I once wrote an article about the use of all types of animals throughout history during time of war. Lately, I have been seeing advertisements about a movie entitled "War Horse." It sounds like an interesting movie that I would like to see.
During the Korean War, the Marines had a horse they named Reckless. It was a pack horse that carried weapons, ammunition and supplies to a location called Outpost Vegas. This mare made 50 trips up and down the mountain trail leading to the outpost. On the way up she would carry ammunition and supplies, and on the way down she would carry wounded soldiers. She was led for the first two trips. From then on, they would load her up, slap her on her buttocks and she would make the trip up and back all by herself.
You can imagine a horse carrying a wounded soldier, being slapped on the rump at the top of the trail and heading back to safety. But to imagine the same horse, loaded with ammunition, trudging back up the trail into a battle area where artillery is exploding all around. Artillery rounds sometimes fell at the rate of 500 per hour at Outpost Vegas. Only two men made it out alive without any wounds. Reckless the mare was wounded twice by pieces of shrapnel.
She was retired at the Marine Corps Base in Camp Pendleton, Calif. The commanding officer issued the following order:
"Reckless was never to carry any more weight on her back except her own blankets."
She died in 1968 at the age of 20.
Reckless the mare brought many wounded Marines back to safety. Let us all thank God for all our creatures and pray that all of our service men and women come home to safety.
Charles R. Pearson - Chaplain
Malvern Legion Post 375
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