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  #1  
Old 12/01/11, 11:24 AM
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: middle GA
Posts: 16,654
SEMPER FI to Reckless

SEMPER FI to Reckless




Folks, If the link doesn't work-try copying the link and paste into your browser. Nice Story.



This horse was a pack horse during the Korean war, and she carried recoilless 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 horse did something more. During the battle for a location called Outpost Vegas, this mare 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? Well, she made every one of those trips without anyone leading her.

Can you imagine a horse carrying a wounded soldier, being smacked on the rump at the top of the hill, and heading back to the "safety" of the rear? And imagine the same horse, loaded with ammunition, and trudging back 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. 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.


She was retired at the Marine Corps Base in Camp Pendleton where a General issued the following order - she was never to carry any more weight on her back except 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 a horse and she was wounded twice.
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  #2  
Old 12/01/11, 02:09 PM
BarbadosSheep's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 1,987
That was amazing! Thanks for posting it. I linked to it on facebook.
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  #3  
Old 12/01/11, 02:17 PM
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: middle GA
Posts: 16,654
I don't have any horses, although I'd love to, but a friend sent this to me and it really touched me so I thought I'd share it. Glad you enjoyed it.
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  #4  
Old 12/01/11, 02:25 PM
BarbadosSheep's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 1,987
She has her own web site too. that was one amazing little animal!

http://www.sgtreckless.com/Reckless/About_Reckless.html
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  #5  
Old 12/01/11, 02:32 PM
grandma12703's Avatar  
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,946
Is this the horse the new movie is about?
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  #6  
Old 12/01/11, 02:41 PM
Irish Pixie's Avatar
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Location: Central New York
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Thank you for posting the story, Sonshine.
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  #7  
Old 12/01/11, 06:21 PM
Stonybrook's Avatar  
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 703
I googled it. Evidently, it is based on a book, not necessarily Sgt. Reckless. Perhaps Sgt. Reckless was the inspiration for the book. Makes me kind of sad, actually. I was hoping the movie was about Sgt. Reckless. That horse certainly deserves to have a dadgum movie.
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  #8  
Old 12/01/11, 09:35 PM
Chixarecute's Avatar  
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Wisconsin by the UP, eh!
Posts: 3,003
I read in Guideposts that WarHorse is based on WW1 - the author interviewed an elderly English former soldier (17 when he entered the fight), who spoke about how scared he was (they all were), and how he felt the only one he could talk to was his horse. England sent 1 million horses into WW1, and only 65,000 returned.

Thanks for sharing the info on Sgt. Reckless. I'm passing it on.
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  #9  
Old 12/05/11, 10:36 AM
Maddiequus's Avatar
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 261
That is truly amazing. It's true what they say about civilization being built on the back of a horse. We'd be nowhere without them.
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