First Lieutenant Hurd was a member of Company F, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He was seriously wounded by the enemy in Korea on 3 June 1951 and returned to duty on 12 June 1951. He was Killed in Action in North Korea on 3 October 1951, while rendering assistance to an adjacent unit under attack by Chinese forces.

For his leadership and valor, First Lieutenant Hurd was awarded the Silver Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman's 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.