Tom Cruise receives US Navy honour: Top Gun actor presented with highest civilian award
Tom Cruise has been no stranger to gung-ho roles.
And on Tuesday the 62-year-old movie veteran was recognised for his uniformed characters with the US Navy’s top civilian honour, the Distinguished Public Service award given his roles as a US Navy aviator in Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick, a marine corps lawyer in A Few Good Men, a Vietnam veteran in Born on the Fourth of July and even his work as an undercover US agent in the Mission Impossible franchise.
Cruise, who is currently working in the UK, received the medal from US Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro in London for “outstanding contributions to the Navy and the Marine Corps”, according to Variety.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“I admire all of the servicemen and women,” Cruise said.
“I know in life, something that is very true to me, is that to lead is to serve.
“And I know that to my core. And I see that in the servicemen and women.”
The Navy said in a statement that the veteran actor’s work had “increased public awareness and appreciation for our highly trained personnel and the sacrifices they make while in uniform.”
