100-year-old WWII veteran ‘Captain Tom’ to be knighted

LONDON: Hundred-year-old British World War II veteran Captain Tom Moore is to be knighted after raising nearly $40 million for healthcare charities, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling him a “beacon of light” during the coronavirus pandemic. The knighthood, which brings with it the title of “Sir”, will be formally issued by Queen Elizabeth II. Moore set himself the goal of walking 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday in April. He was hoping to raise £1,000 ($1,200) for National Health Service charities as a thank you for the treatment he received while suffering from cancer and a broken hip. But the money started pouring in after his effort drew national and then international interest, a rare good news story in the middle of a global health emergency. “Colonel Tom´s fantastic fundraising broke records, inspired the whole country and provided us all with a beacon of light through the fog of coronavirus,” Johnson said Tuesday announcing the knighthood.