The Autobiography of Ralph K. Manley

From Birch Creek Publishing

As told and written by Susie Knust

Despite being raised in a broken home, separated from his twin brother while he went to live and work on his grandparents’ farm, going into World War Two as a paratrooper and discovering his brother had been killed by friendly fire, Ralph K. Manley believes and teaches others that a positive attitude and a lot of hard work will bring success and happiness.
For twenty years he taught business, real estate, and finance at Missouri State University. For over fifty years he has been a licensed building contractor, land developer, licensed real estate broker, investor, financier, farm owner/manager, and corporate executive. He built more than 1500 homes and developed residential subdivisions totaling over 2,000 lots in the Springfield, Missouri area.
Now in his eighties, Ralph is a widely-sought-after motivational speaker with over 150 engagements annually. He serves on the Springfield City Council and is Mayor Pro-Tem, officiating at most of the new business ribbon cuttings in the area. He travels the world representing WWII veterans, parachutes from airplanes, and continues to own and manage over 100 real estate properties.
Anyone who has met Ralph K. Manley recognizes him as an enthusiastic and inspiring sage who is always “raring to go. ”
He tells others: “have trust and faith in yourself, believe in, encourage, help, and teach other people, and then together you can accomplish many, many things. In my case, it was homes for people who want and need homes.”
 

FROM THE BOOK
It was shortly after midnight and all hell had broken loose in what looked like the biggest Fourth of July celebration you could imagine. There were tracers and the Germans shot up parachute flares. My plane took a lot of hits and some of the people in the plane were hit and fell to the floor. We were already hooked up to the static line ready to jump as the bullets were flying. Some had fallen to the floor and some had gotten sick. The floor was slick with blood and vomit. When it was time to jump, some of the soldiers didn’t get out and the plane went on to crash. I was number three out the door.

Being a paratrooper is risky, but those are the types that make America great, those who are willing to take the risk. Business people are risk takers, paratroopers are risk takers. Thank goodness for people just like them. They are the type who will keep America going great in future generations. It’s the risk takers that make the world go ’round.

The death and destruction that go with war make deep impressions on a person. They made me appreciate life and know the importance of each human. I was determined to keep it from happening again, and this brought about a complete change in my attitude.

It’s the battlefront that changed my life forever. I’m not bitter about life. It made me better about life because I have a better understanding of humans and of life itself. I don’t gripe, I don’t bitch, I don’t complain. Because life can have a number of disappointments, I look only for the good things in everything.

All my days are good.
Some are better than others.

RALPH K. MANLEY


BIRCH CREEK PUBLISHING Marshfield, MO                  ISBN 09760004-1-5 

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