Gene Moncla Photo Album

Gene's Family

Felix Moncla Sr.
Gene's father in US Army Uniform, World War I

Felix Moncla, Sr. Was born January 15, 1894 in Moncla, Louisiana. He attended high school in nearby Marksville where he played football. He attended Southwest Louisiana Institute in Lafayette where he played on the basketball team. His daughter Leonie, remembers him as a kind and intelligent man who taught high school science in Mansura, where he was the school principal. He also played the organ at church services. He suffered from acute depression and was hospitalized for many years. His brother's agreed to have him subjected to experimental electro-shock therapy in the hopes this would cure his mental illness. He died in Moncla on April 14, 1957.

Marksville High School Football Team, 1912
Felix is in front, 2nd from right, his twin brother Robert is in front, 2nd from left

 

Yvonne Beridon Moncla
Gene's Mother at home in Moreauville, Louisiana

Gene's mother, Yvonne Beridon Moncla was born August 22, 1900. After Gene's father was hospitalized, she moved the family in with her brother Herman in Moreauville, where she worked as a seamstress. Her daughter, Leonie, remembers her mother's baking which she would leave out in an enclosed porch to cool. In particular, she remembers her apple pies, which were stuffed thickly with apples. Leonie said her mother and Gene were close, and that Yvonne was gravely effected by the mysterious circumstances of his disappearance. She spent her final years in Colorado, where she lived close to her two daughters. She died August 31, 1961.

Yvonne Beridon Moncla

Felix and Yvonne Moncla
Gene's Parents

Lt. Leonie Moncla
Gene's Oldest Sister

Leonie Moncla was Gene's oldest sister. During World War II, she served overseas in the US Army. She was posted to London and her ability to speak French was used in assistance of the French Resistance from London. After the war, she returned to the US and married Leo Shannon. She moved with Leo to Loveland, Colorado where they raised a family. Leonie has many fond memories of Gene as a youngster and as a young man. After Gene finished his army service in post World War II occupation of Japan, he visited Leonie for a few months in Colorado. Gene's nephew, Richard Shannon, told me that Gene very much loved the mountains of Colorado near Estes Park. Leonie last saw Gene at an airport in Denver when Gene had stopped for refuelling a refit F-89C he was flying from California back to Truax Field in Madison, Wisconsin.

Muriel Moncla
Gene's Sister was two years older than Gene

Muriel Moncla Obituary (partial)

MOREAUVILLE-Muriel Ann Moncla, 77, of Denver, Colorado died August 8, 2002 at Saint Paul Health Center in Denver. She was born February 5,  1925 in Mansura to Yvonne Beridon Moncla and Felix Eugene Moncla, Sr. She graduated from Moreauville High School in 1942. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Sacred Heart College in Grand Coteau, LA. In 1945.

She joined the order of the Sisters of Saint Francis, San Antonio, Texas where she taught first grade as a novice. Failing health caused her to leave the order and return to live with her mother in Moreauville. They later moved to Colorado to be near her sister and family. Muriel had lived in Denver since 1965 where she worked as a file clerk at Denver General Hospital for several years.

...(personal information removed)

Escude’ Mortuary will be in charge of the burial following the ceremony in Sacred Heart Cemetery.

Gene's Childhood

Moncla Residence in Mansura, Louisiana
The house Gene lived in as a baby and child

Gene was born in Mansura on Oct. 21, 1926. When he was only a few years old, Louisiana was hit by a devastating flood. Mansura was fortunately on higher ground, and the Moncla house was a refuge for many people who fled the floods to Mansura.

Beridon/Moncla Residence in Moreauville, Louisiana
The house Gene's family shared with his Uncle Herman and a great aunt.

After Gene's father was hospitalized, his family moved to Moreauville where they lived with his Uncle Herman Beridon and a great aunt. They had several pets including collies, a German Shepard and a white Persian cat. The house had a corrugated iron roof, and when it rained, pecans would fall from the trees and bang loudly, making a terrific racket.

Rudy Haydel
Gene's Childhood Friend

Rudy Haydel was a year younger than Gene and lived across the street from him in Moreauville. His father worked as a bartender in a building owned by the Beridon's. He recalls that Gene and him used to build model airplanes, go fishing, play in the mud and light firecrackers. He said that Gene had a very deep laugh. After his father died of TB, the Haydel's moved to Marksville. Rudy worked in New Orleans during the war, testing Catalina's. For a while he operated a photography studio, but gave that up for a metal working business. He earned a pilot's license and built his own airplane and an airstrip on his property in Marksville. He has fond memories of Gene and was very sorry when he heard about his disappearance.

Moreauville High School in Moreauville, Louisiana
Where Gene attended High School

In high school, Gene played a trumpet or coronet in the band, and excelled in track and field events. He was voted as Prom King due to his popularity with the local girls, many of whom, he had dated.

His sister Leonie told me that many of the kids in the neighborhood knew him and would greet him as they passed by when he was out mowing the lawn.

Gene Moncla with his friend, Reg (Bitsy) Mayeux
sitting on steps of Moncla home in Moreauville, sipping lemonade after church

Reg Mayeux was a friend of Gene's in high school. Gene used to go over to his farm and ride horses. In high school, Gene was active in track and field and was president of the local branch of the Future Farmers of America.

Gene Moncla Graduation Photo
probably high school grad photo from 1943

Gene's Adult Life

After Gene graduated from high school, he attended Southwest Louisiana Institute in Lafayette, on an athletic scholarship. He played on the football team and competed in track and field. His cousin, Buddy Moncla, told me he attended SLI at the same time as Gene but didn't see much of him as Gene was single and Buddy was married. He does remember going to watch Gene play football and remembers that Gene came by when they had their first child. Buddy remembers Gene holding their baby boy.

Univeristy of Louisiana in Lafayette
formerly Southwest Louisiana Institute where Gene earned his B.Sc.

SLI Track Team, 1948
Gene is second from left in third row

On March 3rd, 1945 Gene enlisted in the US Army at CP Chaffee near Fort  Smith, Arkansas. ompleting 2 years at SLI, Gene enlisted in the US Army. He served as a private overseas in the post-war occupation of Japan. When his service was complete and he returned to the US, he went to visit his newly married sister Leonie in Loveland, Colorado. He very much loved Colorado, and especially the Rocky Mountains around Estes Park. He returned to SLI where he completed his B.Sc. in 1948.

After graduating from SLI, he entered the Louisiana State University in New Orleans, where he studied medicine wanting to be a doctor. In this pursuit, he was following in the footsteps of his great grandfather, Dr. Moncla, who brought the family name to Louisiana from southern France.

Gene had always loved airplanes and had a cousin who was a pilot. This motivated him to join the Air Force at the outbreak of the Korean War, as this offered him the chance to fly the latest fighter jets.

He entered the US Air Force in 1950, and worked in an office in Dallas, Texas until he was sent to McConnell Field in Waco, Texas, where he did his basic pilot training. It was here that he met and married his wife, Bobbie Jean Coleman. From Waco, they moved to Reese Field in Lubbock where Gene had his advanced pilot training. Gene was also stationed to Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City, Florida for F-89 training. It was here that they had their first child, a son.

Reese Air Force Base, Lubbock, Texas
where Gene did his advanced flight training on the T-33

When I met Gene's wife in October, 2002 at Gene's sister Muriel's memorial, I didn't have much time to ask her what recollections she had of her first husband. After Gene disappeared, she didn't have much time to dwell on her loss as she had two young children to look after.

Gene's sister Leonie always wondered if Gene might have survived whatever had happened that night. She told me that at the time she had asked Gene's wife if she thought that Gene might still be alive, but she remembers that Bobbie had replied in the negative.

I have met many of Gene's relatives and friends, including his two children. His daughter was only five months old at the time of Gene's disappearance so she has no memories of him. She does sometimes wonder what really happened to him. At least one of Gene's grandchildren has written about his mysterious disappearance for a writing project at school.

I talked to the brother of Gene's friend, Reg, who heads a cultural commission for the parish of Avoyelles. He told me there is a small museum in Gene's hometown Moreauville, which contains an exhibit about his disappearance.

When I think about Gene's disappearance, and its possible connection to a UFO encounter, I wonder how many other pilots there were in the US Air Force or in other air forces around the world who may have perished in encounters with the same unknown phenomenon in our skies.