Louis Quijada was born on April 30, 1924, in North Hollywood, Los Angeles County, California. He was the son of John R. Quijada. He was married to Graciela Quijada. He graduated from North Hollywood High School and Otis Art Institute. He had worked as an aircraft employee at the Lockheed Aircraft Company before entering military service. He served in the 349th Bomber Squadron, 100th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Technical Sergeant and Radio Operator Gunner of a B-17 bomber during World War II.

On July 14, 1944, Bastille Day, the United States Army Air Forces carried out Operation Cadillac, one of the largest Allied aerial resupply missions of World War II, delivering urgently needed weapons, ammunition, and supplies to the French Resistance. Hundreds of B-17 Flying Fortress bombers, escorted by fighter aircraft, flew from England to drop thousands of containers over designated Resistance zones, including Moustoulat in Corrèze.

Quijada participated in the mission, and in 1994, he returned to France with fellow members of the 100th Bomb Group at the invitation of the French Resistance to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Bastille Day operation that supplied Resistance forces near Tulle. Louis made a career as a graphic artist specializing in printed advertising before retiring in 1989. He self-published an account of his wartime experiences in the book 'Red White and Blue Parachutes'. He died on February 27, 2012, and is now buried in the Rose Hills Memorial Park, Whittier, Los Angeles County, California, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, resistancefrancaise.blogspot.com, 100thbg.com