West Point alumni group scraps prestigious award celebrations honoring Tom Hanks

['Chloe Veltman', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus', 'Display Inline', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Where Img', 'Height Auto Max-Width', 'Vertical-Align Bottom .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Vertical-Align Middle .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar Is .Alignleft .Alignright'] TPR: The Public's Radio 2025-09-07 00:45:44

Actor and military veterans’ advocate Tom Hanks will not receive an official ceremony as the 2025 winner of the prestigious Sylvanus Thayer award. The prestigious award is given out each year to a civilian by the West Point Association of Graduates. (Christopher Polk | Getty Images)The alumni group at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point has scrapped an official award celebration for Tom Hanks. The West Point Association of Graduates was scheduled to host a ceremony and parade honoring the 69-year-old actor and veterans advocate on Sept. 25. In February, West Point eliminated student clubs for women and minority students following Trump’s crackdown on diversity programs in federal institutions.