MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — This year’s Middle Tennessee State University Joe Nunley Distinguished Veteran Award recipient, military kid turned Air Force veteran “Mobile Phil” LaPrad, was ready to retire. Then the Rutherford County chapter of Vietnam Veterans came knocking.

“It started out as a simple plan and it’s expanded quite a bit since then,” said LaPrad during the Saturday, Sept. 19, Veterans Memorial Service in the Tom H. Jackson Building, ahead of MTSU’s 44^th annual Salute to Veterans and Armed Forces football game where MTSU’s Blue Raiders beat the Nevada Wolf Pack 27-20.

The Rutherford County chapter of Vietnam Veterans’ simple plan? Provide mobility equipment to those who served at no cost.

LaPrad was nominated for the Nunley Award by retired Naval Capt. Phil Barnett, who saw the positive impact of his work through the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office Senior Citizens Awareness Network, or SCAN.

The Nunley Award celebrates the career of World War II U.S. Army veteran and MTSU alum Joe Nunley and is just one example of MTSU’s commitment to the military-connected community through the Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Families Center.

The award’s presentation is a highlight of the longest running military appreciation football game in NCAA history, which has grown over the years to include the Veterans Village picnic in Walnut Grove and the halftime military parade across the field in Floyd Stadium.

“The award is named after my grandfather, who was a World War II United States Army veteran, an MTSU alumnus, coach, professor, historian, 1985 executive at MTSU Hall of Fame, and former director of Alumni Affairs,” said Trey Nunley, Joe Nunley Sr.’s grandson.

“On behalf of Dr. (Sidney A.) McPhee, Middle Tennessee State University, the Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center, the Dr. Joe Nunley Award Selection Committee, the Nunley family and I present our 2026 recipient.”

Mobility makes a difference

“In the early years, we didn’t feel like we were finding enough people to serve,” said LaPrad. “We voted to include family members. Any immediate family member — a son, a daughter, a sibling, a spouse, a parent — they get the same service, and it’s always free.”

LaPrad’s own military service took him to Japan, Korea and the Philippines right out of high school as a communication technician for the U.S. Air Force. After being discharged, he earned his degree in electrical engineering and began an eclectic civilian career: working with the Tennessee Valley Authority, in manufacturing, as a rehab technician, doing equipment repair, even owning a bicycle shop.

LaPrad took over operations at his son’s shop in Smyrna, Tenn., where he began building custom trikes for children with disabilities and providing support to police departments by putting officers on bikes in their communities.

By 2013, he was ready to retire. That’s when the Rutherford County chapter of Vietnam Veterans approached him. The group chose mobility assistance as their mission, and LaPrad had spent six years building and repairing custom equipment professionally.

The need

“It keeps us busy seven days a week,” said LaPrad. “There’s plenty of veterans out there that are struggling. We’re still finding World War II veterans that need help.”

The group has provided equipment to veterans and family members in at least 10 states and expanded their mission to include ramps and other equipment. They find folks who have fallen through the cracks — sometimes a child or sibling of a veteran who otherwise might not receive the same resources.

“Every week we’re finding more veterans that are struggling,” said LaPrad. “These guys have gone into combat and gone overseas. They’ve dealt with the horrors of war. … That motivates me, to see these guys have gone through things that most of us don’t quite understand, and they’re struggling. They come back, and they’re struggling every day of their life. What we do can provide a little bit of comfort and help them out.”

LaPrad hopes the award’s notoriety will help draw attention to the cause.

“We are flooded with equipment donations daily, and the logistics of storage and handling are the biggest concerns,” said LaPrad.

The Rutherford County chapter of Vietnam Veterans houses donated mobility aids, ramps, lifts, beds and more in various storage units and at LaPrad’s home. He repairs and updates equipment in a storage unit with electricity but no running water or bathrooms. Those conditions create a challenging environment for training new people.

“I’ve had offers from Boy Scouts and ROTC. … I’d love to train somebody or teach them, but there’s no place to do it,” said LaPrad. “It’s not that we need a lot of space. It’s not that it has to be in Murfreesboro. It’s just, if we have something, we can start from there.”

For more information, reach out to the Rutherford County chapter of Vietnam Veterans’ Facebook group, or email “Mobile Phil” LaPrad at [email protected].

— Cat Curtis Murphy ([email protected])