PAYING respect to those who lost their lives during World War Two was United States D-Day veteran Don McCarthy, during a visit to Tavistock on Sunday. Tomorrow (Friday) marks the 70th anniversary of the Normandy landings —known as D-Day — and all over the world a series of commemorations are planned to mark the occasion. Mr McCarthy, who served with the 116th Regiment of the 29th Infantry Division, started his tour of the town at Abbotsfield Hall, now Abbotsfield Nursing Home. It was at the hall 70 years ago where Mr McCarthy first set foot in Tavistock when he was 20-years-old. In January 1944 on arrival in England Mr McCarthy found himself in a truck travelling west from Chard with 18 other US servicemen. He had been assigned to the 116th Regiment's Headquarters Battalion at Ivybridge but was dropped off with his kit at the Divisional Headquarters of the 29th Infantry Division — Abbotsfield Hall. His stay in Tavistock was brief and the next morning he was driven to the 116th Regiment's camp at Ivybridge. While at Abbotsfield on Sunday, Mr McCarthy asked to visit the room where a meeting between allied generals Eisenhower, Montgomery and Gerhardt was held, at which it was decided that the 116th Regiment of the 29th Infantry Division would spearhead the assault in Normandy — of which Mr McCarthy was in the first wave of troops on Omaha Beach. After the visit to Abbotsfield Hall, Mr McCarthy was driven to Guildhall Square in the jeep Vixen Tor ii by Trevor Minett from the Devon and Cornwall Military Vehicle Club. While he was there, he paid his respects in front of the plaque to the officers and men of the 29th Infantry Division who lost their lives during World War Two, and later visited Tavistock Museum where there is an exhibition commemorating the departure of the American forces from Tavistock for D-Day. Rod Martin from the Tavistock Museum said: 'All present were impressed by Don's cheerfulness and presence on an emotional occasion which may well be one of the last times an American World War Two veteran re-visits Tavistock.' Accompanying Don on his trip to England and to the D-Day beaches, were his cousin Father William O'Shea, and Charlotte Juergens, a great granddaughter of another WW2 veteran, who is compiling a film and photographic record of the poignant trip by one of the last surviving American WW2 veterans. Of his trip to Tavistock, Mr McCarthy expressed thanks to 'everyone at Abbotsfield Hall Nursing Home and Tavistock Museum for the very warm welcome' given to him and his party.