Meet Brad Hoopes

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brad Hoopes.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Brad. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
In 2002, I read an article about how the Library of Congress was starting a program to collect the stories of veterans. I thought why not try and do something on the local level to feed stories to this program. So I went out, bought a video camera and started interviewing veterans. It fulfilled a perfect storm of interests. A love of history, having always enjoyed meeting people and learning their back story and having a deep respect and awe for what our veterans did and continue to do. What started out as a way to satisfy an interest in history, soon became an all consuming effort to honor our veterans in any way I could. It took a very sharp turn fairly early on when I received a call from the wife of a WWII veteran the next morning after I did his interview. She said she was calling to thank me for doing the interview, as she and the kids didn’t know his story and looked forward to receiving the DVD. She said she also wanted to let me know that last night was the first time in 60+ years that he had slept through the night. That phone call, coupled with countless other similar situations like that since, changed the trajectory from not only recording their stories, but also honoring and helping them in any way I could. To date I have completed somewhere north of 500 interviews of northern Colorado veterans.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Yes and no. Very much yes in the sense that I have come to know some of the most incredible people you could ever meet and have heard some of the most amazing stories. In another sense it hasn’t, as once I began hearing these stories, I became consumed by them. I pretty much dropped everything in a scramble to collect these stories before it was too late. And thus, it has driven me into the ground financially. I have absolutely no regrets in doing it, but maybe now a regret with my approach in how I went about it. Another struggle is that these people mean the world to me, they have become friends and many feel like grandparents or favorite aunts/uncles. It is very hard every time one of them passes.

Please tell us about the organization.
The whole concept of the organization is to honor and assist veterans in any way I can. Starting out with WWII/Korean War veterans, my mantra has been “These people are on the last few miles of a very long road. We must do everything we can to pave those remaining miles in gold.” With our Vietnam and more recent veterans, paving operations have been extended with more opportunities to honor them. The core purpose of the organization is to record the stories of veterans. I believe we have collected all the facts and figures, but not nearly enough of the personal stories. Stories that add a powerful dimension to the facts and figures. The main objective of the project has always been to get the veteran’s story down on permanent record for them and their family, so never to be lost or forgotten. A secondary objective, with their permission, is to donate a copy of the interview to their local library/museum, CSU’s Morgan Library, the National WWII Museum in New Orleans (if they are a WWII veteran). And of course the Library of Congress. I video tape the interview in a 60 Minutes TV show or documentary style format. An off-shoot from these interviews, I took out 70 stories from the WWII section of the interviews, re-watched them, wrote an essay on each, and bundled them into a book entitled “Reflections of Our Gentle Warriors”. Another off-shoot over the last year and a half was producing a local magazine that highlighted veterans and veteran organizations. Also organize or assist in organizing veteran activities and events. I am most proud of the fact that these stories will now never lost or forgotten and that I was able, in my own little way, to honor and showcase these people for who they are and for what they have done.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I think the credit goes to the veterans themselves, as they are what have kept me going and are what it is all about. It is truly amazing what they have done and continue to do for this country. My parents have been huge supporters, as well as family and friends. There is also a wonderful community of people and organizations who support veterans and veteran causes. There are so many who have been supportive of my efforts. I won’t name them for fear I would forget to mention someone. We all sing in the same choir in regards to our respect and love for our veterans.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rememberandhonormagazine.com
• Phone: 9706312027
• Email: brad.hoopes@rememberandhonor.com
• Facebook: Remember and Honor

Image Credit:
Single picture of me: Joshua Polson, Greeley Tribune.

Suggest a story: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.