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I came across this story just before Memorial Day and wanted to scrap it. The journaling is a bit off in the 2nd paragraph from cutting and pasting - but I am not redoing it.
Heritage challenge & Stars and Stripes
4 Categories - #2 color yellow and brown
Story Journaling: The story of Reckless is not only remarkable - it is unusual. And once you learn about her, you will see why the Marine Corps not only fell in love with her - but honored her and promoted her every chance they got. Reckless wasn't born a sergeant. She wasn't even born a U.S. citizen, but she was to become one of the greatest war heroes in U.S. history. Reckless was part Mongolian and part Thoroughbred and originally belonged to a Korean stable boy. Lt. Eric Pedersen paid $250 of his own money to a young Korean boy, Kim Huk Moon, for her. The only reason Kim sold his beloved horse was so he could buy an artificial leg for his older sister, Chung Soon, who lost her leg in a land mine accident. Kim's loss was the Marines' gain.
Reckless was purchased for the purpose of carrying ammunition to the front lines for the 77mm Recoilless Rifle Platoon of the 5th Marine Regiment. Reckless joined the Marines to carry ammunition to the front lines for the 75mm Recoilless Rifle Platoon of the 5th Marines - and she quickly earned the love and respect of all of the Marines that served with her. She even got her name from the Recoilless. Eventually, Recoilless was changed to Reckless after the platoon's nickname, “Reckless Rifles.
For a horse to carry supplies and ammunition, during combat is impressive. For a horse to evacuate the wounded is noble. For a horse to learn how to do all of those things without the benefit of a handler is so monumentally extraordinary. It only took a couple of trips for Reckless to memorize each supply route. And, somehow, she was able to locate the injured men and take them to receive medical treatment without any direction from anyone. Reckless was taught to lie down when under fire and how to avoid becoming snared by barbed wire. And, she showed a good deal of horse sense by learning to run for a bunker when she heard, “INCOMING!”
One day, in March of 1953, Reckless made fifty-one solo trips to resupply the units on the front line, at the Battle of Panmunjom-Vegas (also known as the Battle of Outpost Vegas). Throughout the course of that day, she covered a total distance of more than thirty-five miles and hauled over 9000 pounds of ammunition! That's not even taking into consideration the number of wounded she carried down the mountain to safety. With every trip up the mountain to deliver arms, she'd bring down wounded soldiers. That's thirty-five miles, up and down mountains, with enemy fire coming in at a rate of five hundred rounds per minute!
The very idea of a riderless horse voluntarily walking into open combat is astonishing. During the three-day Battle of Panmunjom-Vegas, Reckless was wounded twice. Both times, she was hit by shrapnel. One hit was above the eye and the other was on her left flank. Yet, she continued her trips. She even shielded four marines who were attempting to make their way to the front lines. For her valor, Reckless was promoted to Corporal! Following the war, she was awarded two Purple Hearts, a Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal and a Korean Service Medal, a Presidential Unit Citation with bronze star, and other honors. She was promoted to Staff Sergeant at Camp Pendleton in 1957.
When the Korean War ended, Sgt. Reckless went stateside, to Camp Pendleton. On November 10, 1954, Reckless took her first steps on the soil of the country she had served so well. She was home. On November 10, 1960, Reckless was retired from full-time military service, with full military honors. According to Marine documents, Reckless was provided with room and board, in lieu of retirement pay. Reckless passed away in May of 1968. She was believed to have been nineteen or twenty years old. A plaque honoring her remains at Camp Pendleton. A statue of Reckless was unveiled in Semper Fidelis Memorial Park at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, on July 26, 2013. That was one day before the 60th anniversary of the Korean War.
She wasn't a horse – she was a MARINE!

WRMK- all papers, Chipboard alphas - BG, ink - TH, flowers - Maya Road and Paper Studio.


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