Tom Cruise honored by US Navy for heroism at special ceremony

Tom Cruise, Hollywood’s action star, has just received the US Navy's highest civilian honour for his "valour and heroism."

The 62-year-old actor, Cruise, was given the US Navy Distinguished Public Service Award, the highest possible civilian accolade, by Carlos Del Toro, the US Secretary of the Navy.

The ceremony was held at Long Cross Studios in Chertsey, Surrey, and the Mission Impossible star also posed with the medal after being honoured.

For the prestigious event, Cruise wore a two-piece navy coat suit, a white shirt with a pale blue tie, and dress shoes.

In the official photos, the Top Gun actor can be seen shaking hands with the US Secretary of the Navy, who was dressed in a grey suit and tie.

For the unversed, the Navy honours those civilians with this particular award who have shown outstanding service on behalf of the Navy over a long period of time.

Previously, Academy Award winners Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks were also given this civilian award for their work on the World War II movie with the title Saving Private Ryan.

In 1999, Under-Secretary of the Navy Jerry Hultin gave them the Distinguished Public Service Award on the USS Normandy at Port Everglades.

During the ceremony, which was part of the US Veterans Day events, Spielberg and Hanks spoke highly of the veterans and showed them gratitude for all the sacrifices they made for the country.

It is significant to mention that Cruise also bestowed the honorary title of Naval Aviator by the United States Navy in 2020.

He received it in the presence of Top Gun producer Jerry Bruckheimer, alongside him at the ceremony, which took place at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles.