I JUST wanted to thank the Times for all you've done for

an American GI's family.

My father, the Rev Conley A McMullen, was stationed in

Tavistock with the 29th Division during world war two.

Despite the obvious horrors of war, he returned to the

States with countless fond memories of Devon and,

particularly, the people he met there.

When my brothers and I were young, our father would tell

us of Dartmoor, walking through the heather he grew to

love (so much that he almost named me Heather!), his

desire to see Brentor and St. Michael's Church again, and

the friends he had made as an assistant to the chaplain.

In 1999, he decided to try to relocate some of his friends.

He wrote to the postmaster at Tavistock, who forwarded

his letter to your paper. Long story short: You printed that

letter, if you'll recall, and my father was reunited

with people he hadn't seen in 55 years.

I remember he was very concerned his English

friends wouldn't recognise him because he had aged. My

mother and I assured him that his friends had probably

aged, as well!

It was a wonderful reunion, and my mother and I were

thrilled to meet Leslie and Grace Lang (who since had

moved to Basildon and who now reside in Bidford-on-

Avon). My parents and I traced my father's footsteps;

amazingly, he was still able to direct us to most of his

haunts of yore — even without a map.

The Langs visited us in America in 2000, then we returned

to Tavistock in September 2005. We visited everything

from Abbotsfield (which, in 1944, was a headquarters for

the 29th Division) to Brentor (which, at age 88, my

father climbed once again — yes, to the top!).

After both trips, Times reporter Jane Honey published

lovely stories about my father and the Langs and how

their friendship had survived a war, the years and a few

thousand miles of ocean. That meant so much to my

father, who advised us, 'Don't wait as long as I did to find

your old friends. Do it now!'

Sadly, he was diagnosed with a heart condition last year.

Were it not for that, I have a feeling he would have figured

out a way to visit Tavistock just one last time. He died just

three weeks ago, on June 29, but his memories of and

fondness for the village that he temporarily called home

will live on.

Thank you again, for helping to tell his story.

Cynthia McMullen

Richmond

Virginia, USA