A 99-year-old World War II veteran in Brazil was releasedfrom hospital with military honours Tuesday after recovering from thecoronavirus.
Second Lieutenant Ermando Piveta, who served in theBrazilian artillery in Africa during the Second World War, was brought out ofBrasilia’s Armed Forces Hospital to trumpet music and applause.
Wearing an army-green side cap, he raised his arms in theair as he left after eight days as a patient.
“It was a tremendous fight for me, greater than in thewar. In war, you kill or live. Here, you have to fight in order to live, andyou leave this fight a winner,” said Piveta.
He served in the Brazilian fourth artillery regiment soonafter the country entered the war on the side of the Allies, the army said.
Piveta returned home with his regiment to defend Brazil froman Axis invasion that never was.
“He won another battle, this time against the newcoronavirus,” the military said in a statement, adding Piveta was releasedon the 75th anniversary of Brazil’s successful campaign in Montese, Italy.
Piveta’s nation is the hardest-hit country in Latin Americaby the coronavirus pandemic with 1,532 deaths so far, according to the JohnsHopkins University tally.