Biography

Born in Norwich, Connecticut

Norwich, Connecticut

Regular steamship service between New York and Boston helped Norwich to prosper as a shipping center through the early part of the 20th century. During the Civil War, Norwich once again rallied and saw the growth of its textile, armaments, and specialty item manufacturing...

 in 1904, Finnegan was an ordained Roman Catholic priest. He was a graduate of St. Thomas Seminary

St. Thomas Seminary

St. Thomas Seminary, located in Bloomfield, Connecticut, was a minor seminary for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford. The current rector is the Rev. Msgr. Gerard G. Schmitz.-History:...

 and St. Mary's Seminary and University

St. Mary's Seminary and University

St. Mary's Seminary and University is a Roman Catholic seminary in Baltimore, Maryland; it was the first seminary founded in the United States of America.-History:...

. In 1956, he was given the title of Monsignor

Monsignor

Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...

 by Pope Pius XII

Pope Pius XII

The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....

. He passed away on January 17, 1990.

Career

Finnegan was originally commissioned an officer in the United States Army Reserve

United States Army Reserve

The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....

 in 1937. He was commissioned an officer in the Regular Army in 1940.

On December 7, 1941, he was present for the attack on Pearl Harbor

Attack on Pearl Harbor

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...

. During World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, he served in the Guadalcanal Campaign

Guadalcanal campaign

The Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by Allied forces, was a military campaign fought between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theatre of World War II...

 and the Mediterranean Theater of Operations

Mediterranean Theater of Operations

The Mediterranean Theater of Operations, United States Army was originally called North African Theater of Operations and is an American term for the conflict that took place between the Allies and Axis Powers in North Africa and Italy during World War II...

.

In 1949, Finnegan transferred to the United States Air Force

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

 and was assigned to Headquarters Continental Air Command

Continental Air Command

Continental Air Command was a Major Command of the United States Air Force responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.-Lineage:...

. From 1950 to 1952, he served in the Korean War

Korean War

The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

.

After returning to the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, Finnegan was named Command Chaplain at Headquarters Air Training Command

Air Training Command

Air Training Command is a former major command of the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force. ATC came into being as a redesignation of the Army Air Forces Training Command on July 1, 1946...

. In 1953, he became Deputy Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force

Deputy Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force

The Deputy Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force is the second senior-most Chaplain in the United States Air Force Chaplain Service, holding the rank of Brigadier General, and acting as principal deputy to the Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force.The current Deputy Chief of...

. He achieved the rank of Major General

Major general (United States)

In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...

 and was promoted to Chief of Chaplains in 1958. He remained in that position until his retirement in 1962.

Awards he received include the Legion of Merit

Legion of Merit

The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...

 with oak leaf cluster

Oak leaf cluster

An oak leaf cluster is a common device which is placed on U.S. Army and Air Force awards and decorations to denote those who have received more than one bestowal of a particular decoration. The number of oak leaf clusters typically indicates the number of subsequent awards of the decoration...

, the Bronze Star Medal

Bronze Star Medal

The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...

, the American Defense Service Medal

American Defense Service Medal

The American Defense Service Medal is a decoration of the United States military, recognizing service before America’s entry into the Second World War but during the initial years of the European conflict.-Criteria:...

, the American Campaign Medal

American Campaign Medal

The American Campaign Medal was a military decoration of the United States armed forces which was first created on November 6, 1942 by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt...

, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal

Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal

The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal is a service decoration of the Second World War which was awarded to any member of the United States military who served in the Pacific Theater from 1941 to 1945 and was created on November 6, 1942 by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was...

, the World War II Victory Medal, the Korean Service Medal

Korean Service Medal

The Korean Service Medal is an award of the United States military and was created in November 1950 by executive order of President Harry Truman. The Korean Service Medal is the primary United States medal for participation in the Korean War and is awarded to any U.S. service member, who...

, the United Nations Korea Medal, the National Defense Service Medal

National Defense Service Medal

The National Defense Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower...

 and the Air Force Longevity Service Award

Air Force Longevity Service Award

The Air Force Longevity Service Award is a military award of the United States Air Force which was first issued in 1957 by order of General Thomas D. White, Air Force Chief of Staff...

with silver oak leaf cluster.