RIP FA_Monguse

[Bearcat]

Ralph "FA_Monguse" Gimenez passed away yesterday morning  as a result of complications during chemo for lung cancer. 

 

I thought about posting this in another forum.. but I decided to post it here.. I know Guse was not an active member of this forum or this community  .. but he was a huge part of the IL2 family and many of the old timers here will remember him .. and be saddened by his passing.

 

It amazes me that almost two decades later .. the IL2 community is still growing and going strong and has morphed into this three legged stool that it has become.. The first time I saw Jason he was heading up the 777 AVG.. in fact when I went to built the first website for the 99th back in 03  .. I used his site as a guide..  and here we are today with this jewel of a sim. 

 

Guse... you will be missed by many ... I am certain that I do not speak solely for myself when I extend my heartfelt prayers and condolences to his famiuly and all those who loved and respected him during this trying time.. 

 

 

~!Salute! FA_Monguse

[ShamrockOneFive]

Sad news. Thanks for sharing that with us Bearcat.

[SvAF/F16_Goblin]

Sad news indeed, condolences to family and friends.

[76IAP-Black]

Rip and Salut 

[Feathered_IV]

That's very sad to hear.  I remember him from the old Ubi forum days. All the best to his family and friends.  He was always an enthusiastic member of the community.

[YoYo]

[’] RiP.

[Uufflakke]

Oh God, what a sad news.

 

I know his name from the days I started to participate in the 'ole Ubi days' way back in 2007.

He was a very active member of the classic Il2 and his name popped up on related sites like AllAircraftArcade, 1C and SimHQ just to name a few.

 

This is how FA_Monguse should be remembered:

 

" He is highly respected in the IL2 and flight sim community. He is knowledgeable in the IL2 game, tactics and well known for his historically correct skins of air craft."

 

https://forums.ubi.com/showthread.php/604830-Fallen-Angels-has-a-new-Commanding-Officer?s=b728f2891323ffa847d3feb9f154dcdb

 

 

 

[Lusekofte]

He was a popular figure in ubi forums. A great contributor for old IL 2 . A great loss . Condolences to his family and friends

[CountZero]

Sad news, RIP FA_Monguse

 

 

[TWC_Ace]

I remember him from old IL2 days. RIP Monguse.

[150GCT_Veltro]

Thank Bear to share this.

 

This a very sad news, i need to share this terrible news with the other guys of the italian community.

 

Ferdinando D'Amico is passed away too, and now Monguse......

 

Fly high my friend!

 

 

 

 

[[DBS]TH0R]

I've known him for over 10 years. He was a member of DBS, even though he didn't fly with us since we switched completely to BOS.

 

Just as the american iron started rolling out, I was hoping he might be joining us again. And perhaps make a skin or two...

 

Thank you for posting it here Bearcat. 'Guse will be missed.

 

Fly high and rest in peace my friend!

Edited December 8, 2018 by [DBS]TH0R

[15[Span.]/JG51Costa]

RIP and condolences to family and friends.

[=EXPEND=Dendro]

RIP....Salut.

[CrazyDuck]

He'll be remembered as one of the pillars of IL-2 community no doubt. RIP FA_Monguse.

[DD_Gypsy]

I flew with 'Guse back in the mid 2000s and we were team mates with Team USA (TUSA). Lost touch with him when I retired and quit flying for 5+ years. Great guy and I am sad to hear of his passing.

 

RIP Monguse!

[[CPT]Pike*HarryM]

RIP.

 

[ITAF_Rani]

Sad news.

RIP

Edited December 8, 2018 by ITAF_Rani

[BlitzPig_EL]

Heard about it yesterday Bear.  Very sad news indeed.  Met Ralph at The Gathering of Mustangs and Legends, and of course flew with him a lot while play testing the Solomons and New Guinea maps for IL2.  We should also remember that he is very much responsible for the B24 in '46.  He was a great guy, and helpful to anybody that had technical issues with the sim.

 

The entire WW2 flight simming community has lost a great member, and a great person beyond what he did for our "games".

 

Hold her at 72 inches and keep climbing my friend.

 

?

[OrLoK]

o7

[[DBS]Tx_Tip]

S!

[1.JaVA_KEBEN]

RIP Monguse

[1JaVA_Jumper]

Monguse RIP

 

 

Edited December 8, 2018 by 1JaVA_Jumper

[150GCT_Veltro]

You can see Ralph here, 325th FG memorial in Italy.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swJ2mHoeqYk

Edited December 8, 2018 by 150GCT_Veltro

[[DBS]Hycel]

[']

[Froddi_VR]

~S~

[FlyingH]

RIP!

[Mysticpuma]

I heard the news of Ralph's passing from Gary Bullock shortly after it happened and it truly left me bereft. It is difficult to try and quantify how important Ralph was to my life story but I can honestly say he changed my lifes direction with one sentence, "hey Neil, have you ever heard of the Checkertails?".

 

Ralph and I got in touch around 2004 when I asked if there was anyone in America (we knew each other simply through a love of WW2 combat flight simulations) who would be interested in narrating a short computer generated film about Robert S. Johnson and his epic battle for survival in the skies of Europe during WW2 and Ralph jumped at the chance. In 2007 it was released online and during a chat afterwards he mentioned the now legendary Checkertail sentence.

 

Shortly after Ralph gave me the contact details for Ian Mcdonald and Ian kindly set the wheels in motion by passing on Art Fiedler's contact details and with a flurry of emails between Art and I discussing the history of the 325th FG, I realised this was a story that needed to be told.

 

The seed was planted and in 2008 I flew to California where I met Ralph (who flew in from Florida) and we started our adventure by meeting P-51 Ace Art Fiedler at his home in Oxnard. We both shared a passion for gathering information, preserving the history and memories of Art and from there, Art gave us more contacts who served with the 325th and the game was afoot.

 

The following 10-years saw Ralph and I meeting up when and where time allowed and always there was a friendly banter between us. It was great that he 'got' my ironic British humour, played along with it and batted it back followed by the wry smile of knowing he got it and gave as good as he got. During those years we met some truly superb people of which there are too many to name but Ian Mcdonald shared that passion as did Gary Bullock who offered to narrate the films that were eventually created from the travels we undertook.

 

 My endearing memory of Ralph was of having a great sense of humour but being dogged and determined when he found something he had a passion for. The fruition of this has to be the design and creation of the Lesina monument to the fallen of the 325th FG. This is a true memorial to everything that Ralph stood for and his dedication to making sure the men who served for the preservation and freedom that we enjoy today will never be forgotten.

 

I will share something now that happened on the last day of that visit to Lesina. Ralph, Gary Bullock and I went outside while the party in the restaurant continued. We stood there in the cold evening air as the music played in the background, looked at each other and simply said "Can you believe what we have achieved? Just a small group of ordinary guys with an extraordinary passion to capture, create and preserve the memory of a select group of veterans.... and look what we have done...."

It was a poignant moment but in that moment we realised that we had created something special, done it all simply because we were lucky enough to possess the skill set to be able to do this.

 

Ralph though was the one who created this simply through one sentence..... and it changed mine and many others lives indelibly.

 

Ralph you were an amazing man, I am pleased to have had the honour of meeting you and the world truly will be a much lonelier place without you to share it with

My heart breaks for your family.

Neil

[Novotny]

I flew with and against this dude.

 

Rest in Peace, brother.

[150GCT_Veltro]

Thank for your post Mysticpuma.

 

Monguse was not only an IL2 player, what you and Monguse have done for Checkertail in Italy is absolutely amazing and the pic you posted above is GREAT!

 

I share with you a pic from one of the our meeting in Italy with Ralph.

[Uufflakke]

 

I dug up this old IL2:1946 members poster I once created.

 

FA_Monguse is among us, 3rd row, 6th from left.

 

Funny times at Ubizoo way back in 2010...

 

[Cybermat47]

Never knew him, but I wish I’d been able to.

 

May he rest in peace.

[[DBS]Browning]

I have fond memories of flying with you 'Guse.

[SAS_Bombsaway]

I had only spoke to him by PM a few times but remember he was nice enough to let me use some of his B-25 skins for some mods I was working on.

Rest in peace.

[Taxman]

RIP Monguse

[=CFC=Conky]

Blue skies Monguse.

[Swing]

S !...Monguse...Fly in Eternity...

[OG_FC]

I am a cancer survivor at the moment anyhow/ Knew Monguse back in the Old Days of Il2 so sorry to hear of his Passing.  ~S R.I.P.

Edited December 10, 2018 by 51st_FC

[Aufpassen]

S! I can't remember when I noticed Monguse for the first time, but he was a mainstay of the community and a fun person to fly with and against. I've been flying IL-2 since it first came out so it must have been very early days. Those were good times. A sad feeling when an important part of the community and a warm and friendly person leaves us behind. Cherish the memory.

[Missionbug]

As far as I know I never had any personal contact with Monguse, however, we are such a small community that it is always a sad day when we loose one of our own.

 

I send my heartfelt condolences to those he leaves behind.

 

 

Wishing you all the very best, Pete.