Nashville

Meet the Heroes adopted by the Nashville chapter

The Nashville Chapter of the Joshua Chamberlain Society was founded in 2013 to honor and support severely wounded combat veterans from Middle Tennessee and the surrounding region. The “Adopt a Hero” program currently supports eight heroes and their families through fundraising events and donations. Your support helps us to aid these soldiers and their families for the rest of their lives.

The Joshua Chamberlain Society – Nashville is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) charity with a fully-volunteer board. All funds donated to Nashville go directly to benefit our adopted Heroes.

  • CPL. Eli Tice US Marine Corps

    We are pleased to announce we have adopted our 7th Hero, Marine Lance CPL., Eli Tice. Eli comes from a military family dating back to the Civil War. Eli joined the Marines right out of high school, went to Paris Island, then went to Jacksonville, NC and was deployed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan in 2010 to support “Operation Enduring Freedom”. On May 24, 2010 he stepped on an IED which took his right leg, thumb and a considerable amount of muscle from his left leg and arm. After months of inpatient care, surgeries and therapy at Walter Reed and a prosthetic leg he is healed and today sustains a 3.8 GPA at MTSU in Aerospace Science.

    Read More

  • Cpl. Jeremy Voels US Army

    In 2010, Cpl. Jeremy Voels was shot by sniper fire that entered his lower back and exited his upper chest. This changed Jeremy’s life forever.

    Read More

  • Cpl. Joseph Woodke US Marine Corps
    Joey served in Helmand Province, Afganistan, and in March 2011, while on foot patrol, he stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED) and lost both of his legs and damaged his ear. The following year he endured several surgeries for his legs and ear at Walter Reed Medical Center.
    In 2015, Joey moved from his home town in Michigan to Middle Tennessee where several friends he met in recovery had settled.
    Joey and his friends joined the Sled Preds hockey team.  They soon made the national hockey team and set their sights on the 2022 paralymics in Beijing. Then, in March, while competing in Beijing, their team won the Gold Medal.
  • Cpl. Joshua Meetze US Marine Corps

    Cpl. Josh Meetze was injured in Afghanistan in 2011 when he stepped on an IED, injuring his spinal cord, suffering internal injuries, and traumatic brain injury.

    Read More

  • CW3 Jeremy Miller US Army

    Jeremy Miller enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1994, entering the service after high school graduation. He joined the infantry and was awarded the Expert Infantry Badge, completed Air Assault School and the 25th Infantry Division Pre-Ranger course.

    Read More

  • LCPL Christopher Malone US Marine Corps

    Lance Corporal Christopher Malone is a United States Marine and one of the Joshua Chamberlain Society’s newest heroes. Christopher served as a faithful Marine for three years, starting his service as an infantry marksmen and then, a designated marksmen.

    Read More

  • SFC. Julio Mella US Army

    Sergeant First Class Julio Mella has been in the Army for 21 years and 9 months including time in the New York National Guard. He was deployed four times, once to Iraq and three times to Afghanistan. During his multiple combat deployments he sustained numerous operational injuries resulting in multiple surgeries on his feet, hands, knees, wrists and finger. He also suffers from degenerative disk disease. He suffered traumatic brain injury causing memory and hearing loss. Like so many warriors he also suffers from PTSD. He retires from active duty in May 2020. He has a wife and two childer and resides in Clarksville, TN.

  • SFC. Ofren Arrechaga US Army

    Army SFC. Ofren Arrechaga. Sgt. Arrechaga married Seana Minikhiem on September 1, 2007 and shortly thereafter deployed to Iraq for the third time. When he returned home for R&R he and Seana welcomed the birth of their new son Alston into the world on March 28, 2008. Ofren then returned to Afghanistan for his final deployment before going to Fort Benning Georgia.

    Read More

  • SGT. Franz Walkup US Army

    Sgt. Franz Walkup was shot five times in 2012 by Afghan National Army Soldiers while serving in the Wardak Province of Afghanistan.

    Read More

  • Sgt. Stephanie Vazquez US Army

    Sgt. Stephanie Vazquez enlisted in the Army in October 2005. A single mother, Stephanie joined the service hoping to provide and support her small family. She quickly became dedicated to the military and showed great promise.

    Stephanie was handpicked by the Commander and Sergeant Major of the Battalion to be the NCOIC of the BN FET (Female Engagement Team). She deployed overseas to attend the first Female Engagement Team school in Bagram, Afghanistan.

  • Specialist Anthony Vargas US Army

    Anthony married Luisa Montero in July 2001 and they later had three children.  In 2008, Anthony joined the Army and did his basic training and infantry training at Fort Benning, Georgia.

    Specialist Vargas served as a radio telephone operator assigned to the 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division in Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

Nashville News

Not many 13 year olds can say they have spoken at the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial. In 2003, after the war in Iraq and Afghanistan began, Congress passed a law stating that nothing else could go in the National Mall. This site is home to iconic monuments including the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. […]

Read more

What a rare and humbling opportunity. Two Medal of Honor recipients spoke at the Nashville Gala on November 2nd.  Medal of Honor Recipients, James C. McCloughan, Specialist 5 United States Army and David Bellavia, Staff Sergeant United States Army. They were absolutely amazing, and you could have heard a pin drop while they were speaking. David [...]

Read more

On October 31st, 2019, Great Nonprofits will announce JCS as a 2019 Top-Rated Nonprofit. This is only possible through our JCS community. The stories and experiences that our followers shared with Great Nonprofits gives us the opportunity to make this list. JCS is extremely grateful for the people that make our mission possible and believe […]

Read more

Meet our sixth Hero, Army SFC. Ofren Arrechaga.  Sgt. Arrechaga married Seana Minikhiem on September 1, 2007 and shortly thereafter deployed to Iraq for the third time.  When he returned home for R&R he and Seana welcomed the birth of their new son Alston into the world on March 28, 2008.  Ofren then returned to [...]

Read more

We have been trying for sometime to get Jeremy admitted to the wonderful VA nursing home in Clarksville which is only 20 minutes from his parents’ home.  Thanks to our Tennessee Commissioner of Veterans Affairs, Many-Bears Grinder, Jeremy is now there and doing so well.  It is a state  of the art facility with all […]

Read more

JCS/Nashville would like to thank Home Lift for their due diligence and exceptional service in building and installing a custom curved stairway lift for our 5th Hero, CW3 Jeremy Miller.  Due to severe breathing problems, CW3 Miller had extreme difficulty ascending his stairway in his home.  In fact, his wife, Cindy had to literally push [...]

Read more

WSMV Channel 4 NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) – What happens to veterans severely injured in combat after the parades and welcome home parties end? The idea that they are forgotten is exactly what one Nashville couple is working hard to prevent. Marine Jeremy Voels has been in a hospital bed in Nashville since 2010. He was 20 […]

Read more

John Ford Coley, Roxie Dean and Byron Hill to Headline Songwriter’s Night Supporting Middle Tennessee’s Combat Injured Heroes NASHVILLE, Tenn. – (May 17, 2016) – Celebrated Songwriters John Ford Coley, Roxie Dean and Byron Hill will perform at the Joshua Chamberlain Society’s Songwriter’s Night on June 11, 2016, at Green Door Gourmet’s Grand Barn in Nashville. The [...]

Read more