Story & Lesson Highlights with Brad Hoopes of northern Colorado

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Brad Hoopes. Check out our conversation below.

Hi Brad, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What do you think is misunderstood about your business? 
I think there are a couple of common misconceptions when it comes to the area of telling your life story. The first—and one I hear far too often—is: “I didn’t do anything special; I don’t really have a story.” In every single case, that has proven to be false. Everyone has a story—one that is completely unique and filled with personal experiences, family history, wisdom, and life lessons. It may seem ordinary to you, but to your loved ones and future generations, it’s priceless.

The second misconception is that people don’t recognize the importance—or the urgency—of preserving a life story until it’s too late. I can’t count how many times I’ve heard someone say, “I wish I had recorded my mom’s story,” or “If only I had captured my grandfather’s memories.” If I had a dollar for every time someone expressed that regret, I’d be writing this from my private island.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Brad Hoopes, and I’m the founder of Remember and Honor—a heartfelt project dedicated to preserving the life stories of our veterans, with a special focus on their time in the military. Through in-depth video interviews, I’ve had the profound honor of recording over 600 stories from veterans across Colorado.

The core mission is simple but deeply meaningful: to ensure that every veteran’s story is permanently recorded—not just for history’s sake, but for their families, loved ones, and future generations who deserve to know the legacy they carry. With the veteran’s permission, many of these interviews are also shared publicly to educate and inspire others. This is done by donating copies to institutions like the Library of Congress and by posting the videos on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@rememberandhonorstories.

From the very beginning, I’ve held a firm belief: every veteran’s story matters and deserves to be told if they would like to tell it—whether they stormed a beach or served peeling potatoes in KP duty. Early on, I focused primarily on World War II and Korean War veterans, knowing time was running out for that generation. Of the 400 WWII veterans I’ve interviewed, only five are still with us today.

Now, my focus has shifted to capturing the stories of Vietnam veterans. Between age and with many facing health challenges from Agent Orange, the clock is now ticking with this group and the urgency is real.

Every story we preserve is a tribute. Every voice we record is a gift. And every moment we capture helps ensure that their sacrifices—and their humanity—are never forgotten.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
That would have to be traveling overseas. I did a backpacking trip through Europe after college, thinking that would knockout the travel bug. It proved to be the opposite, only feeling my desire to travel more. So for a good chunk of my twenties, I dedicated those years to working to save up and then traveling abroad. This culminated with a trip around the world (ironically not planned to do so, but actually done in 80 days!). One of my favorite Mark Twain quotes – “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
I constantly wrestle with the balance between passion and practicality when it comes to this project. When I first started, Remember and Honor was meant to be a fun side project—a way to indulge my love of history. But everything changed with one phone call.

The morning after I interviewed a World War II veteran, his wife called. She thanked me for taking the time to sit down with her husband. She told me that neither she nor their children had ever heard his full story, and they were looking forward to watching the interview together. Then she said something that stopped me in my tracks: “Last night was the first time in over 60 years he slept through the night.”

That was the moment everything shifted for me. I dropped everything else I was doing and committed myself fully to this mission. As I continued hearing more stories, the impact on both the veterans and their families became undeniably clear. This wasn’t just about history—it was about healing, legacy, and acknowledgment.

But I’ll be honest: dropping everything else probably wasn’t smart nor has ever made business or economic sense. That tension is something I still struggle with. Over the years, I’ve tried several times to get back on the traditional career highway, but each attempt has felt like trying to steer a car with a bad front-end alignment—I always end up veering back toward the veterans.

In the end, I think it’s been grit, purpose, and an unwavering passion that have kept me going.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What’s a belief you used to hold tightly but now think was naive or wrong?
I used to believe that the United States was the greatest country in the world—and that the conflicts we entered were always for the good of our nation and the world.

I still hold firm to that first belief. I believe with all my heart that this country, and the people who make it what it is, are truly remarkable. I love this nation deeply. But after years of hearing veterans’ stories and focusing so closely on their experiences, I’ve found myself questioning the decisions made by our government—questioning the motives behind some of our leaders and the reasons we send men and women into harm’s way.

One quote has always stuck with me, though I regret not knowing who said it:
“Wars are started by people who know each other, and fought by people who don’t.”

So many of those who have served have paid an unimaginable price—physically, emotionally, spiritually. And every single one of them has sacrificed something. Their stories have opened my eyes to truths that history books often leave out—and have deepened my respect for the individuals who carry the burden of those decisions made far above them

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
While I guess I, like everyone else, enjoys praise, but I prefer to operate under the radar, can be painfully shy at times, and hate being in the limelight, I get most of my satisfaction internally, so I try to do everything at my best.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rememberandhonor.com
• Instagram: rememberandhonorstories
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RememberandHonor
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@rememberandhonorstories