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The Cowards of West Point [1]

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Date: 2025-09-12

Each year the Association of West Point Graduates selects and announces one person to be the recipient of the prestigious Thayer Award. This year the graduate’s selection committee chose an American icon, Tom Hanks, as the 2025 honoree. The association then cancelled the ceremony. According to NBC, “The email was reportedly sent to faculty members by retired Army Col. Mark Bieger, the association's president, announcing the cancellation. However, the email did not clarify whether the award was still being given to Hanks.”

Generals Douglas McArthur, Dwight Eisenhower (both Thayer Award recipients), and thousands of others must be rolling over in their graves as the graduates of United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point relinquish the time-honored motto: Duty, Honor, Country, for Whatever Trump wants. Dishonorably the USMA graduates bend a knee to a wannabe dictator. The excuse provided for the cancellation by retired Col. Mark Bieger is not only unbelievably lame; it is an act of cowardice. Col. Bieger claimed that “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.” WHAT A CROCK OF SH*T! The Thayer Award has no bearing on the core mission of West Point.

According to the West Point organization, the “Thayer Award:

Since 1958, the West Point Association of Graduates has presented the Sylvanus Thayer Award to an outstanding citizen of the United States whose service and accomplishments in the national interest exemplify personal devotion to the ideals expressed in the West Point motto, ‘Duty, Honor, Country.’”

The Guidelines specifically state:

“The nominee’s stature and reputation will draw wholesome comparison to the qualities for which West Point strives, in keeping with its motto: ‘Duty, Honor, Country.’

“National public service is prominent in the career of the nominee.

“The nomination should acknowledge a lifetime of service. Because the recipient will be forever associated with West Point and its ideals, selecting a receipting (sic) whose professional life story is nearly complete.

“The nominee should have respect and national stature (i.e., national name recognition and wide based respect among the general population). Ideally, they will be recognized by the Corps as a ‘great American.’”

They were applauded by Cadet Bones Spurs Donald Trump. On Truth Social Trump posted, “"Our great West Point (getting greater all the time!) has smartly cancelled the Award Ceremony for actor Tom Hanks," "Important move! We don’t need destructive, WOKE recipients getting our cherished American Awards!!!" It is important to remember that the comment is written by a coward who sent five men to take his place in Vietnam.

The Thayer Award was first given to a Noble Prize-winning physicist. Ernst Lawrence in 1958. Since then, there have been recipients from many fields such as SCOTUS Warren Burger (1988), Sandra Day O’Connor (2005), astronaut Neil Armstrong (1971), nuclear scientist Edward Teller (1986), political figures including Ronald Reagan (1989), George HW Bush (1994), Cyrus Vance (1993), Barack Obama (2024), and religious entities, Billy Graham (1972). Even journalist including Walter Cronkite (1997) and Tom Brokaw (2006) have been included.

The first Hollywood celebrity so honored was Bob Hope (1968). Interestingly, the list includes Gary Sinise (2015), who famously played double amputee, Lieutenant Dan, opposite Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump. Among Tom Hanks heroic roles includes that of Captain John Miller, who led the Rangers up Point du Hoc in the Normandy invasion (Saving Private Ryan) astronaut Jim Lovell (Apollo 13) Charlie Wilson (Charlie Wilson’s War) Captain Richard Phillips (Captain Phillips) James B Donovan (Bridge of Spies), Chester “Sully” Sullenberger, (Sully) and role in dozens of other movies.

Beyond cinematically portraying heroes, Tom Hanks was instrumental in directing several highly acclaimed military television series and documentaries that accurately brought American history to the world. These include Band of Brothers (2001), We Stand Alone: The Men of Easy Company (2001), Freedom: A History of US (2003) The Pacific (2010) The Assassination of President Kennedy (2013) and 1968: The Year that Changed America (2018).

The withdrawal of the award ceremony is in stark contrast to the announcement in June. As NPR reported, West Point Association of Graduates board chairman Robert A. McDonald stated, "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."

Previously McDonald acknowledged Tom Hanks for some of his other military related endeavors. These were reported in an NPR article that indicated, “A statement from the alumni association announced the award in June, praising Hanks for his ongoing support of veterans, noting his role as a national spokesperson for the World War II memorial in Washington D.C., his help with fundraising efforts for the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial in D.C., and his work as a spokesperson for the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, which supports military veterans and their caregivers.”

There is little doubt that Trump appointed a completely incompetent, but slavishly subservient, Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth. The Service academies quickly buckled when Hegseth decreed that their libraries must remove books he deemed in appropriate because they conveyed the truth about military and American history. With a stroke of unparalleled stupidity, he destroyed decades of hard-fought advancement in human dignity claiming, “issues such as race, gender ideology, and other ‘divisive concepts’ that are now considered ‘incompatible with the department’s core mission.’”

Maybe the members of the West Point Graduates Association don’t know the contentious history that brought about the changes, but I’d be happy to fill them in. From “fragging” in Vietnam to race riots on military bases, the problems we faced were very real and difficult. Previously, I wrote an article about the difficulty in integration of females in combat organizations. That was the tip of the iceberg of difficulty that women in all the services faced in securing their right to compete for advancements. Repeatedly women in all services have demonstrated their competency, including combat assignments. Under ex-platoon leader Hegseth, numerous female flag officers have been removed without cause. But remember, Trump doesn’t think slavery was too bad, so why should Black achievements be acknowledged? Being adjudicated a sexual assailant, and with dozens of complainants over decades, Trump’s view of women is pretty well established. That has obviously permeated the DoD and should be of concern to women in the Service academies.

To emphasize the anti-DEI point, he fired General C.Q. Brown, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (for being Black) and the highly respected Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Lisa Franchetti. (for being a woman). Many other highly competent flag officers from all the services were similarly purged. It must be understood that Hegseth (with Trump’s guidance/approval) severely degraded the U.S. military’s warfighting capabilities (Seemingly a gift to Putin and Xi).

It is one thing for the Service academies to follow orders, no matter how cretinous or irrational. They legally are bound by their institutional relationships with the Department of Defense. However, the Association of West Point Graduates is not so constrained and thus as an independent organization, are not obligated to follow Trump’s impetuous whims and edicts. Certainly, many, if not most, of the association’s members must be aware of his gross, and possibly illegal, misuse of the members of Department of Defense personnel. That ranges from arranging a farcical multimillion-dollar birthday parade, to invasion of American cities with both National Guard and Active-Duty troops. According to U.S. District Judge, Charles Breyer the operation in Los Angeles violated the Posse Comitatus Act. While that decision has been placed on hold, there should be little doubt Judge Breyer’s decision was correct.

In addition, there are threats of actions against the country of Venezuela and use of deadly force against a small boat from that country but in international waters. Eleven were killed people in a drone strike. That action was not authorized by Congress and probably constitutes a war crime. The reader’s position on illegal drugs is not relevant, but use of lethal force without proven evidence or court finding of guilt is illegal. Importantly, there was no attempt to interdict the vessel, and recent reports indicate they had attempted to turn away. Other countries in Central America are under threat of invasion using the pretext that drug cartels are a clear and present danger to America. The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, has already rebuffed Trump’s proposed unilateral intervention.

Another contentious action was the B-2 bombing if Iran. That too was quite possibly illegal as Congress was neither consulted nor did they vote to approve the strike. A discussion can be found in this Council of Foreign Relations article. Of broader concern should be that Bibi Netanyahu appears to be driving American foreign policy in the region. It was the American bunker busting bombs that were needed for the joint operation, but it was executed primarily for Netanyahu’s benefit. (USMA graduates should note that the director of DIA, Lt. Gen. Jeffery Kruse, was fired largely because his analysts did not support Trump’s chimerical claim that the deeply buried site had been “totally obliterated.”)

Another critical example of Bibi’s control was the Israeli 9 September missile strike in Doha, Qatar to kill Hamas negotiators. No warning was provided to Trump. even though the US was deeply involved in the negotiations with Hamas taking place in Doha. There was also the presence of 10,000 US servicemembers at Al Udeid Air Base located just a few miles away. Possibly Trump is conjuring phantasmagoric visions of his proposed future resorts along the Gaza coast following his mythical ethnic cleansing of all Palestinians

As with his maladroit interactions with Vladimir Putin, Trump has greatly diminished America’s influence in global affairs. That should be of great concern to all USMA graduates. Trump’s inept handling of American policy regarding the war in Ukraine should frighten everyone. His obsequious attitude toward Putin and failure to act on even the most serious provocations is telling. Trump repeatedly has threatened/promised actions against Putin but always failed to follow through. The TACO analogy is accurate and a warning that being primarily transactional, he would abandon the military in a heartbeat. Just ask Gen. John Kelly, Gen. Jim Mattis, or Gen. Mark Milley.

Of similar concern should be the ill-advised and unwarranted subjugation of Washington, D.C. After a month of experience, consider this assessment of Trump’s DC takeover. “The National Guard, in measuring public sentiment about President Donald Trump’s federal takeover of Washington, D.C., has assessed that its mission is perceived as ‘leveraging fear,’ driving a ‘wedge between citizens and the military,’ and promoting a sense of ‘shame’ among some troops and veterans, according to internal documents reviewed by The Washington Post.”

Also reporting on that National Guard document, The New Republic wrote, “The assessment also included highlights such as ‘mentions of Fatigue, confusion, and demoralization—‘just gardening,’ unclear mission, wedge between citizens and the military.’ Some National Guard troops have been roped into helping with Trump’s expensive beautification efforts across the small part of the city that he sees on a daily basis.” Trump’s imprudent actions are clearly undermining the confidence of the troops that have been tasked to implement his orders.

Of particular concern to all West Point graduates should be his willingness to ignore/violate the U.S. Constitution. It must be remembered that they, like all future graduates, take an oath to uphold the Constitution. That is not a loyalty oath to an individual. That was poignantly pointed out in C, JCS Gen Mark Milley’s retirement address. It is likely that many officers are going to be faced with difficult decisions whether to do what is required by the US Constitution or follow personal loyalty to Trump. That is not hypothetical as violating the Hatch Act, he already has demanded loyalty oaths from civil servants. Given Trump’s propensity to issue unlawful orders, who like Gen. Milley, is going to stand in the breach? That is no small consideration as Gen. Milley has expressed concern he might be recalled to Active Duty and court marshalled as retribution is a Trump hallmark.

Returning to Tom Hanks and the abandonment of his Thayer Award, my assessment of the Association of West Point Graduates is harsh. Those making that decision are cowards. Many likely are combat veterans who served valiantly when facing enemy fire. Yet, they fear the retribution of a petty tyrant, one who has already done incalculable damage to the military and the nation. Those on active duty are between a rock and a hard place legally speaking. But those who have left and are in civilian life are not. They need to not only reinstate Tom Hank’s award but hold the ceremony at West Point. If the war criminals, Hegseth or Trump, want to cancel it, force those cowards to do so publicly. Reading the criteria there is no doubt that Tom Hanks is superbly qualified to be the 2025 Thayer Ward recipient.

For all of the Services, the challenges ahead are far more dangerous than holding an award ceremony for a deserving recipient. By withdrawal of Tom Hanks ceremony, the cowardice of the Association of West Point Graduates has already sullied the reputation of a great institution. Col. Bieger seems to expect us to believe that West Point will stop their education and training mission if receives Tom Hanks receives the Thayer Award. No, in disgrace, they cowardly bow to the tyrant and wannabe dictator, taking the hallowed West Point with them.

For the record: and as I have stated before, I am not a “Ring Knocker” (USMA Grad) but a “mustang” (Former enlisted man) who was commissioned through the Benning School for Boys (OCS) in 1963.

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