"RECKLESS", A MARINE CORPS HORSE

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


links checked 2/23/2015

 The only animal stories we have carried so far have involved dolphins and sharks. We are after all, a maritime blog, and not Zoo Story. But "Reckless" was a Marine Corps horse and the United States Marine Corps is a respected and even beloved member of the "Naval Establishment". Marines are in the family and the family had at least one horse of note. The story of "Reckless" is worth telling. 

 "Reckless" was a small horse purchased by the Marine Corps from a Korean race track during the Korean war. She was used to carry ammunition up to the battle front and she at least once carried wounded marines down. In one intense battle full of the kind of sights, sounds, and smells that would surely "spook" most any horse she stoically carried out about fifty pack trips to and from the heart of the battle.

 Other pack animals in the annals of war have performed similar acts of endurance and service. Most were severely traumatized by the environment and had to be forcefully led into the combat zone. What made "Reckless" unusual was that she repeatedly made trips into and out of the front lines she was supporting with no one leading her.  Click on the hyper link above for a short video on "Reckless", who survived her war time adventures to have a colt called "Fearless" both of whom became honored Marine Corps family members in life, while "Reckless" became an immortal Marine Cops legend.

 Well its a break from the endless narrative of the Dragon's misbehavior, our longest running feature with an animal character. We'll be back with more narratives of the swimming dragon soon.


                              


 
 U.S. MARINE CORPS ITEMS