Quietly get on and be your best, Sir Tom tells young soldiers
‘When I joined the Army, I looked round to see all the other people and thought “I’m going to be the best”’
CAPTAIN Sir Tom Moore has been hailed as an inspiration by young soldiers after he carried out his first role as an honorary colonel.
The 100-year-old war veteran said it was “truly a great honour” to have been made honorary colonel of the Army Foundation College in Harrogate, North Yorks, as he was shown around the facility yesterday.
After Sir Tom addressed an audience at the army training college, a member of civilian staff said: “We just want to say a big thank you from everyone for the inspiration.”
Daniel Barker, a 17-year-old junior soldier from Sheffield, added that Sir Tom had given them “some advice for our future, to understand how lucky we are because back in his day it was much different, he didn’t have the opportunities we have here at the college and to take full advantage of that”.
Sir Tom raised almost £33million for the NHS by walking 100 laps of his garden before he turned 100 in April. He was appointed honorary colonel for the college to mark his milestone birthday.
During his visit to the college he said he was “absolutely speechless” to have been given the title. Sir Tom said he would advise the junior soldiers at the college to try to be the best. “When I was conscripted, one of the things I did when I joined the Army, I looked round to see all the other people and thought ‘I’m going to be the best’,” he said.
“Without climbing over anyone’s shoulders, just quietly get on and do your best and be your best.”
During the visit he watched junior soldiers take part in various activities at the military training venue, which trains 16 and 17-year-olds for a wide variety of Army careers. At the end of the visit, he walked to the exit of the college to applause from junior soldiers.