32 Ralph Poole passed away peacefully in his sleep at home in Arroyo Grande on Friday, June 29, 2018 ... He was 93. Born in Los Angeles on January 29, 1925 to William Wiley Poole and Ouida Jane Low, Ralph was raised during the great depression. He attended a variety of schools in Southern California, including the Carlin and Marcel Military Academies. He was attending Fremont High School in L.A. when World War II began. Like many of the "greatest generation" he wanted to join the fight, but he was too young and the U.S. Navy turned him down. Finally in January 1943, still just 17 years old, he dropped out of high school and joined the U.S. Coast Guard. Sent to training on Catalina Island, Ralph became an Apprentice Seaman and joined the crew of the USS Glendale, a Tacoma-class patrol frigate. He was sent to the south Pacific where the ship and crew saw lots of action in and around the New Guinea Theater. Discharged in April 1946, Ralph loved life at sea, so he decided to join the Merchant Marine. He spent two years running oil tankers between the Gulf States and the mid Atlantic. During these voyages, he became interested in photography and decided to use the GI Bill to attend photography school. (continued on next page)
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