GLENDALE, Ky. — On a quiet stretch of road in a small Hardin County town with no stoplights and no glitz, something powerful happened Friday morning. Neighbors lined up shoulder to shoulder, flags in hand, yellow ribbons tied to every post, to say goodbye to one of their own.
Staff Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington — Eagle Scout, Central Hardin High School alumnus, soldier, and son of Glendale — was brought home for the last time.
A Soldier’s Final Journey
Pennington, 26, was wounded on March 1, 2026, during an Iranian attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia while supporting Operation Epic Fury. He fought for his life for a week. On March 8, he succumbed to his injuries — becoming the seventh U.S. service member killed in the conflict, and the first Kentuckian to make the ultimate sacrifice in the war against Iran.
On Friday, March 21, his procession passed through his hometown of Glendale before continuing to Elizabethtown and finally to the Kentucky Veterans Cemetery in Radcliff, where he was laid to rest with full military honors.
“It’s emotional,” said Chuck Freed of Glendale, one of dozens who lined the streets. Glendale doesn’t have much — but it showed up for Benjamin Pennington.
Who Was Benjamin Pennington?
Pennington was more than a soldier. He was the kind of young man who gave back long before he ever put on a uniform.
He achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in August 2017 — a milestone that says everything about a person’s character. His Eagle Scout project? Demolishing and rebuilding old baseball dugouts in Glendale for his community. Just a month after that ceremony, he raised his right hand and took the oath of enlistment.
“If you look up Eagle Scout, his picture’s probably there,” said Darin Life, former committee chairman for Troop 221. “He loved his country. I would have expected nothing less of him than to lose his life protecting his country.”
He was a graduate of Central Hardin High School, where he also participated in an automotive career program at the Early College and Career Center. His school system released a heartfelt statement: “Our hearts go out to his beloved family. We grieve alongside them as they mourn a wonderful son, brother and soldier.”
His Service Record
Pennington enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2017 as a 92Y — Unit Supply Specialist. He was assigned to the 1st Space Battalion, 1st Space Brigade at Fort Carson, Colorado on June 10, 2025 — just months before his deployment to Saudi Arabia.
His awards and decorations reflect a career of excellence:
- Army Commendation Medal (3rd Award)
- Army Achievement Medal
- Army Good Conduct Medal (2nd Award)
- National Defense Service Medal
- Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
- Korea Defense Service Medal
- Overseas Service Ribbon
- Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon
- Army Service Ribbon
He was promotable at the time of his death and has been posthumously promoted to Staff Sergeant.
A Community and a Nation Respond
The response to Pennington’s death reached from Glendale all the way to Washington, D.C.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear called him “a hero who sacrificed everything serving our country” in a social media statement. Hardin County Judge Executive Keith Taul added: “This just breaks my heart. I have known the family for at least 30 years. I can’t imagine the pain and suffering they are experiencing. To lose a single service member is just a devastating blow. But when it is one of our own, we grieve as a community.”
Lt. Gen. Sean A. Gainey, commander of Army Space and Missile Defense Command, said: “He gave the ultimate sacrifice for the country he loved. That makes him nothing less than a hero, and he will always be remembered that way.”
Col. Michael F. Dyer, 1st Space Brigade commander, said Pennington “was a dedicated and experienced noncommissioned officer who led with strength, professionalism and a sense of duty.”
Congressman Brett Guthrie and members of the Kentucky congressional delegation held a moment of silence on the House floor in Pennington’s honor earlier this week.
Vice President JD Vance was present at Dover Air Force Base for the dignified transfer of fallen service members, offering words of comfort to the families of the fallen.
From TEG Report: We Remember
South Central Kentucky is not far from Glendale. We know what it means to grow up in a small town, to know your neighbors, to watch your young men and women put on a uniform and go defend something bigger than themselves.
Staff Sgt. Benjamin Pennington was 26 years old. He had a whole life ahead of him. He chose service. He chose sacrifice. He chose to stand in the gap so the rest of us didn’t have to.
To the Pennington family — Glendale, Kentucky, and all of South Central Kentucky stands with you. Thank you for sharing him with us. He will not be forgotten.
Rest easy, Soldier. Mission complete.
TEG Report covers regional news across South Central Kentucky. Follow us at TEG Exchange on Facebook for breaking updates.