Queen Elizabeth II Promotes Captain Tom Moore To Honorary Colonel On His 100th Birthday

Apr 30, 2020 by apost team

In an incredible story that has come out amid the Coronavirus pandemic, Captain Tom Moore has risen to the occasion and fundraised tens of millions towards the NHS in the UK. His story has since spread all across the world, with people praising the WWII veteran for his actions.

And today, as Moore celebrates his 100th birthday, he got the absolute present of a lifetime: a promotion to Colonel by none other than Queen Elizabeth II herself.

In honor of Captain Tom Moore’s 100th birthday, the Chief of the General Staff General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith appointed him the rank of honorary colonel, with the personal approval of the Queen. But that wasn’t all Buckingham Palace had up its sleeves for him.

According to The Guardian, a Spitfire and a Hurricane flew over Moore’s Bedfordshire home with a Battle of Britain Memorial Flight flypast. He also received more than 125,000 birthday cards for his special day from many fans.

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On April 8, Moored set out to raise £1,000 (roughly US$1,300) for the UK’s National Health Service, by vowing to walk 100 lengths of his backyard before his 100th birthday. 

Speaking with The Guardian, Capt Moore said: "Ten pounds at a time, we might get a thousand. And we seem to have got a little bit better than that."

Within 24 hours, however, his fundraiser had already hit 70 times the original amount. Today, the fundraiser closed with £31 million (or roughly US $39 million), according to the BBC.

Captain Moore has since become an absolute phenomenon, with him even becoming the oldest person to ever reach a number one single in the UK, according to the BBC. The WII veteran sang You Will Never Walk Alone along with Michael Ball and a choir of NHS workers, with all the proceeds going towards the NHS. 

He also got praised by Prince William – whom the Captain called his “super Prince” – who praised the 100-year-old while speaking to the BBC. 

"What I love is that he's a 99-year-old war vet, he's been around a long time, he knows everything, and it's wonderful that everyone has been inspired by his story and his determination."

We hope Captain Moore enjoys his special day today! Do you find his story inspirational? Have you or anybody you know found creative ways to support your community amid the pandemic? Let us know in the comments – and make sure you pass this along to your friends and family!