Private First Class Caperton was a member of the 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was Wounded in Action while fighting the enemy in South Korea on 16 August 1950 and died of those wounds later that day.

Caperton was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.