Yankee Stadium honored this North Jersey woman as 'Veteran of the Day' on Mother's Day

MAHWAH — For a self-described lifelong die-hard Yankee fan, it was almost as good as being in the lineup.

Nancy Radoslovich was honored with a standing ovation at Yankee Stadium's home plate on Mother's Day as the Veteran of the Game.

Radoslovich served with the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps from 1986 to 1994, including a tour as an operating room nurse in Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm from 1990 to 1991, retiring with the rank of lieutenant commander.

"Think M.A.S.H. television show and that's a pretty good idea what I was doing," Radoslovich said days after the honor at the stadium in the Bronx. "Living in tents, wounded soldiers."

Radoslovich credits her partner, Marty Ludwikowski, for putting her name into the running for the Yankee Stadium ceremony, which honors one veteran each game during the seventh-inning stretch.

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"It couldn't be a surprise because he needed to submit my discharge papers, a photo, information only I knew about," Radoslovich said. "They told him they were full up for the season, I might get a spot midsummer 2024. But then they called, they wanted a woman for Mother's Day, and said I was it."

Radoslovich was given four tickets along the third base line and told to report to a specific parking area. She arrived with Marty and his two children Andrew and Rachael.

"When we got there, they were all excited, 'The veteran, she's here!' " Radoslovich said. "I have to say, I was very nervous."

An escort came for Radoslovich during the sixth inning, gave her a guest identification pass, and directed her to a first-row seat behind home plate near a gate to the field.

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"It was relatively quick," Radoslovich said. "They called my name, I walked out on the field, everybody was screaming and yelling. On the way back, a ball boy handed me a game ball and I got a commemorative coin honoring veterans from Yankee Stadium. As I walked off everyone was trying to high-five me."

Returning to her seat, Radoslovich said she was recognized by those sitting around them, including the man sitting directly in front of her, "who kept bragging he had taken my snack papers to the garbage earlier in the game."

The foursome completed the evening with a complimentary dinner at the stadium's Hard Rock Cafe.

"I had told my closest friends what was happening, but after I got home, my Facebook page was loaded with everyone saying they saw me on television," Radoslovich said. "It was a really cool experience, but also to be a small part of a larger group of veterans now getting honored for their service."

The Palisades Park native graduated from Paramus Catholic before getting her nursing degree from Seton Hall University, then her master's in nursing administration from New York University. She is a nurse manager for the New York University School of Medicine plastic surgery rooms and serves as a certified legal nurse consultant.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Yankees honor NJ woman as 'Veteran of the Day' at Stadium