After losing a father and a husband in the Iraq war in 2008, this family got to sit next to some special guests at a Pittsburgh Pirates game thanks to Operation Once in a Lifetime.

The family was seated next to former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive stars Troy Polamalu and Brett Keisel.

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The look on the boy’s face says it all: this clearly made his night!

Keisel also took an opportunity to do his signature "bow and arrow" pose with the family, and shared the experience on his website, Twitter and Facebook pages.

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It wasn't just the family who had a great night, the story on Keisel's website was titled, "Pirates + New Friends = Smiles all around...".