Mason grew up in West Tennessee not far from battlefields like Shiloh & Fort Donaldson and such. His love for history was fostered at an early age by his mother, an elementary school teacher. He is a direct descendant of two Confederate soldiers from his home state. In 2011 he attended his first reenactment as a spectator at the 150th-Anniversary Reenactment of Lexington, MO and was hooked. He joined a local federal unit out of Kansas City, the 7th and 30th Missouri Vols.
Unable to raise a rifle at a fellow southerner he took an interest to healing the wounded and developed a medical impression. Working his way up from hospital steward to assistant surgeon he adopted the real-life persona of Benjamin F. Thayer, MD who was the Surgeon of the 7th Missouri Infantry. Nowadays a lot of folks know Mason more as Ben Thayer then as Mason.
In late 2013 Mason's impression grew to a point that he started his own Hospital unit which is known as the Western Bluecoats Field Hospital. This unit is a separate organization and not attached to any company level units and is recognized as a member unit of the U.S. Muddy River Battalion. In addition, Mason has become the Battalion Surgeon for the Muddy River Battalion.
Mason is a sought-after presenter who speaks to hundreds of school children and adults each year about Civil War medicine. In addition, he directs a summer camp program at the Alexander Majors House and Wornall House museums in Kansas City, focusing on life in the 19th century. Mason lives in the Kansas City area with his wife and four cats.
