John
Garand - Canadian Inventor - Garand Rifle Civil Service employee John Garand
was in a class all by himself, much like the weapons he created. Garand
was Chief Civilian Engineer at the Springfield Armory in Massachusetts.
Garand invented a semiautomatic .30 caliber rifle, known as the M-1 or
"the Garand," which was adopted in 1936 after grueling tests by the Army.
It was gas-operated, weighed under 10 pounds, and was loaded by an 8-round
clip. It fired more than twice as fast as the Army's previous standard-issue
rifle and was praised by General George S. Patton, Jr., as "a magnificent
weapon" and "the most deadly rifle in the world."
For
the M-1 and numerous other technical innovations related to weaponry, Garand
received no monetory award other than his modest Civil Service salary.
A bill introduced in Congress to grant him $100,000 did not pass. He was,
however, awarded a Medal for Meritorious Service in 1941 and a U.S. Government
Medal for Merit in 1944.
For
the M-1 and numerous other technical innovations related to weaponry, Garand
received no monetory award other than his modest Civil Service salary.
A bill introduced in Congress to grant him $100,000 did not pass. He was,
however, awarded a Medal for Meritorious Service in 1941 and a U.S. Government
Medal for Merit in 1944.
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