The Armory Life Presents This Year’s Cantius Award Winner

August 30th, 2024

5 minute read

The Armory Life is proud to announce that Tom Laemlein has been selected as the winner of the third annual Cantius Award. Primarily covering historical weaponry and military battles, Laemlein’s articles are consistently popular with readers as his research presents little-known information and rare photography.

Award Gun Jacket — Author Tom Laemlein received the Cantius Award as the top contributor for the year. He was awarded a certificate, a Model 2020 Rimfire Classic rifle and a burgundy “The Armory Life” jacket. Image: Carson McDaniel

Etymology of an Award

For those that might be curious as to the selection of this award’s name, it was chosen due to its connection to the history of one of Springfield Armory’s most iconic firearms — the M1A rifle.

Springfield Armory Model 2020 Rimfire Classic awarded to Tom Laemlein — Laemlein was awarded a Model 2020 Rimfire Classic rifle with a beautiful wooden stock. Image: Jeremy Tremp

Cantius refers to the middle name of John C. Garand, creator of the iconic M1 Garand rifle. The M1 Garand proved itself in battle throughout World War II, the Korean War and the Cold War. In addition, the M1 Garand provided the foundation for the development of the M14 rifle, a rifle still in U.S. military service.

Laemlein’s article on M1 Carbine battlefield modifications showcased the ingenuity of G.I.s in the field. This field-made bayonet was created by Marines on Bougainville during the Solomon Islands campaign. Image: NARA

While the M1 Garand-based M14’s official role as the primary service rifle of the U.S. Military would be short, it inspired the birth of the semi-auto M1A rifle manufactured by Geneseo, Illinois’ Springfield Armory (to learn more about that story, click here). And the original M14 would continue to serve in specialized military roles, even through to today.

Anatomy of the Selection

Tom Laemlein has been a contributor to The Armory Life since nearly the beginning at its launch in 2019, creating extremely high-quality content that resonates with our readers.

“Operation Gunn” told the story of an American pilot downed in WWII that escaped to safety in a commandeered Messerschmitt with a hand-painted flag and stars intended to identify it as “friendly” to Allied aircraft. Courtesy of Paul Johnson.

First and foremost a historian, Laemlein deep dives into archival research that gives him the insights and resources to create the fascinating content for The Armory Life. He has authored more than 30 books on military history and weapons systems, and he regularly contributes articles to national magazines and websites on military history and firearms topics. Additionally, historical photos from his collection are used by publishers around the world.

B-17 Gunners — Another of his articles showcased the dangers of the skies above occupied Europe in WWII for our bomber crews. It also laid out the risks their German opponents faced trying to take them down. Image: NARA

During the past year, Laemlein’s contributions to The Armory Life have been significant. Laemlein’s passion for history fuels his ability to create engaging content that appeals to The Armory Life readers. Some of his most successful posts during the past year include articles on Operation Gunn, M1 Carbine Battlefield Mods, B-17 Gunners vs. the Luftwaffe, and D-Day and the Atlantic Wall.

A Deserving Recipient

I had the pleasure of being able to personally reach out to Tom and let him know he had been selected for this year’s award. Coming as no surprise to me, he was extremely gracious and appreciative about winning the award.

Tom Laemlein with Cantius Award — Laemlien is shown here with his jacket and award certificate at the Military History Society of Rochester Museum, which he describes as a wonderful local military museum and one of his favorite hangouts.

“First, thank you very much,” he said to me. “That is very kind of you, and I am greatly honored. I love writing for The Armory Life and am very proud to be a part of the site’s success. In my estimation, you and (managing editor) Richard have built the site and the magazine into a juggernaut of outstanding content. Clearly, the readers respond to it.

“I’m a lucky guy,” he continued. “I get to write about things that trigger my imagination and my desire to learn more about firearms and history. I appreciate that I can suggest what I think might be a somewhat esoteric article concept to the editors and, not only do we produce it, but the readers enjoy it and respond to it. It helps keep history alive as well as our collective gun rights in focus. That is important for the generations to come.”

As part of receiving the Cantius Award, Laemlein was awarded a Model 2020 Rimfire Classic rifle in .22 LR. He also received a framed Cantius Award certificate as well as a Cantius Award jacket in The Armory Life’s crimson featuring an embroidered gold “A”.

D-Day troops ashore — In his piece on the D-Day landings in Normandy, Laemlein helped readers understand exactly what all those brave men faced on those deadly shores in their fight to liberate Europe. Image: NARA

“The Model 2020 rifle is a beautiful piece of Springfield Armory craftsmanship. When I break away from the keyboard and get to the range, the compliments start as soon as I open the case,” Laemlein told me.

“For me, the greatest honor of the Cantius Award is not that I received it but rather that it exists at all,” he continued. “That means that everyone associated with The Armory Life — the writers, editors, and all the readers — are exercising their rights and responsibilities as Americans to keep and bear arms. I can think of nothing more honorable than that.”

Conclusion

Our congratulations to Tom Laemlein for his selection as this year’s Cantius Award winner. We want to reiterate how impressed we are by all of his hard work for The Armory Life, and how important a part of the success of the site he has been. We look forward to seeing more of his work in future.

Editor’s Note: Please be sure to check out The Armory Life Forum, where you can comment about our daily articles, as well as just talk guns and gear. Click the “Go To Forum Thread” link below to jump in!

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Mike Humphries

Michael Humphries is editor of The Armory Life. He has worked for nearly two decades in the firearms industry, serving on the editorial staff of American Rifleman with the National Rifle Association as well as holding editorial positions with publishers such as FMG Publications and GunsAmerica.com. He currently lives in Iowa with his family and enjoys trying out new guns and gear whenever possible.