Reckless was a small, compact, sorrel filly during the Korean war. She carried re-coiless 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 filly did something a lot more. During the battle for a location called Outpost Vegas, this little mare, only 14 hands high, made 50 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? This remarkable little animal made every single one of those trips without anyone leading her. She carried the wounded soldiers alone, after being smacked on the rump at the top of the hill. She moved down the hill with the wounded men tied to her back with no guidance. Just her own innate common sense. But, to imagine the same horse, loaded with ammunition, trudging back up that hill 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. Hell, how many horses would even make it back to the barn once, let alone return to you in the field one single time. So 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 She was retired at the Marine Corps Base in Camp Pendleton, CA, where a General issued the order that she was never to carry any more weight on her back. Nothing but her 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 one horse, Reckless–wounded twice.
- Flamests
Great story. That horse had more guts than all of the OWS idiots out there put together
ReplyDeleteA little dusty in here.
ReplyDeleteI knew of a guy, many years ago, who cut wood up in the mountains in Virginia. He'd hook his work horse up to the cut log and give her a smack and she'd haul it down to his son at the bottom, then would go back up into the mountains on her own. But come a certain time in the evening, she'd head for the barn no matter how big a load she had... she'd damn near kill herself to get back to the barn. He also used her for plowing the garden. Don't know how old she was or when she died but she was a hell of a horse!
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