A West Point alumni group's planned ceremony to honor actor Tom Hanks was canceled on the same day President Donald Trump issued an order renaming the Department of Defense the "Department of War," the association said.
The West Point Association of Graduates announced the cancelation of an awards ceremony that had been scheduled for Sept. 25 and that would have presented Hanks with the Sylvanus Thayer Award, which is given to non-alumni who "draw wholesome comparison" to the U.S. Military Academy's motto of "Duty, Honor, Country." Retired Army Col. Mark Bieger, president and CEO of the association, informed members by email that the tribute was being scuttled so the academy could remain focused on preparing cadets to lead, fight and win.
The decision came as Mr. Trump announced on Friday that he had ordered the Pentagon's name changed back to the Department of War, saying the Defense Department had become "very politically correct or wokey" and that the United States was not winning wars under that designation. The White House description of the renaming framed it as an effort to realign the federal agency with wartime priorities.
Hanks, a prominent veterans' advocate who has not served in the military, has been selected previously by the association for the Thayer Award, which honors civilians and soldiers who reflect the academy's ideals. The association did not specify whether the cancelation was directly linked to the president's order, but Bieger's message emphasized sustaining the academy's core mission of officer training.
The actor has also been the subject of social media criticism after a recent Saturday Night Live sketch in which he portrayed a Trump supporter. The association did not cite that sketch or social media reaction as a reason for the change.
The West Point Association of Graduates is a private organization of alumni that administers the Thayer Award to recognize public figures who exemplify the academy's values. The award has been given to a range of non-graduates in past years for public service and leadership.
The developments underscore a broader politicization of military and ceremonial institutions since the start of the Trump administration, as leaders and organizations respond to presidential actions that alter longstanding titles and traditions. The White House has framed the renaming as policy-driven, citing a need to emphasize readiness for conflict; critics and some military officials have raised questions about the implications for civilian control and the symbolic shift represented by changing a name used for decades.
The West Point Association of Graduates did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment beyond Bieger's emailed notice. The White House and Department of Defense also did not provide immediate comment on the association's cancelation or on how the renaming order will be implemented across Pentagon commands and affiliated institutions.