Veterans Day may fall on a Friday, but many sports teams conduct their celebrations a little earlier in the week if their schedules don’t allow for a proper celebration the day of. Last night, the St. Louis fans continued their annual tradition of engaging in a moving and impassioned rendition of the national anthem to honor America’s veterans. Just one day removed from a divisive national election, the 19,000 fans at the sold-out match put forth an effort that was both moving and genuine. Here they are at the Scottrade Center on the occassion they dubbed Military Appreciation Night. Don’t fight the goosebumps.

Amidst so much turmoil accross the national landscape, even a purely symbolic gesture like this can go a long way towards managing perspective and perhaps cooling a few heads. While this anthem was being sung, protests over the election results were taking place in several U.S. cities.

Over a thousand miles away, one particular veteran of 36 years, Retired U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Luciano Yulfo was treated to a less spontaneous but no less thrilling surprise as he was met and rewarded with his own service dog, Murphy. The event took place on the court of Madison Square Garden in New York City as part of the Knicks’ “Hoops for Troops” program.

Meet both Yulfo and Murphy in the video below.

The celebration of veterans is expected to continue across all sports throughout the weekend, so you can expect more moments like these in the coming days.