Veteran Receives Mortgage-Free Home from Tim McGraw, Operation Homefront and Chase

ANAHEIM, Calif., July 13, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- At his July 14 concert at Angels Stadium, Tim McGraw will congratulate U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Anthony Hodge on being awarded a mortgage-free home in Canoga Park, Calif. Country music superstar Tim McGraw recently launched a nationwide program called HomeFront, in partnership with Operation Homefront and Chase, to award mortgage-free homes to wounded warriors and servicemembers at each concert of his summer tour.

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Hodge served 10 years in the U.S. Marine Corps including tours in both Iraq and Kuwait. He retired from the military this year as a result of injuries he sustained when his vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb. "Our family would be struggling for a place to live if it weren't for organizations like this," says Anthony. "This new home is a dream come true for me and my family and will help us start fresh for a happier life."

McGraw has a long history of supporting veterans and military families and wanted to find another way to honor our vets and give back to them for their commitment and service to our country. "My sister's a veteran of the first Gulf War. My uncle was a Vietnam veteran and my grandfather was a World War II veteran. I've always felt a deep sense of respect and obligation to our troops," says McGraw. "Being able to reward them for their dedicated work with a new home is even more rewarding for us. It feels so good to give back to them, and to have the opportunity to entertain them is something I'm honored to do."

In addition to the homes, provided by Chase, both ACM Lifting Lives, the charitable arm of the Academy of Country Music, and The Premier Group on behalf of the North Carolina Furniture Manufacturers, have made substantial contributions to support the HomeFront program throughout the summer.

About Operation Homefront:
A national nonprofit, Operation Homefront leads more than 4,500 volunteers with nationwide presence, and has met more than 590,000 needs of military families since its inception in 2002.  A four-star rated charity by watchdog Charity Navigator, nationally, 94 percent of total revenue donated to Operation Homefront goes directly to assist service members.  For more information, go to www.OperationHomefront.net.

About Chase:
Chase is the U.S. consumer and commercial banking business of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), a leading global financial services firm with assets of $2.3 trillion and operations in more than 60 countries. Chase serves more than 50 million consumers and small businesses through more than 5,500 bank branches, 17,500 ATMs, credit cards and mortgage offices, and online and mobile banking as well as through relationships with auto dealerships. More information about Chase is available at www.chase.com.

SOURCE Operation Homefront