Ronald Hoppes

Through study and hard work, Ronald Hoppes, of Sedalia, moved through the ranks to become a brigadier general for the Army National Guard. Today, Hoppes spends his days working on his 200-acre farm and riding horses.

“I have been retired for 10 years now. It doesn’t seem like it,” Hoppes said.

Hoppes was born in Parkerville, Kan., in 1938. He remembers the whole country was engaged in the war; even the games they played as children reflected the time period.

“When we played games as kids, we played war,” Hoppes said. He said people were either heroes or enemies, and he looked up to the wartime generals.

Hoppes moved to Sedalia in 1948 and attended Smith-Cotton High School. At 17, he began thinking about joining the military. He spoke with an Army recruiter at school and decided to join the National Guard.

He graduated from Smith-Cotton High School in 1956, and by 18, he was a radar and missile technician for the Marine Corps.

Two years after graduating high school, Hoppes was on his way to Japan. He traveled to Taiwan with a Marine air group and was there for six months.

In 1960, he was married to Laura Young.

Hoppes soon returned to the National Guard. He attended more than 15 training schools, including Officer Candidate School.

“It was a real challenge. About 104 people started out and only 63 made it to the end,” Hoppes said. “It was a very intense school.”

While serving in the Guard, Hoppes received a bachelor’s and master of science degrees in aviation from Central Missouri State University. He roomed with long-time friend David Curry while attending the university.

“I am very proud to be his friend,” Curry said.

Hoppes stayed in Missouri for the remainder of his career. He served as a battalion commander for the Air Defense Program, a unit commander, artillery officer and artillery battalion commander.

Hoppes said he sometimes worked three to four months without a day off.

“It is clearly a way of life, and it’s not just a job,” Hoppes said. “You feel driven sometimes by a greater purpose than just a paycheck.”
Hoppes was promoted to colonel while in the Military Police Command Corps. In 1990, he was selected for brigadier general of artillery command. In April 1992, Hoppes was officially a brigadier general.

“For a kid to go in as a private and end up as a general, that doesn’t happen,” Curry said.

Hoppes retired in March 1998, after 42 years and six months of service.

Hoppes enjoys spending time with his three daughters and six grandchildren. Two of his grandsons are thinking about joining the service and he said he is “tickled to death to hear about it.”