Admin December 17, 2024
Tom Cruise awarded US Navy’s top civilian award for ‘valor’
Tom Cruise has been honored with the US Navy’s highest civilian award, the Distinguished Public Service Award, for his “outstanding contributions” to the military through his iconic screen roles.
unbranded – Entertainment
Tom Cruise is choosing to accept a major honor from the U.S. Navy.
The “Top Gun” star, 62, on Tuesday received the Navy’s Distinguished Public Service Award, the highest honor that Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro can bestow on a civilian.
The award recognized Cruise for his “dedication to the Navy,” as his “efforts in the film industry have increased public awareness and appreciation for the Navy’s highly trained personnel and the sacrifices they make while in uniform,” a press release said.
Del Toro said it was an “honor” to present the actor with the award for his “decades of naval advocacy through many movies,” adding that Cruise’s “work has inspired generations to serve” in the Navy and the Marine Corps.
“I’m happy I have been able to be a source of inspiration to many of the sailors who serve today or have served in the past,” Cruise said. “The effort was not just on my end, but the cast and crew I get to work with on all our sets. They are what really bring the work to life.”
Cruise famously starred as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in “Top Gun,” the 1986 blockbuster about pilots at the Navy’s Fighter Weapons School. According to the Navy, pilot recruitment surged in the late 1980s and early 1990s after the film’s release.
Cruise returned for the 2022 follow-up, “Top Gun: Maverick,” which grossed over $1.4 billion at the box office and was nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards.
To create the thrilling flight sequences in “Maverick,” IMAX cameras were placed inside F-18 cockpits flown by actual Navy pilots. According to the Military Officers Association of America, retired Navy pilot Frank “Walleye” Weisser flew Cruise’s fighter jet in the film.
Outside of “Top Gun,” Cruise played a Navy lawyer in “A Few Good Men” and a Marine Corps sergeant in “Born on the Fourth of July.”
The U.S. Navy previously named Cruise an honorary naval aviator in 2020, authorizing him “to wear the ‘wings of gold’ of a U.S. naval aviator.” The citation praised the actor for working to “ensure the ‘Top Gun’ franchise is as authentic as possible.”
Contributing: Bryan Alexander
