Tom Hanks was instrumental in raising funds for DC's WWII Memorial when Congress appropriated only 10 percent of the fun

[riversedge]

BadgerStew reposted
Meacham @MeachamDr
·
9h
Tom Hanks was instrumental in raising funds for DC’s WWII Memorial when Congress appropriated only 10 percent of the funds needed. He also raised funds for the National WWII Museum, narrated documentaries on WWII and co-produced Band of Brothers. Naturally, Trump hates this.

Link to tweet

Donald Trump called Tom Hanks a "destructive" choice, unworthy of an honor from the West Point Association of Graduates.

For context, here are some of Hanks' efforts supporting veterans:

- Chair of the Hidden Heroes Campaign, offering community outreach and advocacy for military veterans.

- Founder of Hanx for the Troops, a coffee company that donates 100% of net profits to veterans and their families.

- Led a fundraising campaign for the National WWII Museum in New Orleans.

→ https://cons.lv/e8eS2C

Link to tweet

[Deuxcents]

1. TSF is such a hateful, ugly little person he could never be in the same universe with Tom Hanks

And we all know it

[Irish_Dem]

2. Tom Hanks also co-produced the TV mini series The Pacific with Steven Spielberg.

It was a fabulous, jaw dropping story about the Pacific theater of war during WWII.
It held my attention the entire series.

And it was the first time I understood why my uncle died at the Battle of Guadalcanal.
I thank Tom Hanks for helping me resolve some issues around that death.

[Dem2theMax]

4. Thank you for the heads up on this series.

I tend to avoid anything War, but my dad was in the Army and served in the Pacific Theater for three years.
He enlisted eight months before Pearl Harbor, spending those eight months stateside. One week after Pearl Harbor, he was on a ship to the Pacific.

He didn't talk much about it, as most of them didn't. So maybe this will give me some insight. Thanks for the recommendation. It's on Netflix, but it's leaving on the 14th, so guess what I'm going to be watching for the next few days!

[Irish_Dem]

10. I highly recommend it, and it is must see TV if your Dad served in the Pacific.

You will understand why the guys never talked about it when they got home.
The fighting was brutal, the Japanese were under orders from their emperor to fight
to the death.

You will understand what the men went through, not only the fighting, but lack
of supplies, food, etc. The conditions were dismal.

But it is all done very well, what else can you expect from Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg??

The story is told through the eyes of one GI, the main character.

Do you know what islands your Dad was on?
After WWII, I lived on one of those islands during the Viet Nam war.
Military kid. House was right next to the beach where there was fierce fighting years before
during WWII.

[Dem2theMax]

14. After watching just one episode,

I had to dig out my dad's old 'Army days' photo album. It's amazing looking at those pictures and then watching what I saw in the first episode. I can't believe how accurate it is. My dad's photos could have been taken from that episode!

He was in the Philippines, on New Guinea and Leyte Island. May have been elsewhere, but my memory isn't as great as it used to be. I know he went into Occupied Japan after they dropped the bombs.

He was part of a reconnaissance group. There were 21 guys on his team. Directed by one sergeant. They all survived the war because of that one sergeant, as far as my dad was concerned. They did such a great job of bringing in intelligence, that the higher-ups, most likely guys sitting behind desks somewhere, sent out some mucky-muck to observe them, trying to figure out why they were so good at what they did. (The sergeant, of course.)

Anyway, the sergeant told the mucky-muck that he had to do every single thing the sergeant said, and the sergeant said he would come back in one piece. So of course the guy didn't listen to the sergeant and he was shot. Lived, but he was the only one who was ever wounded (out of that team.)

Dad did tell me some of the stories. Saw some of those coming to life in that first episode.

[Irish_Dem]

15. Wow. Confirmation that Hanks and Spielberg got it right.

They were said to have WWII Vet consultants who made sure it was all accurate to the smallest detail.

The fighting in the Philippines was brutal, but there was a Philippine guerrilla resistance which helped.

Recon is quite dangerous because they are going bare bones into enemy territory. And will be killed on
the spot if detected. This group must have their wits about them and be thinking people every second
they are in the field.

Your Dad's story is giving me chills because it is an example of why the US won WWII.
NCOs. Non commissioned officers out in the filed making battle decisions every day.

Japan and Germany had a top down structure. All decisions has to be made at the top.
Even field generals had to wait for Hiltler's permission to make a move. This is why they
were slow to react to DDay. They could have wiped out the Americans right away but
the generals didn't want to wake up Hitler who was still sleeping. So they had to wait but
by then the Allies had a toe hold.

In the US military NCOs have authority to make decisions based on current conditions.
They get the job done the best way they can. To this day China and Russia cannot get the hang
of the US military NCO system. This is one reason Putin is losing in Ukraine. He is has no small unit
professional leadership.

The fact there was 100% survival in that Recon team in the Philippines is astounding.
They should make a movie about it! There is always one buck private who knows better than Sarge.
And learns the hardway. The guy you describe is lucky he is alive.

I bet your Dad had some stories. And now you get to watch those stories on TV.

So glad you are watching it.

[littlemissmartypants]

3. No surprise coming from a draft dodging sucker and loser. 🤷‍♀️

Just to be clear...I'm not talking about Tom.

[Joinfortmill]

5. Tom Hanks is a National Treasure...

Donald Trump is an adjudicated sexual assaulter who somehow made to the White House. The world has gone mad.

[SlowSpeed]

6. Donald T***p is not a Graduate of West Point......

Therefore he is not entitled to have a say on whom the Graduates give an honor.

[Tanuki]

7. See a clip of Beyond All Boundaries, narrated

and executive produced by Hanks, at the website for the WW2 Museum in New Orleans. (The museum is incredible and I highly recommend visiting if you go to NOLA.)

https://www.nationalww2museum.org/visit/museum-campus-guide/solomon-victory-theater/beyond-all-boundaries

[progressoid]

8. Up next. Trumps picks on Betty White's ghost.

[Mblaze]

9. Avoiding STD's was Trump's Viet Nam

Or so he told Howard Stern.

[BoRaGard]

11. West Point alumni (e) pissed on their own Honor Code

By going to their knees in submission to a draft-dodging felon rapist golf cheat and pedophile Bestie republicon.

Instead of respecting their Honor Code,
West Point alumni disgraced themselves and went Full Republicon on their knees.

[MuseRider]

12. I miss the days when we

praised and thanked people who were able who helped us honor those who have done great things. Trump lives in a tiny, dirty, worthless den of one upmanship. A very hard place to be when one is actually worthless. I see much death and destruction ahead. When you can't be a beloved leader (actual love not this worthless, angry tag-along jerk we have now) I don't understand how this serves his large ego. Is huge hatred as good as grateful love? Must be for some, I just do not get it.

[muriel_volestrangler]

13. And he did that with the Doles - and for the Dwight D Eisenhower Memorial

because it was about the military, not parties, which is why the West Point Association of Graduates leadership are such craven brown-nosers of Trump (Trump would probably hold recognising a popular Republican like Eisenhower, who was respected by everyone, against Hanks too):

Hanks and Today show host Savannah Guthrie both spoke during a ceremony later in the day at the capital’s World War II Memorial. Bob Dole was a leader of the fundraising effort that led to the memorial’s opening in 2004. Hanks had lent his support to the fundraising campaign next to Dole.
...
The actor and the TV star have worked with the Dole family on charity endeavors. Hanks is a chair for the Hidden Heroes campaign, which is orchestrated by the Elizabeth Dole Foundation.

Elizabeth Dole, formerly a senator for North Carolina and Bob Dole’s widow, created the foundation in 2012 to support military caregivers. The Hidden Heroes campaign aims to bring attention to the stories of military caregivers while advocating on their behalf.
...
Hanks supported Bob Dole in other fundraising efforts. In 2015, the actor lent his support to Dole’s fundraiser to create the Dwight D Eisenhower Memorial in Washington, DC. That was after Hanks supported Dole when the senator became the national chairman of the fundraising campaign to build the World War II Memorial in the capital.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/tom-hanks-bob-dole-memorial-b1973970.html

[Paladin]

16. Big-time fuckup by trump and West Point.

I hope this year's Academy Awards are an absolute showcase for Tom Hanks, his public service, and his movies.