Days of Our Lives’ Dan Feuerriegel Celebrates the Man He Never Knew But Is ‘Humbled and Proud’ to Call Family

“Thank you all for your service.”

Family, for Days of Our Lives‘ DiMera clan, is a complicated thing. Yes, loyalty is important and all, but Stefano’s off-spring have never had a problem stabbing each other in the back, jockeying for position and either being ashamed of what the other members of their family have done, or committing shameful acts themselves!

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Family for Dan Feuerriegel, on the other hand, is a source of pride — even when it comes to those whom EJ’s portrayer never had the privilege of meeting. The actor celebrated Australia’s Anzac Day which, as he explained in an Instagram post, “stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.”

It’s celebrated Down Under on April 25 because back in World War I in “1915, Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula. These became known as Anzacs and the pride they took in that name continues to this day.”

Feuerriegel’s pride in this Australian holiday, though, runs deeper than just patriotism.

He shared a series of photos, the first of which was of his “grandfather sitting atop his Spitfire that he flew during WW2. Unfortunately, I never got to meet him as he passed just before I was born. But hearing stories from my mum, and seeing all these photos, I am humbled and proud to be his grandson.”

The World War II era photos gave us a beautiful window into the past with Feuerriegel’s grandfather, from a closer look at his flight jacket (Is that a devil on it? Wow, he really does get around!) to a view of the Aussie smiling in the snow with his fellow soldiers.

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A post shared by Dan Feuerriegel (@thedanfeuerriegel)

The post hit fans right in the feels, with many chiming in with tales of their own family members fighting in the second World War or flying Spitfires.