Jess A. Quigley was born on 18 May 1924, in Shippensburg, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. His parents are John M. & Lillian B. Quigley. Jess had a brother serving in the Army Air Corps, Donald Quigley. Jess A. Quigley attended Harding High School and was a graduate with the Class of 1942. Jess was employed with the Dushan Coal Company, Osceola Mills, Clearfield, Pennsylvania.
Jess A. Quigley entered service on 15 February 1943. He took training at San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center, Texas. He was sent overseas for duty as a P-51 Mustang fighter pilot. He was a Second Lieutenant serving in the 307th Squadron, 31st Fighter Group. He was stationed in St. Polten, Austria.
While on a mission over the airdrome at Prostejov-Kostelec, Czechoslovakia, Lt. Quigley was shot down. It was witnessed on 25 August 1944, that his parachute opened and he landed in some tree tops. His mother was notified that he was Missing in Action (MIA).

On 25 August 1944, I was leading an element of red flight in my Squadron on a bomber escort mission to Prostejov, Czechoslovakia with Lt Quigley as my wingman. At 1120 hours, Lt Quigley first reported that his engine was heating up, so I went down to 7,000 feet with him and his engine cooled off. Later Lt Quigley´s engine heated up again and glycol streamed from his plane. At 1255 hours he was forced to bail out from 3,000 feet, and although his chute streamed out behind him, it did not open up. I circled at 5,000 feet and saw Lt Quigley fall into a group of trees, but did not see him again.

Statement from Captain George T. Buck Jr., Air Corps.

His mother had also been notified that another son, Major Don Quigley, was MIA in the Pacific Theater. It was not until 12 August 1945, that his mother was notified that her son, Lt. Jess A. Quigley, was officially declared dead.
Lt. Quigley was first buried in St. Leonard Am Forst, Austria. In 1948, his family was notified that Lt. Jess A. Quigley was reinterred at the U. S. Military Cemetery in Neuville-en-Condroz, nine miles south-west of Liege, Belgium.
Lt. Jess A. Quigley is remembered on the Honor Roll, at the Veterans Memorial Park, in Marion, Ohio; on the west wall of the Marion County Courthouse; and on the World War II Veterans Memorial Wall, at the Marion Cemetery.