Roll of Honor
Incident
Private Robert Hunt died as a result of complications from influenza while performing his assigned duties during the Influenza Pandemic.
The Texas Rangers were required to maintain order and enforce quarantine laws in force throughout the state. Officials in El Paso requested assistance from the Texas Rangers. Private Hunt and Private Ben Pennington were dispatched to keep order. Both men contracted influenza. Private Pennington became ill on October 7th, 1918, and died on October 11th, 1918. Private Hunt died on October 16th, 1918.
Private Hunt enlisted as a Texas Ranger on June 8th, 1915, and served until April 11th, 1916, when he resigned. He re-enlisted on August 20th, 1918, and served until his death on October 15th, 1918.
His body was shipped to Denver, Colorado, for burial.
Effects of the 1918-1920 Influenza Pandemic on Law EnforcementAlso known as "Spanish Flu" or "LaGrippe," the Influenza Pandemic of 1918 to early 1920, infected an estimated 500 million people worldwide—about one-third of the planet’s population—and killed approximately 675,000 Americans. The effect of the influenza epidemic in the United States was so dire that the average life span in the U.S. fell by twelve years. The four waves of the flu began in March 1918 and ended in April 1920. Many officers contracted this virus due to the requirements of their job. The names of every officer who died in the line of duty from the Influenza Pandemic will likely never be known. Still, ODMP researchers continue to uncover new cases as part of our mission never to forget the fallen. Please click here to view ODMP's Influenza memorial, listing all known fallen officers from the pandemic.
Also known as "Spanish Flu" or "LaGrippe," the Influenza Pandemic of 1918 to early 1920, infected an estimated 500 million people worldwide—about one-third of the planet’s population—and killed approximately 675,000 Americans. The effect of the influenza epidemic in the United States was so dire that the average life span in the U.S. fell by twelve years. The four waves of the flu began in March 1918 and ended in April 1920. Many officers contracted this virus due to the requirements of their job.
The names of every officer who died in the line of duty from the Influenza Pandemic will likely never be known. Still, ODMP researchers continue to uncover new cases as part of our mission never to forget the fallen.
Please click here to view ODMP's Influenza memorial, listing all known fallen officers from the pandemic.
Effects of the 1918-1920 Influenza Pandemic on Law Enforcement
Robert, Your memory lives on in our family. Pvt Hunt was my great grandfathers brother and his picture is still displayed in our homes today.
MSgt Arianna (Hunt) Cline Great great niece August 29th, 2023
The 1918 Influenza Pandemic
Private Robert Ernest Hunt died on October 15, 1918 of influenza contracted in the line of duty. He was 33.
He is one of 201 officers honored here, and one of 3 at Texas Rangers.
The influenza pandemic of 1918 killed more people worldwide than the war that preceded it. Police officers worked it without vaccines, without antibiotics, and often without masks, enforcing quarantines, transporting the sick, and standing posts in cities where the dead outpaced the undertakers.
They caught it doing the job. There was no treatment to give them.
In Our Keeping
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- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
No vaccine, no antibiotics, and you stood the post anyway.
Private Hunt gave the Texas Rangers 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Austin community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Private Hunt.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Private Robert Ernest Hunt is one of 2,974 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 9.1% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In TX, 204 of 2,421 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 8.4% of this state's fallen. That is 0.7 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
At Texas Rangers, 7 of 122 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 5.7% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Robert Ernest Hunt's cause is highlighted.
How Robert Ernest Hunt Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Robert Ernest Hunt is highlighted in Oct.
Others Who Wore This Badge
121 officers from Texas Rangers are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
