The backstory as to why this was the Last year.
Mike Fritz, who died of Brain Cancer at age 34 in 1990, was against the Spruce Goose Chapter doing the award and relented only when he was promised that there would be end date. One of the last things he said to his Friends in th SG Chapter was: ..."there comes a time for all of us to retire, I'm just going a little sooner than you guys". So, it was decided that since he was 34 it would be 34 years that it would be given.
The First Award decision was made by 3 National IPMS Judges ( Not members of the Spruce Goose Chapter) . As soon as there were 3 previous winners of the award , present at following conventions, Only those winners in attendance became the sole judges. This National Award is unique in all aspects of modeling where only the previous winners are the judges, thus guarenting a new member each year to boost intrest in WW I Modeling. It became one of the most difficult to win because of the knowkedge and skill of those winners. From the list that appears on the perpetual trophy, it is without a doubt the cream of modelers, individual category awards are too numerous to list here, but collectively they have won all of the TOP Awards in Every Major Category ( JUDGES GRAND AWARD 4, MOST POPULAR 6, JUDGES BEST: Aircraft 15, Ships 4, Automobiles 2, Military Vehicles 3, Dioramas 4, Figures 3, Sci FI 5, MISC. 3
Some trivia includes;
8 of the winners of the MLF Memorial Award have been chosen over others in the “regular category” that received a higher award.
The 2 reasons for this choice have been: that the “regular Category judges” were not as knowledgeable in WWI so had missed
an obvious error due to “time constraints in getting multiple categories done on time”… or the “higher award(s)” were by a previous MLF winner(s) in that same category or
not a World War I subject. This has happened, 5 and 3 times each respectively for the 2 exceptions.
Four of the MLF winners also garnered in the same year the Judges Best Aircraft at the National Convention, John Alcorn in 1998 and Ben Fulcher III in 2011 both with a Dh-9, John’s being a scratch-built in 1/24 (this is of Historical significance since it was John Alcon’s model that inspired Sir Peter Jackson to start the WingnutWings model company) and Ben’s, a 1/32 WingnutWings Kit.. Joe LoMusio was also awarded 1st in Collections and Judges Best Miscellaneous. Kendall Brown won first in the Scratch-built Category with his 1/48 Gallaudett and also received the BEST Aircraft (4th such double winner) of the entire Show. In 2022 Steve Hustad was the 15th MLF winner to win a Judges Best Ac but the 1st to additionally win The Judges Grand Award and Most Popular Model at the same time.
2024 was the first year where former MLF winners swept the 1/32 WW I Category and the largest number of previous MLF winners (13) attending the Convention collecting over 30 different awards in various categories.
