Hometown Heroes (from left) 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.
Recognizing veterans and military members not only honors individual contributions but also reinforces the culture of respect and inclusion that makes Syracuse such a special place.
U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Josh Keefe L’14, G’14
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.”
A Continuous Commitment
The OVMA is housed in the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building, home to the National Veterans Resource Center.
Every Hometown Hero has a story.
- Nepali-born Uma Lama G’26 is pursuing a master’s in social work while serving as a team manager in Syracuse’s Army ROTC.
- Raphael Grollmus ’24 drew on his Marine Corps background, including high-level security missions in Mali and Vietnam, to earn degrees in psychology and forensic science.
- Tech. Sgt. Alexis Stanley’s experience in nuclear operations, anti-terrorism and law enforcement informs her role as an instructor in Syracuse’s Air Force ROTC program.
Those are just a few examples of the many Hometown Heroes whose stories have been immortalized since the program’s founding in 2020.
So-called origin stories are part of its uniqueness, explains Charles Poag ’22, the OVMA’s communications manager and a 2020 Hometown Hero honoree.
“We highlight members of our military-connected community who continue to exemplify the ethos of ‘service beyond self,’” adds the 16-year Marine Corps veteran. "It's part of our effort to identify the impact these men and women have in and out of uniform. Telling their story is also important to the continuation of the University's historic commitment to those who have served.”
Laying the Groundwork
John A. DeFrancisco ’68 flanked by Caruso (left) and Keefe. The former New York state senator was instrumental in making the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic a reality.
As aspiring military judge advocates, Caruso and Keefe met at the Marine Corps Officer Candidate School (OCS) in Quantico, Virginia, in 2011. The duo quickly bonded over their New York roots and desire to be Orange.
But fate had other plans. Weeks into OCS, Caruso was medically disqualified with a major back injury. “I wasn’t sure if I’d get another opportunity to serve,” he remembers with a trace of emotion.
A few months later at Syracuse’s New Student Orientation, Caruso found himself toggling between the University’s law buildings (then in MacNaughton and White halls) and the Syracuse VA Medical Center, across the street.
Noting the College of Law’s proximity to the VA medical center, Caruso and Keefe had an idea. Why not draw on their education in real time—both were members of the dual J.D./M.P.A. program in the College of Law and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs—and help military veterans.
“Programs like Hometown Heroes embody our core values and foster a diverse, inclusive community,” says Keefe, shown here with his wife, Jenna.
They began laying the groundwork for one of the nation’s top veterans’ legal clinics.
Caruso and Keefe were so committed that they delayed re-entry into the service for six months. This way, they could fundraise for the clinic while conducting a search for an executive director and a community relations director.
The duo reserves special praise for Teaching Professor Elizabeth Kubala, under whose leadership the clinic has achieved sustained success.
“Co-founding the clinic with Tom was an incredible honor and has remained one of my proudest accomplishments,” says Keefe, who, with Caruso, initially raised more than $5 million. “It was a formative experience that has strengthened my leadership skills and commitment to service.”
Service Runs Deep
At Syracuse, Caruso and Keefe also founded a group called VISION (Veterans Issues, Support Initiative and Outreach Network) and created Valor Day, in which veterans receive free professional services.
Well into the second act of their careers, the two reservists have a lot to be proud of.
Caruso beams at the mention of his eight-year active-duty stint as a Navy Judge Advocate (JAG) officer, serving and supporting sailors in 13 joint operational exercises as well as the Navy SEALS and Submarine Force.
Along the way, he’s earned several notable honors, like the Navy’s Outstanding Military Attorney of the Year award.
“No one goes into the service to be recognized, but when someone takes time to do it, it means a lot,” admits Caruso, who now lives in Skaneateles, New York, and serves as a general counsel for Mirabito Energy Products.
“No one goes into the service to be recognized, but when someone takes time to do it, it means a lot,” says Caruso, pictured as a U.S. Navy ensign.
Likewise, Keefe’s 14-year stint as a highly decorated Marine Corps JAG officer saw him stationed at multiple U.S. bases and deployed overseas to combatant commands in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
Today, he’s an associate at the Atlanta office of Kabat, Chapman & Ozmer LLP, a boutique labor and employment and business litigation law firm.
His and Caruso’s commitment to service runs deep, as evidenced by their ongoing work as JAG reservist officers and Syracuse alumni.
One of Caruso’s fondest campus memories involves an alumni board meeting, where he learned he had passed the bar exam. “The experience has been seared in memory. I could barely keep it together,” he recalls.
No reason is too big or small for him and Keefe to return to The Hill. Not even the occasional on-field celebration.
“Recognizing veterans and military members not only honors individual contributions but also reinforces the culture of respect and inclusion that makes Syracuse such a special place,” says Keefe, a former University Fellow and president of the Student Bar Association. “Programs like Hometown Heroes embody our core values and foster a diverse, inclusive community.”
Caruso agrees, noting that Hometown Heroes is a great way of saying, “Thank you for your service.”
Of course, it’s one thing to say it; it’s another to show it. “Syracuse does both really well,” he adds.
