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Alex Cabrero Reporting A Roy family couldn't wait for their son to come home from Iraq next month; they were going to celebrate his 20th birthday. Today, they're planning his funeral instead.
Dan Dolan graduated from Roy High School in 2005, just last spring. As soon as he got his diploma, he got his greens and joined the army, wanting to make a difference. Now, that's exactly how his family is remembering him.
They are a nice touch, but not even all the flags in the world can make the Dolans stop crying.
Tim Dolan: "Tell him that you love him and to be careful."
Tim Dolan will never forget his last conversation with his son Dan, just like he'll never forget Monday morning.
Tim Dolan: "The army chaplain came up to work yesterday morning and told me."
It was the worst possible news a father could ever get, that his son, an Army soldier serving in Iraq, was killed after a roadside bombing. The Army says Dolan got out of his truck after the bombing, tried to tip it back upright, and was shot.
Tim Dolan, Dan's Father: "He loved serving his country and we're very proud of him, extremely proud of him."
Tim says what's really helped his family get through this time is all the support they've been receiving from friends and neighbors.
Tim Dolan: "I can't even count how many, so much support. Like all these flags here, these were a neighbor's idea and a tribute to him."
Some of the flags spell out a "D" in the front yard. It is a sight to see, something to remember, the way the Dolan's are remembering their son, the young man who loved computers, hockey, and the military almost as much as they love him.
Tim Dolan: "I'm extremely proud of him. He gave us so much joy."
Dolan's body should arrive in the United States sometime this week. When it does, his family can move forward with plans for his funeral.
