Tom Hanks' award ceremony canceled by West Point alumni group
Tom Hanks was to be honored with the Sylvanus Thayer Award at West Point in late September. However, the event has now been canceled.
The alumni association at the US Military Academy at West Point canceled an award ceremony for Hollywood icon and veterans advocate Tom Hanks, the Washington Post reported. The association expressed a desire for the Army service academy to direct its focus on preparing future officers for war. The news comes after the Trump administration renamed the Department of Defense to the Department of War.
Tom Hanks was to be honored with the Sylvanus Thayer Award on September 25. The honor is dedicated to recognizing outstanding citizens who did not attend West Point but still serve as examples of the institute's ideals of “Duty, Honor, Country.” A ceremony and parade were also set to take place on the same day; however, the event has now been cancelled.
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Tom Hanks’ award canceled by West Point
As per the Washington Post, the decision to cancel the award ceremony was communicated by retired Army Col. Mark Bieger, who is president and chief executive officer of the West Point Association of Graduates. In an email to faculty circulated on Friday, Bieger said that the alumni association, in coordination with the military academy, “will not be holding the Thayer Award ceremony” as originally scheduled. The email apologized for the cancellation, but did not clarify whether Hanks’ award was revoked or would be presented at a later date.
What West Point said earlier about Tom Hanks
The message was in sharp contrast to the announcement about felicitating Tom Hanks in June. In its message at that time, the alumni group recognized the actor’s role in advocating for veterans. It also cited several movies where Hanks appeared as a US service member, including Forrest Gump and Saving Private Ryan.
{{/usCountry}}The message was in sharp contrast to the announcement about felicitating Tom Hanks in June. In its message at that time, the alumni group recognized the actor’s role in advocating for veterans. It also cited several movies where Hanks appeared as a US service member, including Forrest Gump and Saving Private Ryan.
{{/usCountry}}“Tom Hanks has done more for the positive portrayal of the American service member, more for the caring of the American veteran, their caregivers and their family, and more for the American space program and all branches of government than many other Americans,” Robert McDonald, the alumni association’s board chairman and former secretary of veterans affairs, previously stated in the announcement.
{{/usCountry}}“Tom Hanks has done more for the positive portrayal of the American service member, more for the caring of the American veteran, their caregivers and their family, and more for the American space program and all branches of government than many other Americans,” Robert McDonald, the alumni association’s board chairman and former secretary of veterans affairs, previously stated in the announcement.
{{/usCountry}}The decision may have run into Trump-era politics, as per the Washington Post. Notably, Hanks supported Joe Biden’s campaign in 2020 and appeared in a video for the Biden administration in 2022, highlighting its achievements, the NY Post reported.
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Trump introduces changes at West Point
As per a Forbes report, Trump has made some changes at West Point. This included the rollback of programs promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
Jen Easterly, who was the cybersecurity chief during the Biden administration, was dismissed in June after complaints from Trump loyalist Laura Loomer. Among other changes, a 20-foot portrait of Gen. Robert E. Lee, a West Point graduate who fought in the American Civil War to preserve slavery for the Confederacy, was rehung in the academy’s library.
FAQs
When was Tom Hanks set to be awarded by West Point?
The ceremony was due to take place on September 25 before its cancellation.
Was a reason given for the cancellation?
Retired Army Col. Mark Bieger said the decision would allow the academy to focus on preparing future soldiers for war.
What did the Trump administration rename the Department of Defense to?
It is now called the Department of War.
