Ralph Paul Ruth was born March 5, 1921 in Mazzard, Sebastian Co., Ar. to Edward Bryant & Vernie White Ruth. June 1, 1940 Ralph married Opal Mary Rix in Fort Smith, Sebastian Co., Ar. On February 16, 1942 Ralph registered for the military draft at Fort Smith, Arkansas. He enlisted with the US Navy March 15, 1944. On January 10, 1945 he is found on a Navy muster report at Section Base Nav15. = (U.S. Naval Base, Pearl Harbor, Section Base Storehouse, Bishop Point, between Fort Kamehameha Road & Quaywall, Pearl City, Honolulu County, HI) His rank is M3C (Metal Smith 3rd class Petty Officer). May 31, 1945 the muster report show him with the rank of CM3C or Carpenter's Mate 3rd class. On the July 1, 1945 he is listed as a 1504 or as serving with the Naval Construction Battalion Detachemnt 1504. Ralph was discharged from the US Navy December 30, 1945. Ralph Paul Ruth passed away October 30, 2020 in Springdale, Arkansas and is buried in the Barling Cemetery, Barling, Sebastian Co., Ar. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ralph Paul Ruth, 99, of Springdale formerly of Fort Smith died on Friday October 30, 2020 in Springdale. He was born March 5, 1921 in Fort Smith to Ed and Vernie (White) Ruth. He was a retired maintenance supervisor at Christ the King Catholic Church for 45 years, a member of Goddard United Methodist Church and a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II. Ralph was preceded in death by his wife, Opal, two daughters, Paula K. Morgan and Norma J. Ruth and one grandchild, Kathy Ball. He is survived by one granddaughter, Jerri K. Dwyer and her husband Dan of Springdale; one grandson-in-law, Stanley Ball of Fort Smith; three grandchildren, Kaleb Ball, Kaytlin and Elizabeth Dwyer all of Springdale. Graveside funeral service will be 1:00 P.M. Wednesday November 4, 2020 at Baling City Cemetery under the direction of Ocker-Putman Funeral Home of Fort Smith with military honors. He may be viewed from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Tuesday at the funeral home. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The following story was written by Ralph's great granddaughter Kaytlin after she talked to him about it for a school assignment. "In honor of veterans, I present why freedom is important to me. In the year 1944 my Papa was drafted off to war. The day came when he had to leave his wife, who was pregnant. He did not want to leave, but he knew that he had to go, so he held his head high and got on a train for Little Rock. A troop train picked him up bound for training in San Diego. He expressed that it was hard not to jump off when the train passed through his town. During training he had to leap off a 50 ft. tower into flaming water. Papa sad that there was a man in front of him who looked over the tower and would not jump. Two officers grabbed him and threw him into the water. He hit the water screaming. Papa did not want to end up like him, So he bravely jumped. After training he was supposed to go home for two weeks, but instead he was loaded onto a cramped ship headed for Pearl Harbor." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 'FIGHTING MEN OF ARKANSAS'