Roy vigil pays tribute to fallen soldier (Dan Dolan)

Donnie Howell wipes a tear from his eye as he writes a note beside a photo of his friend Dan Dolan

ROY — Loyal, trustworthy, accepting of almost anyone — they were qualities of Army Pvt. Dan Dolan that friends and family wanted to remember Friday night at a candlelight vigil to honor the fallen soldier.

The Army private was killed in an ambush Aug. 27 in Iraq. "He always thought the best of everybody," said friend Travis Todd. "He was true to everybody. You just cannot find that kind of loyalty."

Todd and three other friends organized the vigil to take place in front of the two-story brick-and-vinyl-sided home of Dolan's parents. Planning for the vigil started small and quickly grew as it became clear how many people called Dolan a friend.

"There are so many people who knew Dan," said Todd, 22, of nearby Hooper. "Everybody I'm sure misses him just as much. He's had an effect on so many lives."

Dolan, 19, was one of two Utahns who died last month in Iraq.

Marine Cpl. Adam Galvez was killed Aug. 20 when a roadside bomb exploded under his vehicle. He was buried at Camp Williams on Aug. 30. A week after Galvez was killed, Dolan was struck down when enemy forces attacked his vehicle using an explosive device and small arms fire.

Galvez and Dolan became the 17th and 18th Utahns to die in Iraq since the U.S. invaded the country in March 2003. As of Friday evening, the Department of Defense had reported 2,642 U.S. military deaths in Iraq since the war began.

Dolan's body is expected to arrive back in Utah about Tuesday. Funeral services are still pending.

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