United States Army Staff Sergeant (Retired) and three-time Syracuse University alum, Richard M. Jones, was born and raised in Utica, New York. Rich comes from a military family and his passion for service was inspired by their service. His paternal grandfather was a member of the 29th Infantry Division, one of the first soldiers to land at Omaha Beach.
hometown hero
Hometown Hero: Mike and Colleen Drum
Mike Drum’s and Colleen Shuster’s amazing journey to Syracuse University began with both serving in the United States Marine Corps. Mike was born and raised in Syracuse, New York, and he enlisted in the US Marine Corps Reserve as an Infantry Rifleman in July 2010 following his high school graduation.
Hometown Hero: Jack Pullano
The United States Air Force Veteran Jack Pullano was born in Amherst, New York, and he was raised in Hopkinton, New York. Three weeks after graduating high school in 2017, Jack enlisted in the United States Air Force serving on active duty for four years. After completing basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, and Fuels tech school in Wichita Falls, Texas, Jack received orders to Kadena, Air Base, located in Okinawa Japan. While stationed at Kadena, he was a Fuels Journeyman with the 18th Logistics Readiness Squadron and a member of the only Pacific Air Force’s Special Operations Forward Area Refueling Point Team under the 353rd Special Operations Group.
Hometown Hero – Pei Ren
Syracuse University Army ROTC Cadet and U.S. Army veteran Pei Ren was born in New York City and grew up in Macon, Georgia. Cadet Ren enlisted in the U.S. Army in November 2015 and served on active duty from 2016 to 2019 as a 35N (November), Signal Intelligence Analyst.
Hometown Hero – Anthony Ruscitto
United States Marine Corps Anthony Joseph Ruscitto was born in Syracuse, New York and graduated from Bishop Grimes high school in 2013. Tony enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 2013 at the age of 17 and would serve a total of five years on active duty. He completed Marine Corps Recruit Training and earned the title of United States Marine at Parris Island, South Carolina in February of 2014. He then completed Marine and Naval Aircrew flight training as a CH-53E Helicopter Crew Chief at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River, North Carolina in 2015.
Hometown Hero: Ryan Yon
Carolina. In August 2017, he enlisted in the United States Army after reading the book Wild at Heart by John Eldredge. A passage from the book inspired Ryan to enlist which reads: “Deep in his heart, every man longs for a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and something to rescue.” Ryan finished the book on his break, immediately drove to the recruiter’s office and enlisted, and told his supervisor he will be leaving and never coming back.
Hometown Hero: Nadia Morris-Mitchell
United States Navy veteran, currently serving New York State Air National Guardsman, and Syracuse University undergraduate student veteran Nadia Morris-Mitchell hails from Syracuse, New York. She enlisted in the United States Navy in 2004 as a heavy equipment operator, Seabee. Also in 2004, Nadia married her high school sweetheart, Cody Stasko.
Hometown Hero: Eileen Collins, ’78
Collins was the second woman ever accepted to the prestigious Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Upon graduation in 1990, NASA selected her for the astronaut program. At NASA, she famously became the first woman astronaut to both pilot (1995) and then command (1999) a Space Shuttle mission.
Hometown Hero: James N. Lyons, ’03
James was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, at Fort Hood, Texas. He served as a tank platoon leader and deployed with his unit in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. On September 27, 2006, First Lieutenant James N. Lyons was shot and killed in southern Baghdad, Iraq while his unit was attacking insurgents that had attacked a key strategic facility. At the time of his death, James was Syracuse University’s first known and youngest casualty of Operation Iraqi Freedom. His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terror Medal, among others.
Hometown Hero: Kristin Hughes
United States Army Sergeant First Class and Syracuse Police Officer Kristin Hughes hails from Syracuse, New York. Kristin attended Bishop Grimes High School where she played soccer and graduated in 2012. She later became the Bishop Grimes girls assistant head soccer coach in 2017 for one year.