Syracuse University honors the service of veterans and military members with a special ceremony.
U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Josh Keefe L’14, G’14 and U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Tom Caruso L’14, G’14. Both were recognized by the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs (OVMA) during Orange Central Homecoming 2025
Standing on the field of the JMA Wireless Dome, Tom Caruso and Josh Keefe let the thunderous wave of applause from more than 40,000 football fans wash over them.
Caruso L’14, G’14, a U.S. Navy lieutenant commander and native of Utica, New York, beams with pride. “It’s all so amazing,” he says. “I don’t know what to say.”
“And what a privilege,” adds Keefe L’14, G’14, a U.S. Marine Corps major from nearby Rochester.
The occasion is the Syracuse-Pitt football game during Orange Central Homecoming 2025, where the duo are recognized as Hometown Heroes by the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs (OVMA).
Surrounded by family members, Syracuse University Vice Chancellor Mike Haynie, Director of Athletics John Wildhack ’80 and Otto the Orange, Caruso and Keefe take the occasion in stride, smiling, trading high fives and waving to the crowd.
But as with most Hometown Heroes, beneath their calm exterior is a tide of emotions and experiences that only they understand.
Caruso and Keefe were first-year law students at Syracuse when they started the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic. Based in the College of Law, the clinic provides pro bono legal support to military veterans throughout Central New York.
It has since served some 1,500 veterans while securing more than $100 million in Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits.
“The Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic exemplifies academic, government and community collaboration in action,” says Caruso, whose ceremony coincided with the 10th anniversary of the clinic and OVMA. “We are very proud to have contributed something to Syracuse’s storied legacy of serving veterans.”