Captain Sir Tom Moore passes away at 100

Known affectionately as Captain Tom, Moore raised almost £33 million ($45 million) by walking laps of his garden last year. His exploits united a country frozen in lockdown and made him an unlikely celebrity late in his life, earning him a military promotion, a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II and a number-one single.

Moore tested positive for the virus and was taken to a hospital on Sunday, suffering from breathing problems after being treated for pneumonia, his family said. They announced his death on Tuesday.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/02/uk/captain-tom-moore-dies-scli-gbr-intl/index.html

This hits.

andergarcia

@bc22

AAwww, what a pity! We got his story in Spain, too. Such a brave guy fighting for public health service in the UK.

raphjd

The CNN has an error.

He made it to Major in WW2.

Queen Elizabeth made him a Captain when she knighted him last fall.

bi4smooth

@raphjd
You got that backwards.... he rose to the rank of Captain all by himself.

QEII advanced his rank to Major when she knighted him last year. In the Army, Major outranks Captain. In the US Army (patterned after the British one in many ways), a Captain is an O3-grade. A major is O-4. Lt. Colonel an O-5 and so forth. (In the US Navy, a Captain is an O-6!)

WRT Major Sir Thomas Moore:
He vociferously requested that people continue to call him Captain, even after the Queen's promotion. He was quite (and reasonably well so) proud of his rank.
He also eschewed the attempts to call him "Sir" (as a Knight should be entitled), unless it was in a military fashion (as you would address an Army Captain).

He was quite a man, and the world mourns the loss of "Captain Tom" with the UK today.
Peace be with you, Sir!

raphjd

@bi4smooth

You are correct.

Even after being in the Marine Corps, I still think of Navy Captain (eagles) and not the railroad tracks.

This has us both in a bit of a wee funk today. Elders have my highest respect and his adventures were both inspiring and fun to follow, and his achievements garnered even more respect.

Damn Covid couldn't let him die of old age.

raphjd

@bc22

He already had pneumonia and then he tested positive for C-19.

At 100yo he probably would have died of pneumonia even without C-19.

At least he was able to die with his loved ones by his bedside. Most people die alone in a hospital ward due to the ban on visitors.

I can't say Damn Covid, can't let him die of pneum . . .

But you're right.