The alumni association of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point has abruptly cancelled an award celebration for actor Tom Hanks, one of former President Joe Biden’s celebrity supporters.
Hanks, 69, was set to be honored with a ceremony and parade on Sept. 25 to commemorate his advocacy for service members through his films, TV shows, and support for efforts such as establishing a national memorial for President Dwight D. Eisenhower and the National WWII Museum in New Orleans.
That day of celebration has been put on hold for now. One former instructor told The Washington Post that the decision appears to have been rooted in avoiding an “uncomfortable” relationship between West Point leadership and the White House.
That was not the official reason provided by the alumni association. Instead, the Post reports it said in an internal email on Friday that the cancellation, which it apologized for, was necessary to maintain its focus on producing future military officers for war.
“This decision allows the Academy to continue its 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,” wrote Retired Army Col. Mark Bieger, who earned a Silver Star for combat valor in Iraq.
The Post reported that it is unclear if Hanks’ honor—the prestigious Sylvanus Thayer Award, which recognizes an “outstanding citizen” who did not attend West Point—has been revoked or not.
No reports suggest that the White House put pressure on the alumni association to cancel the event. However, it has targeted institutions and individuals it deems as anti-Trump and MAGA, and Hanks’ association with Biden, as well as his memorable spoof of a Trump supporter on Saturday Night Live, likely would be viewed as such.
Hanks spoke at a campaign fundraiser for Biden in 2020, months before he went on to defeat Trump for the presidency. The following year, in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Hanks hosted a televised event organized by the Biden Inaugural Committee.
West Point announced in June that it planned to honor Hanks, who has starred in films like Saving Private Ryan, Greyhound, Forrest Gump, and other projects depicting American service members, for his contributions to the U.S. Military.
“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,” said Robert McDonald, a former secretary of veterans affairs and the alumni association’s board chairman, in a June announcement that Hanks would be honored by the institution.
The Daily Beast has reached out to Hanks’ representative.
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