Tom Hanks is an American icon. From comedy to drama he’s had memorable roles and won awards including Oscars. He’s also turned out to be an influential producer. He devoted a lot of his time and talent honoring American achievements even the most hard core MAGA appreciates. That includes I might add three major efforts displaying what it took for us to win WWII. Given his work to honor American heroes it made sense that the West Point Association of Graduates would choose to thank Hanks by honoring him with a prestigious award. Outside of the West Point community this award might not be well known, but somehow Trump and Hegesth got wind of it and you know what happened next.
I want to emphasize that so much of Hank’s work both on screen and as a producer has promoted patriotism, showing how great we CAN be and HAVE been. He was inspired enough by Andrew Chaikin’s book and the movie Apollo 13 to partner with HBO to tell the story of America beating the Soviets to the moon. Then came his portrayal of Capt. Miller in Saving Private Ryan. He partnered with Stephen Spielberg to produce another epic mini-series about a company of paratroopers in WWII. He again paired with Spielberg to produce a second WWII series, this one about the war in the Pacific.
These were all major projects and took years of work to produce and film. Hanks was willing to put in the work because he believed Americans both at the time these things aired but in the future needed to see history. History fairly accurately portrayed. Little license was taken and much, most in fact of what you see happened much the way it did in real life. I won’t bore you with the deviations. I’ll just say if you want to be inspired about the best of what Americans could pull together and accomplish against daunting odds Hanks made telling the stories a labor of love.
What he has NOT done is kiss Donald’s Trump’s fat orange ass. In fact, while not a huge voice he’s been critical and that is an unforgiveable sin to Trump. Frankly, given Hegesth’s push from the beginning to purge all manner of non Trump worshipping from our military including our Service Academies I was startled to learn Hanks had been chosen to receive an award from the West Point community and be feted there. Well, as this short article from Variety tells us that ain’t gonna happen: The WPAG has cancelled the Sept. 25 awards ceremony. (One more thing for me to now hate about that particular day on the calendar – various personal events I won’t go into):
West Point Association of Graduates President and CEO Mark Bieger announced the cancellation in a faculty email on Friday, claiming the decision will better enable West Point 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.”
Reps for the West Point Association of Graduates did not immediately respond to Variety‘s request for comment.
Hanks was set to receive the Sylvanus Thayer Award on Sept. 25. The award is meant to celebrate an “outstanding citizen” outside of the West Point organization with a history of social service that exemplifies “Duty, Honor, Country,” the academy’s three core ideals.
Duty, Honor and Country. From where I sit as far as Hegseth and Trump are concerned that motto should be changed to WORSHIP DONALD TRUMP. Hanks did not serve in our armed forces but devoted years of his life to honoring those who did, and I again want to to mention the Apollo 13 movie and the HBO mini-series From the Earth To the Moon which honored those who won the “space race” when the Cold War was raging. All those astronauts portrayed got their flight training in the military. Many were still on active duty when they flew missions for NASA. Hanks of course knew all this.
So yes, it makes sense given how much he put over such a long time to promote American ideals and what we can do when we pull together for a worthy cause including winning both Cold and “Hot” wars it makes sense West Point’s graduates would honor him. But now the ceremony has been canceled. So far there’s no word on whether he might receive it at another time/place or if it’s been outright rescinded/revoked.
Hanks surely earned the honor and I’m sure when receiving it his remarks would have both honored and inspired all those West Point graduates present. Now? Even if down the road he gets the award with or without a ceremony it will be tainted for him. All because we have such a petty and hateful President who thinks people like me who DID serve are “suckers and losers.” Here’s my prediction: Just as Trump lusts for a Nobel Peace prize like he lusted after his oldest daughter, he now wants one of these awards for himself. After which he’ll rename it after himself. This all just flat-out sucks.
Typically petty.
So entirely to be expected.
Republicans are the most childish bastards to ever crawl on the face of the Earth.
You keep using the word “President” as Trump’s title. As an insurrectionist, he’s not legally or constitutionally the holder of that office. You should never refer to him as that. Accurate terms are:
Felon 45
Dolt 45
Illegal Occupant
Occupant
Individual 1
Donny Two-Scoops
I’m with you Corey but, to be fair, Denis NEVER refers to Trump as anything but Trump, never puts a “President” in front of his name. On occasion, as here, he refers to the President as the office, the rank, the fact that we have one, loathsome though he may be.
It’s not “all because” of Trump’s petty, vindictive and cowardly self. It’s also all about the spineless so-called soldiers in charge of West Point. If and when this award is offered to Mr Hanks, I hope he declines with a one-word defiance which should reverberate within the US military: “Nuts!”
they can’t carry out their teaching mission and give an award? that doesn’t say much for their ability to multitask.