'Dan the Man' one of thousands remembered on Veterans Day

BLUFFDALE — Veterans Day is a special day at the Utah Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Bluffdale.

Many people visit to say hi to a loved one, bringing flowers, flags or a little memento as a gift.

There are rows after rows of headstones here, each with a name and a story.

Diane Lovan knows one story by heart.

"I am very proud of him. He was 'Dan the Man.' That was what we called him," she said.

The name on the headstone is of her husband, Daniel Lovan.

On Veterans Day, she and her daughter stood at his grave smiling at the memories they have of him and their time together.

As well as his nickname.

"Yup. 'Dan the Man.' That was him," said Diane's daughter Jennifer Underdown with a laugh.

Lovan spent 26 years in the U.S. Air Force.

Diane said one of his jobs in the military was to set up communications in case of a natural disaster or war.

His assignments took him around the world, sometimes for months at a time.

Underdown remembers what that meant for her mother.

"She would be left to take care of us for a week (or) two months, two years, without her husband at her side," said Underdown. "She learned how to do the bills, so repairs. She kept the home fires burning."

Diane said she understood her husband loved serving others and was happy to support him.

"Dan was a great guy," she said. "He was a loving father, a loving husband and a sharp troop. He really liked to serve others and help with anything they needed."

Diane said her husband's desire to serve stayed with him long after the Air Force.

When he was diagnosed with kidney cancer, she said he joined every clinical trial he could.

The trials gave him more time, and he hoped what doctors learned from treating him could help others.

"He did it for his grandchildren and your grandchildren," said Diane.

The family feels it's an example of his service to others, just like all the people buried in the rows around him.

"It's the gratitude I feel today. Everyone who is here decided to serve our country," said Underdown with tears in her eyes. "That warrants a visit. That warrants a day to come and say thank you."

For this family, it's not only a "thank you," but a "see you later" as well.

Dan the Man will be here waiting

"Never forget, never forget," said Diane. "Unforgettable."

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