The alumni association at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point has canceled an award ceremony honoring actor Tom Hanks, The Washington Post reports.  Hanks, 69, was to receive the Sylvanus Thayer Award, which honors an “outstanding citizen.” According to Forbes, retired Col. Mark Bieger told West Point faculty that the West Point Association of Graduates would no longer hold a ceremony to present Hanks with the award.  “Great to see @SecArmy holding the line for @realDonaldTrump to make our Military strong again. West Point should be focused on training the next generation of war fighters, not celebrating woke leftwing celebrities with awards!!!” Donald Trump Jr. commented. Great to see @SecArmy holding the line for @realDonaldTrump to make our Military strong again. West Point should be focused on training the next generation of war fighters, not celebrating woke leftwing celebrities with awards!!!https://t.co/sHPKenyICb — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) September 6, 2025 More from The Washington Post: Bieger wrote that the alumni association, in coordination with the academy, “will not be holding the Thayer Award ceremony” as originally scheduled and apologized for the cancellation. The email did not say whether Hanks’s award has been revoked or if it will be presented in some other format. “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 Bieger, who earned a Silver Star for combat valor in Iraq. Bieger did not respond to requests for comment. Officials with West Point referred questions to the alumni association. A spokesperson for Hanks could not be reached for comment. “WPAOG is pleased to announce that actor/writer/director/producer and philanthropist Tom Hanks will receive the 2025 Sylvanus Thayer Award. The award will be presented on September 25, 2025, during ceremonies hosted by USMA at West Point,” the Official Alumni Association of the United States Military Academy at West Point wrote in June. WPAOG is pleased to announce that actor/writer/director/producer and philanthropist Tom Hanks will receive the 2025 Sylvanus Thayer Award. The award will be presented on September 25, 2025, during ceremonies hosted by USMA at West Point. Read more: https://t.co/hbem2WCZXw pic.twitter.com/ThMNdtiUeH — West Point AOG (@WPAOG) June 13, 2025 Forbes shared additional details: Former Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald, who chairs the alumni association, credited Hanks in a statement as having 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.” Hanks, who portrayed service members in films “Saving Private Ryan,” “Forrest Gump” and “Greyhound,” was also lauded for producing World War II miniseries “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific.” The actor also spearheaded an effort to create the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., and supported initiatives for a President Dwight D. Eisenhower national memorial, among others, the alumni association stated. It’s not immediately clear, despite Bieger noting West Point would “focus on its core mission.” President Donald Trump has issued some changes at the academy, including rolling back programs promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in the armed forces, saying those at U.S. service academies would face scrutiny. Jen Easterly, who served as cybersecurity chief during the Biden administration, was dismissed in June following complaints from Trump loyalist Laura Loomer, who claimed Easterly and other Biden leftovers were “undermining the Trump administration.” Hanks fundraised for President Joe Biden’s campaign in 2020 and appeared in a video for the Biden administration a year into Biden’s presidency.