Missing Since 1942, WWII Soldier Comes Home Thursday
Radcliff, KY · September 22, 2026
Overcast skies have settled in for a mild, quiet Tuesday. Take advantage of the smooth commute this morning before county business picks up at tonight's fiscal court session.
The Lead
Eighty-four years after dying in a World War II prisoner-of-war camp, U.S. Army Technician Fifth Grade Robert W. Hirst is finally being laid to rest on home soil. Hirst, a 22-year-old medic serving with the 194th Tank Battalion in the Philippines, survived the brutal 1942 Bataan Death March before succumbing to malaria at the Cabanatuan camp. For generations, his remains rested among unidentified casualties at the Manila American Cemetery until modern forensic anthropology by defense researchers positively confirmed his identity. For a community whose history runs parallel with the armored forces at Fort Knox, welcoming home a fallen tank battalion soldier carries quiet, immense weight. Hirst will receive full military honors when his procession arrives at Kentucky Veterans Cemetery-Central this Thursday afternoon, closing an eight-decade journey with a name inscribed on stone.
Local Pulse
Radcliff Secures Crash Investigation Equipment Grant Safety The city received $72,959 in state grant funds to acquire 3D laser scanning tools for fatal collision scenes.
Publix Opens First County Supermarket Wednesday Business The 50,000-square-foot grocery debuts tomorrow morning at The Shops at Pear Orchard along Ring Road in Elizabethtown.
Council Directs Stormwater Funds to Local Drainage City Hall Council members adopted a budget amendment carrying over $237,600 dedicated to neighborhood stormwater utility and public-works infrastructure.
Today's Outlook
- High 72°F · Low 62°F — Overcast
- A light layer will do fine under the persistent cloud cover today.
What's On Around Town
Today
Hardin County Fiscal Court Voting Meeting Hardin County Government Center (150 N Provident Way), Elizabethtown, 5:30 PM · Free Watch the county magistrates vote on local policies and county business.
CASA Connects Recruitment Seminar American Legion Hardin Post 113 (1251 Ring Road), Elizabethtown, 6:00–8:00 PM · Free Learn how to advocate as a court-appointed volunteer for local children.
Tomorrow
Books & Brew Coffee Meetup Vibe Coffee, Elizabethtown, 9:00 AM · Free
ECTC College Transfer Fair Elizabethtown Community and Technical College (600 College Street Rd), Elizabethtown, 10:30 AM–1:00 PM · Free
Thursday
Controlling Weeds Workshop Hardin County Public Library (100 Jim Owen Dr), Elizabethtown, Noon · Free
Library Benefit Night Qdoba, Elizabethtown, 4:00–8:00 PM · Paid
Spotlight & Story
- Blackjack the Mule The post's living mascot tradition began in May 1983 when retired Col. Robert Wray donated a pony mule named John Blackjack to the 1st TSC. Today's successor, Corporal Huck Blackjack, holds genuine military rank and attends community ceremonies wearing custom-tailored dress greens.
Radcliff Daily Digest — compiled from local sources as of 6 AM. For breaking updates, follow your local newsrooms.
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