"RECKLESS", A MARINE CORPS HORSE

NAMAZU ASKED US TO REWORK AND RERUN THIS FEATURE  IN HONOR OF THE BIRTHDAY OF TH E U.S. MARINES WHICH WE ORIGINALLY RAN LAST SPRING.   The Marine Corps Birthday is November 10th. The U.S. Marine Corps was founded on November 10, 1775 and we regret to say that we missed running a feature for their birthday because of all of the hoopla over the postings by Namazu in the wake of the Presidential election. Namazu was very sorry about this when he learned of it and asked if we might rework and reprint this earlier article about a non human member of the Corps. So to all of our veterans out there on this Veteran's day holiday THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE and to all of our MARINES; A BELATED HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE CORPS! ALL OF US AT AMERICAN ADMIRALTY BOOKS AND THE GIANT CATFISH SALUTE YOU!

Click on the link below for a YouTube video on Reckless
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIo3ZfA9da0

Click on the link below for a Leatherneck Magazine description with photos of Reckless
http://www.mca-marines.org/leatherneck/sgt-reckless-combat-veteran

Click below to view and / or join the Sgt. Reckless Fan Club:
http://www.sgtreckless.com/Reckless/About_Reckless.html

Sgt. Reckless on an ammunition resupply mission In Korea

 The only animal stories we have carried up until we hired Namazu the Giant Catfish 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 Corps legend.