Private First Class Hurst was a member of Company I, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry, 7th Infantry Division. Initially, he was listed as Missing in Action while fighting the enemy in the Chorwon Valley, North Korea on 24 January 1953. His body was recovered two weeks later.

Hurst was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.