The West Point Association of Graduates has cancelled a ceremony to award actor Tom Hanks with its 2025 Sylvanus Thayer Award, just weeks before it was scheduled to take place. The award recognises an 'outstanding citizen of the United States' whose service exemplifies West Point's motto of 'Duty, Honor, Country'.
In an email to faculty, retired Colonel Mark Bieger said the decision would allow the academy to focus on its core mission of preparing cadets to 'lead, fight and win as officers in the world's most lethal force, the United States Army'. No further explanation was provided.
Hanks, a two-time Oscar winner, had been announced as the recipient in May. He has advocated for military memorials, serving as national spokesperson for the World War II Memorial in Washington DC and supporting a fundraiser for the Dwight D Eisenhower Memorial. However, he has also donated to Democrats, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama, and endorsed Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
The cancellation comes amid a broader pattern of actions by President Donald Trump against perceived opponents, including revoking security clearances and blocking news organisations from Pentagon workspaces. It remains unclear whether political factors influenced the decision regarding Hanks.
