1940s reenactors board WWII Troop Train in Boyertown

During World War II, thousands of men and women boarded trains, leaving their hometowns for their military assignments. For many of them, it was their first trip away from home, and many would not return.

A group of 1940s reenactors prepared to board the train at Colebrookdale Railroad in Boyertown for the second annual WWII Troop Train event on Saturday, May 24.

The first event held in September 2024 was a trial run organized in about three weeks. This year the decision was made to host the train ride over Memorial Day Weekend, organized by Colebrookdale Railroad, Gen. Spaatz USAAF Museum and Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles.

The group gathered in the train yard for remarks from Col. Keith Seiwell and Gen. Carl A. Spaatz as portrayed by Chris Boswell.

“I know there’s a lot of fighting left to do,” said Seiwell. “That’s why we’re glad to have everybody here to get on the train, to move out of their demarcation, and we really thank all the citizens of Boyertown and the area around here for coming out and watching our brave men and women as we all combat and defend the interests of the Japanese.”

Gen. Spaatz addressed the more than 30 reenactors, saying it was nice to be back in his beloved hometown, Boyertown.

“Now, since the beginning of the war, we have made great progress in developing our strategic military forces. And we’ve had a few victories, we’ve had a few defeats, but through it all, I can honestly say we have the best air force in the world,” said Gen. Spaatz.

Spaatz promised: “Victory will soon be ours.”

Boswell has been portraying the General for more than six years beginning at the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum World War II Weekend held at the Reading Regional Airport every summer.

This year, more than 50 ticketed passengers accompanied the reenactors on a 90-minute train ride, including a hospital operating theater car.

Nadia Zinno of West Norriton represented the Women’s Army Corps, the women’s branch of the U.S. Army during World War II. More than 150,000 women served in support roles, helping open the door for future women in the military.

Zinno finds reenacting a way to honor her father, John E. Puhak who was a WWII radio link operator sending stories to the BBC. Zinno and her siblings learned Morse Code before the age of six.

Anne Lutkenhouse dressed as a first lieutenant World War II U.S. Army nurse assigned to Fort Hancock on a three-day pass to visit her parents. She wore a dress uniform with a medical-surgical nurse insignia on her lapel.

“You could size up anyone by approaching them and looking at all their insignia,” Lutkenhouse said. “We’re all coded. Everything tells a story.”

Scott McGill, 83rd Infantry, was surrounded by inspection displays.

“This is the equipment that one soldier would have been carrying on his person. The piece of canvas is called a shelter hat. It’s one half of a pup tent. Two soldiers would put their shelter hats together and make a place to sleep when they were out in the field,” said McGill.

The average load out for a soldier is about 55 to 60 pounds. Specialists, radio men, mortar men, BAR men would be carrying somewhere between 80 and 100 pounds.

Larry Smythe, portraying a Navy hospital corpsman, stood by a medical kit display.

“The Navy was responsible for providing medical care during the beach landings,” said Smythe. “The initial beach landings, for example, D-Day, the Navy was one of the first units to land their medical people along with the first infantry divisions and the Navy corpsmen were responsible for taking care of all the initial casualties and getting them back ashore on the ship.”

Thomas Rokita, 15, portrayed Audie Murphy, who Life magazine proclaimed America’s “most decorated soldier” in its July 16, 1945, issue cover story. Murphy became a national celebrity, which led to his acting career.

According to his biography on the U.S. Army website, Murphy received 33 awards and decorations, including the Medal of Honor, as well as every decoration for valor that his country had to offer, some of them more than once, including five decorations by France and Belgium. He was credited with both killing over 240 of the enemy while wounding and capturing many others, becoming a legend within the 3rd Infantry Division. He quickly rose from Army Private to Staff Sergeant and then was given a “battlefield” commission as 2nd Lieutenant. Murphy was wounded three times, fought in nine major campaigns across the European Theater and survived the war, according to https://home.army.mil/greggadams/about/Garrison/sergeant-audie-murphy-award#qt0:1.

“During Murphy’s three years active service as a combat soldier in World War II, Audie became one of the best fighting combat soldiers of this or any other century. What Audie accomplished during this period is most significant and probably will never be repeated by another soldier, given today’s high-tech type of warfare. The U.S. Army has always declared that there will never be another Audie Murphy,” states the biography online.