In a ground-breaking ceremony at the American Legion Post 349 meeting in Mineola Village Hall on Monday night, retired U.S. Army Capt. Yuri Karasz was inducted as the post’s first female veteran member.
“This is history in the making,” said fellow Army veteran Carl Marchese, as he gave Karasz a small American flag to conclude the induction ceremony.
State Sen. Jack Martins was on hand to offer congratulations to Karasz and a commendation to the Mineola post, which was established in 1922.
“This has always been an extraordinary group,” Martins said. “It’s appropriate that we take these actions.”
After the ceremony, Karasz spoke about her motivation to join the organization.
“I see a lot of value in being a part of this association. The American Legion is vital for veterans to have an avenue to help other veterans,” she said.
Karasz said she was honored to be the first female member of the post, but that distinction also surprised her.
“I was really surprised that there hadn’t been any other female members. There’s got to be so many of them out there,” Karasz said, adding that she was determined to recruit more women veterans for the organization.
“I want people to see value in the organization,” she said.
Karasz was honored by the Town of North Hempstead earlier this year as one of the women added to the May W. Newburger Women’s Roll of Honor.
Her road to an Army career began after her graduation from Garden City High School. She attended the U.S. Military Academy of West Point, graduating with a bachelor of science degree in engineering in 1989.
After taking a transportation officer basic course at Fort Eustis, Va., Karasz served for three years in Mannheim, Germany as chief executive officer of two forward-deployed medium truck company platoons. She then returned to Fort Eustis for advanced officer training, attained the rank of captain and went on to teach ROTC at three colleges around Albany from 1994 to 1996.
While teaching ROTC, she earned a master’s degree in biochemistry and biophysics at Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute in 1996 and returned to West Point to teach general chemistry for the last two years of her military service, through 1998.
She returned to Long Island in 2006, working at the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine of the New York Institute of Technology. In her current responsibilities as manager of trainee services there, she oversees a recruitment program for osteopathic residents, starting residencies at area hospitals and overseeing the residents’ continuing education.
“It’s all about maintaining excellence in post-doctoral education,” she said.
She became captain of the men’s and women’s fencing team while studying at West Point, and she maintains that same athletic spirit as a runner, a pastime she took up two years ago. She was elected a board member for the New Hyde Park Running Club last year and was recognized as its Most Improved Female Runner for 2011.
“I’m a competitive runner. I race almost every weekend,” Karasz said.
She’s also a member of the Kiwanis Club of County Seat in Mineola.
A single mother, she has two children in Mineola schools, her son, Mark, whose entering sixth grade this fall and her daughter, Marissa, who sill be starting ninth grade in September.
Reach reporter Richard Tedesco by e-mail at rtedesco@theislandnow.com or by phone at 516.307.1045 x204. Also follow us on Twitter @theislandnow1 and Facebook at facebook.com/theislandnow.
