Retired United States Army First Class Sergeant Luciano Yulfo was being honored recently at a New York Knicks game in Madison Square Garden when something happened that he was never expecting.
When Yulfo was brought down to the court, he had no idea the team’s Hoops For Troops had a big surprise for him!
During his 36 years in the military, Yulfo served in both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. He medically retired from active duty in 2014 after he was injured while deployed in Afghanistan. After being injured, Yulfo was stationed at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for 2 years. He finally retired from the military in April of 2016, 36 years after he enlisted.
As soon as Yulfo got back to the U.S., he applied for a service dog to help him deal with the injuries he suffered overseas, but he found himself placed on a waiting list for 18 months. When the Knicks heard about this, they knew they had to do something to help him.
Between quarters, the team brought Yulfo onto the court and gave him a personalized Knicks jersey. They then left him speechless by giving him a new service dog!
An organization called Paws of War trains and places rescue dogs with U.S. military veterans, and they decided to give a dog named Murphy to Yulfo! Each dog is trained specifically for the needs of the individual veteran they are serving, so Murphy is already completely prepared to help Yulfo!
Yulfo was overwhelmed by this gesture and he immediately dropped to his knees to greet the dog. It is clear that these two will be best friends for many years to come!
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HAPPY MOMENTS: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Seal Victory with Kiss After Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl 2024 Triumph.
Taylor Swift, unable to contain her reaction, was left visibly in shock as Mecole Hardman’s touchdown secured the team’s OT win.
The Chiefs began the game with a worrisome 10-3 score, eventually reaching 19 all until OT.
Swift, in the VIP box with Ice Spice and Blake Lively, went wild in celebration.
Supporting Travis Kelce since the 2023 season began, Swift has attended 13 Kansas City Chiefs games (including the Super Bowl). The pop singer flew in from Japan a few hours ago, making it in time to see her boyfriend create history at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Earlier during the game, Swift was caught in another viral moment as she huddled with her friends in similar fashion. It was the first lead for the Chiefs of the night, Mahomes passing to wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Mahomes was just as pumped post-game, out of breath as he credited the win to his teammates:
“The guys never faulted. I can’t take all the glory, man. I’m proud of my guys, man. This is awesome. Legendary”.
Speaking about coach Andy Reid and the final call, Mahomes added:
“Coach Reid, he’s a legend, man. And Mecole Hardman, battled through adversity this year. Making that play was special. It’s a start (of a dynasty). I’m not done. We’re going to celebrate tonight, but we’re not done. We got a young team, we gonna keep this going”.
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