이란 전쟁 참전 용사의 가족이 기억하는 희생 이야기
Hardin County soldier's family remembers him after being killed in Iran War - WLKY
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Original Article
Hardin County soldier's family remembers him after being killed in Iran War - WLKY
In the front yard of a Glendale home, 13 flags staked in the ground wave as a reminder of those who have sacrificed it all through America's war with Iran. One of those flags doesn't just honor a soldier; it represents a man who grew up inside of the home.
Sgt. Benjamin Pennington's father, Tim, and sister, Mackenzie, say it was always Pennington’s dream to serve his country. From his time as an Eagle Scout, to studying the history of wars, to joining his high school's auto mechanic career program, all of it was about reaching his goal of joining the military.
Tim remembers trips to Fort Knox and historical battlegrounds where his son was left in awe.
Following his high school graduation, Pennington enlisted in the military and started as a paratrooper. He was first stationed at Fort Polk, then spent time in Korea for special ops.
In 2024, Pennington was assigned to Fort Carson.
“I was proud of him because he was living out his dream,” Tim said.
Benjamin was in town for the last time at Christmas. Shortly after, he was deployed for Operation Epic Fury early this year. His father received some of the final text messages from his son on the day attacks began.
“It was from Ben saying, ‘Well, it started. When you guys get up this morning, you'll turn on the TV, and you’ll see what I'm talking about,” Tim said.
What followed was silence until they were contacted by a colonel and told their son was injured in an attack and in severe, but stable, condition.
The family tried to get to the German hospital where Pennington was being transferred, but before they could, they got the call from a doctor that’s changed their life.
“There was a panic in his voice, and he tells me, he said, ‘I'm sorry, sir, your son. His condition changed. He told me his concern was that with his condition changing, he was worried that his heart was going to stop,” Tim said. “Probably 15 minutes later he called me back, and you could hear him crying, and he told me that they had lost him.”
In the months since, it's been a whirlwind of emotions for the family. An outpouring of support from across the country, but also indescribable grief.
Mackenzie is comforted knowing her brother followed his calling. She shared a picture he drew in kindergarten of a battlefield. On it was a prompt that said, "I love America because…” Pennington filled it in by writing, “...I want to fight for my country.”
“I think it's special just because it shows that it was really on his heart at an early age to serve his country. And that's what he did,” Mackenzie said.
As the community continues to honor Pennington and his family, a stretch of Route 222 through Glendale will be renamed after him this weekend.
It's a stretch of road that runs right alongside Glendale Christian Church, somewhat symbolic of the way Pennington lived, even through the final moments of his life.
His father said he was involved in church from a young age. In the final month before his death, he chose to get baptized at a church near Fort Carson.
“In faith, we know he's somewhere better overall. And we're always going to have that loss for him. But we're always going to feel that comfort that we know that he's with Jesus Christ,” Tim said.