Carrie Underwood wowed the crowd with her songs at The Concert for Valor in Washington, D.C. on Veterans Day. She also recently wrote a poignant essay that hit home on Veterans Day, too. It detailed a story that touched her both personally and profoundly.

The pregnant country crooner was stunning at The National Mall. She wore a black, long sleeve, tuxedo-collar coat dress featuring an empire waist, along with a speckled skirt that draped over her growing baby bump. She paired these pieces with an ivory scarf and black, stiletto over-the-knee suede boots.

Time magazine reports that Carrie Underwood sang two of her older songs and one new one. She performed her 2013 single “See You Again,” her 2006 hit “Before He Cheats” and her new song “Something in the Water.” She was backed by the Singing Sergeants of the U.S. Air Force for all three.

The Concert for Valor was broadcast on HBO, and featured Bruce Springsteen, the Foo Fighters, the Zac Brown Band, Metallica, the Black Keys, Rihanna, Eminem, and Carrie Underwood’s fellow American Idol alum and Grammy winner, Jennifer Hudson.

.@carrieunderwood sang 'See You Again' for Veterans Day. See the beautiful performance: http://t.co/tJg0GQo0g2 pic.twitter.com/UJbVGUk1Z4

— Taste of Country (@TasteOfCountry) November 12, 2014

Time magazine published Underwood’s essay. In it, the country singer talked about how “one brave girl and her mother” had bought tickets to one of her shows for their family.

“The girl’s father was supposed to be home from deployment by the time the show rolled around,” she wrote. “Tragically, he never made it.”

.@carrieunderwood on the military family that changed how she sings "See You Again" http://t.co/9oGRStFMDH

— TIME.com (@TIME) November 10, 2014

Underwood met with the woman and her daughter.

“The mother told me the story that I already knew, and told me how much ‘See You Again’ meant to them,” she wrote. “I could tell that they both had amazing faith that the most important man in their lives was looking down on them and waiting for them. I guess hearing it in a song solidified that belief a little more.”

“I am still amazed at how strong they both were,” Underwood said. “They might have found a little comfort in one of my songs. But because of their story and the many others like it that I have heard since, I’ll never sing that song the same way again.”

Carrie Underwood has lauded U.S. troops and veterans for years. She has performed for U.S. troops in Kuwait, Iraq, and at home–and she has met many times with members of the military and the spouses of servicemen and women who’ve been deployed abroad.

Did you catch any of Carrie Underwood’s performance on HBO on Veterans Day? Kudos to her and the rest of Tuesday’s performers for honoring U.S. military veterans.