No Guts, No Glory

Book excerpt: Dreams of taking to the air, serving the war effort, and discovering a world beyond the small family farm where he was raised led Clete Ernster first to Texas, where he was the youngest flight instructor in the Army Air Corps and where he met his beautiful wife, Kathleen, and then to China, where he flew dangerous missions over The Hump. Returning to Texas with numerous decorations for service above and beyond, he began a dedicated mission to become the proverbial American success story. An eager and ambitious visionary, he overcame personal trials and challenges to create, from nothing but an idea and the guts to go for it, a family manufacturing dynasty in the small Texas town that became his adopted home. A recognized leader in both his industry and community, he was, in 1980, named by President Jimmy Carter as Small Businessperson of the Year in Texas and among the top three nationally in a Rose Garden ceremony at the White House. In his retired years, his strength and determination served him in overcoming the life-threatening and debilitating disease, Guillain-Barre syndrome. Faith, family, and fearlessness are the hallmarks of his exceptional life and career. No Guts, No Glory is his story.