At the time I knew Ralph Thompson in 1959 and ’60, he was a district officer for the installment credit loan department of First National Bank of Oregon. I was an officer of Baker State Bank, which First National had just acquired. Ralph was showing me the ropes. He was a short, wiry man with a deep bass voice. If his size had matched his voice, he’d have been 7 feet tall. He was cocky, a born competitor and enjoyed telling of his World War II experiences. Ralph was a war lover. A born warrior. He said, “I’m an ace. …