Reckless Korean War Horse Sergeant Reckless, a horse that held official rank in the United States military, was a mare of Mongolian horse breeding, purchased in October 1952 for $250 from a Korean stableboy who needed money to buy an artificial leg for his sister. Reckless was bought by members of the United States Marine Corps and trained to be a pack horse for the Recoilless Rifle Platoon, Anti-Tank Company, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division.[ She quickly became a unit mascot and was allowed to roam freely through camp, entering the marines tents, where she would sleep on cold nights, and was known for her willingness to eat nearly anything, including scrambled eggs, beer, coca-cola and, once, about $30 worth of poker chips. Reckless has long been considered a war hero for her service during the Korean War and was recently honored at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Virginia, where a life-sized statue of the horse was unveiled. Retired Marine Sgt. Harold Wadley, who served side-by-side with Reckless in the Korean War, spoke to “On the Radar” at the installation ceremony of the new Staff Sgt. Reckless statue and told of the horse’s unusual valor in braving enemy fire to bring reinforcement ammunition to her platoon on the front lines. Her wartime service record was featured in The Saturday Evening Post, and LIFE magazine recognized her as one of Americas 100 all-time heroes. She was retired and brought to the United States after the war, where she made appearances on television and participated in the United States Marine Corps birthday ball. She was officially promoted to staff sergeant in 1959 by the Commandant of the Marine Corps. She gave birth to four foals in America and died in May 1968. “The memory that stayed with me forever was the image of her when the flare lights were … coming in, and then shes struggling up the ridge,” Wadley recalled. “And shes in and out of view with the flare light and a lot of smoke...and here comes this little mare just like a shadow and shes heavily loaded with, you know, 75 millimeter rounds.” Marines who served with Reckless point to the Battle of Outpost Vegas in March 1953 as one of her finest moments. During the battle, she reportedly made 51 trips from the ammunition supply point to the front lines, carrying almost five tons of ammunition and dodging enemy fire of up to 500 rounds per minute. And when Reckless spotted a wounded Marine, she would usher him to safety.
Posted on: Wed, 28 May 2014 23:39:08 +0000
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