Britain says goodbye to Captain Tom Moore, WWII vet and pandemic hero

CBS News February 27, 2021, 1:41 PM

“Daddy, I am so proud of you”: Britain says goodbye to Captain Tom Moore, WWII vet and pandemic hero

Funeral held for Captain Tom Moore

A funeral was held in England on Saturday for Captain Sir Tom Moore , a World War II veteran who became a hero of the coronavirus pandemic.

A Royal Air Force flyby, which is usually reserved for royalty, heads of state and war heroes, was performed for the 100-year-old, who died earlier this month after testing positive for coronavirus . His coffin was also draped with a Union Jack and was carried by members of the Armed Forces.

The private service was attended by Moore’s immediate family members and was streamed online. When remembering her father, Lucy Teixeira, Moore’s daughter talked about his boyish charm, his sense of humor and the impact he left behind.

“Daddy, I am so proud of you,” she said, “What you achieved your whole life and especially in the last year. You may be gone but your message and your spirit lives on.”

Moore became a war hero of sorts in the last year of his life. He captured the hearts of millions around the world in 2020 when he walked 100 laps in his backyard to raise money for Britain’s National Health Service.

He originally set out to raise 1,000 pounds (about $1,300) but ended up raising more than 33 million pounds (over $40 million) after videos of his walks went viral, reaching millions who were at home during the first wave of the pandemic.

His fundraising efforts earned him fame, admiration and a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth in July.

Moore spoke with CBS News foreign correspondent Charlie D’Agata last September about a seven-figure movie deal he signed along with his daughter to make a movie of his life, though he said he wasn’t ready for Hollywood’s Walk of Fame just yet.

“Whatever the result I don’t anticipate ever coming into America and putting my hands in a piece of wet concrete somewhere,” Moore said.

That was one of the very few moments Moore didn’t live to see. In an epilogue to his book, writing about his inevitable passing, Captain Tom wrote “life will go on, babies will be born, and people will eventually forget about Captain Tom.”

But Moore added for a while, though, he would be remembered for the last years of his life rather than those that went before. He said he only wanted a little white headstone to mark his existence, in his words: nothing too fancy.

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