Reckless, The Mare

Rather fitting to post this now that War Horse has been released.

Reckless, The Mare

This horse was a pack horse during the Korean war, and she carried recoilless rifles, ammunition and supplies to Marines. Nothing too unusual about that, lots of animals got pressed into doing pack chores in many wars.

But this horse did something more. During the battle for a location called Outpost Vegas, this mare made 51 trips up and down the hill, on the way up she carried ammunition, and on the way down she carried wounded soldiers.

What was so amazing? Well, she made every one of those trips without anyone leading her.

One can imagine a horse carrying a wounded soldier, being smacked on the rump at the top of the hill, and heading back to the "safety" of the rear. But to imagine the same horse, loaded with ammunition, and trudging back to the battle where artillery is going off, without anyone leading her is unbelievable. To know that she would make 50 of those trips is unheard of. How many horses would even make it back to the barn once, let alone return to the soldiers in the field even a single time?

Here is a clip of her story and photos to prove where she was and what she did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIo3ZfA9da0



Reckless was retired at the Marine Corps Base in Camp Pendleton where a General issued the following order:
"She was never to carry any more weight on her back except her own blankets." She died in 1968 at the age of 20.

P.S.

How bad was the battle for Outpost Vegas? Artillery rounds fell at the rate of 500 per hour, and only two men made it out alive without wounds. Just two. And also a horse, and she was wounded twice.