National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial

Officer Rank: Private

Memorial Panel: 25-E: 30

Department: Texas Rangers, Texas

End of Watch: October 12, 1918

Cause: PHYS

Age: 57

Years of Service: 20

Description: On October 7th, 1918, Privates Pennington and Robert Hunt were sent to El Paso to maintain order during the Spanish Influenza of 1918. Ben Pennington and Robert Hunt were called in from border duty, along with other Rangers, to help enforce the quarantine in El Paso. Their orders were to make sure that the soldiers at Fort Bliss stayed on the military reservation. Private Pennington died of pneumonia due to influenza five days later on October 12th. Private Hunt died of the same circumstances on October 15th.