15-Year-Old Reenactor Shows a Day in the Life of a WWII Soldier

NORTH ENGLISH – On Sept. 22, Caedyn Huston, a 15-year-old from Wellman, gave a presentation on the life of a World War II soldier. Huston collects military gear and participates in WWII and American Civil War reenactments as a hobby. He described his authentic uniform, pieced together from estate sales and Ebay purchases, and described the up to 80 pounds of equipment carried by the average American infantryman, including a helmet, large amounts of ammo, a backpack, a shovel, and a rifle. He also described the food, hygiene and entertainment available for American soldiers.

Huston explained that, for a 4-H project, he compiled a book telling the biographies of all 54 soldiers from Washington County who died during WWII, and said that it was important to preserve the stories of these men. He told the stories of his great great uncle Charles Poulton, who died during one of the final battles of the war, at only 18-years-old, and Captain Robert Shannon, who continued flying non-combat missions after completing enough missions to leave the service and died in a plane crash while flying a non-combat mission. He stated that he has begun speaking with Marion Turpinseed, the last living veteran living in Washington County, and plans to compile his stories into a presentation or a book.