MTSU’s Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center recently received the Patriot Award from The Charlie Daniels Journey Home Project during the third annual Charlie Daniels Patriot Award Dinner at City Winery in Nashville, Tennessee.

The 2021 Patriot Award was presented by MTSU alumnus, retired Maj. Gen. Terry “Max” Haston, former Tennessee adjutant general and current Journey Home Project board member. Retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Keith M. Huber, MTSU’s senior adviser for veterans and leadership initiatives, accepted the award.

Hilary Miller, director of the Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center at MTSU, holds the Patriot Award the center received recently from The Charlie Daniels Journey Home Project during an event at City Winery in Nashville, Tenn. The 2021 Patriot Award was presented by MTSU alumnus, retired Maj. Gen. Terry “Max” Haston, former Tennessee adjutant general and current Journey Home Project board member. Alumnus and country music singer Chris Young performed at the annual event. (MTSU photo submitted by the Daniels Center)

Before his passing in 2020, Charlie Daniels and David Corlew, Daniels’ longtime manager and Journey Home Project co-founder, handpicked this year’s Patriot Award recipients.

Keith M. Huber

The criteria for the award is based on the mission of the organization: to support veterans in their return, rehabilitation and reintegration back into civilian life. The award honors a person, persons or group that fulfills and exemplifies the efforts and dedication of the Charlie Daniels Journey Home Project’s purpose to continuously care, support and encourage the men, women and families who have served the nation.

In receiving the award at the Oct. 27 event, Huber said MTSU and the Daniels Center “are honored to accept this Patriot Award. When I presented on bended knee the American flag that draped Charlie’s casket to Mrs. Hazel, I made a promise the Daniels Center would uphold Charlie’s legacy to assist veterans and their families as they transition to civilian life.”

In reflecting on the recognition,  Hilary Miller, Daniels Center director, said “we are thankful for our relationship with The Journey Home Project. They have been with us from the beginning, providing financial assistance, connections to resources, guidance — all of which have allowed us to assist military-affiliated individuals and families. That is the award we receive daily. And we are very thankful.”

Chris Young

Other 2021 Patriot Award winners included country music singer Darryl Worley, decorated U.S. Marine veteran Mark “Oz” Geist and firearms manufacturers Marty and Cindy Daniel of Daniel Defense. All proceeds benefited Daniels’ Journey Home Project.

MTSU alumnus and country music entertainer Chris Young, a 2018 Patriot Award winner who has a passion for veterans and active-duty military personnel, performed. He is a Grand Ole Opry member, multi-platinum album artist and has 12 career No. 1 singles.

“The Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans Center is the culmination of a vision, hard work, fundraising and a commitment from the MTSU team to make life better for our returning veterans and their families,” Corlew said. “The Daniels Center was a career highlight for Charlie and the Journey Home team. The center represents all that the Charlie Daniels Patriot Award stands for; it was a proud night for all.”

The Charlie Daniels Journey Home Project has partnered with MTSU’s Daniels Center since 2015, providing funds to assist with the center’s needs.

To learn more about Daniels’ Journey Home Project, go here.

About the Daniels Center

The Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center, named for the late Country Music Hall of Fame member and his wife, Hazel, serves student veterans and their family members, both virtually and in-person. The 3,200-square-foot suite is located on the first floor in the Keathley University Center.

The largest dedicated space for student veterans on a Tennessee higher education campus, the Daniels Center is a one-stop-shop to meet a wide range of academic, career and social needs. It is designed as a place where veterans can see other veterans, ask questions and receive the trusted assistance needed to transition successfully to the civilian workforce.

— Randy Weiler (Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu)

The 2021 Patriot Award presented to the MTSU Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center by The Charlie Daniels Journey Home Project. The annual event took place at City Winery in Nashville, Tenn., in late October. (Submitted photo)