz, le 30 octobre, et traversant la Moselle à Koenigsmacker, le 9 novembre. Sur. Le 6 décembre 1944, la division traverse la Sarre et établit une tête de pont au nord de Saarlautern, 618 décembre, mais avec le déclenchement de la promenade Von Rundstedt, se retire sur la rive ouest le 19 décembre et continue la défensive jusqu'au 5 janvier 1945, quand il s'est déplacé sur la scène de la lutte ardennaise. Il a traversé l'Our, près d'Oberhausen, le 29 janvier, pour établir et agrandir une tête de pont. En février, la Division a défoncé les fortifications de Siegfried jusqu'à la rivière Prum. Après un court repos, le 90e a continué à travers la Moselle pour prendre Mainz, 22 mars, et a traversé le Rhin, le Main et le Werra dans la succession rapide. Pursuit a continué à la frontière tchèque, le 18 avril 1945, et dans les collines des Sudètes. La division était en route pour Prague quand la guerre en Europe a fini.

Brother of 

Elery E

Source : Don J 

Parents : Elbridge E. & Doda Mae Pullen Finney

Siblings : Eunice Viola, elery E, James Olen, Albert Milton & Bessie Inez Finney Smith

161^st Infantry Regiment

 25^th Infantry Division

 Source : Lori Wooden

JOPLIN GLOBE, JOPLIN, MISSOURI, TUESDAY, AUGUST 31, 1943, PAGE TWO

HIWASSE MAN REPORTED AS KILLED IN ACTION
Bentonville, Ark., Aug. 30--Gerald B. Finney, 22 years old, of Hiwasse was killed in action in the Southwest Pacific area July 27, his father, E.E. Finney, Benton county farmer, was notified today by the war department. A machine gunner, Finney had been in service two years and two months. Two brothers are in military service.

JOPLIN GLOBE, JOPLIN, MISSOURI, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1943, PAGE SEVEN

HIWASSE YOUTHS, KILLED IN ACTION, ARE HONORED
Hiwasse, Ark., Sept. 8--Private Gerald Bernard Finney and Private First Class Floyd Cochran, who were killed in action in the South Pacific and who were the first casualties from Hiwasse, were honored at a community memorial Service Sunday afternoon at the Christian church.

Private Finney, 22, who was killed July 27, was a son of Eldridge E. Finney. He was a machine-gun operator, and was in the service 26 months. He is survived also by three brothers, James and Ellery Finney, who are in the service, and Albert Finney of Hiwasse, and by three sisters, Mrs. Paul Presley and Misses Bessie and Dorothy Finney.

Private First Class Cochran, 25, who was killed August 1, was a son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward A. Cochran and was in the service two years. He also is survived by three brothers, Sergeant Elmer A. Cochran, in the army, and Alva and Carl Cochran of Hiwasse.

CONTRIBUTED BY ERIC ACKERMAN

Military Information: PFC, US ARMY

Brother of 

Elery E

Parents : Elbridge E. & Doda Mae Pullen Finney

Siblings : Eunice Viola, Albert M, Elery E & Bessie Inez Finney Smith

Brother of 

Elery E

Albert Milton FINNEY

Parents : Elbridge E. & Doda Mae Pullen Finney

Siblings : Eunice Viola, elery E, James Olen, Elery E & Bessie Inez Finney Smith