pagesofhistory Reckless Honored
A statue recently was dedicated at Camp Pendleton, Calif., to honor a Marine Corps hero from the Korean War who captured the heart of the nation for her bravery and courage under fire.
A
bronze statue of Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Reckless, a highly decorated Korean War
veteran, now stands at Camp Pendleton, Calif. Reckless served with the Recoilless Rifle Platoon, Antitank Company, 5th Ma- rine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. The Marine Corps purchased her in 1952 at a racetrack in Seoul, South Korea, for $250. Reckless was a horse — a small one, in fact — but she had the heart of a Marine. This war hero’s job was to haul ammu- nition to the front lines, oftentimes alone and with as many as six heavy rounds lashed to her back. On return trips from the front line, she was known to carry wounded Marines. She quickly learned how to duck be- neath barbed wire, lie flat on open ground if caught under fire, and run for her bunker when artillery or mortars rained down. Reckless even was known to enjoy a beer with her fellow Marines, who adored her. In March 1953, when the enemy over-
ran her company’s location, Reckless made 51 trips to resupply guns. She car- ried 386 rounds totaling more than 9,000 pounds and trekked more than 35 miles up and down steep ridges — earning two Purple Hearts and the admiration of the nation in the process. During the Korean War era, the mare
was as famous as Lassie or Rin Tin Tin and was invited to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show. Robin Hutton, author of Sgt. Reckless: America’s War Horse (Reg-
nery History, 2015), was determined to keep her memory alive and was the driving force behind erecting a statue at the National Mu- seum of the Marine Corps in Virginia and recently at Camp Pendleton, where Reckless was laid to rest with full honors in 1968. — Christina Wood
C
Hurricane Unearths Historic Cannonballs ivil War relics continue to reveal themselves, often under unusual
circumstances. Most recently, strong ocean currents gener- ated by Hurricane Matthew unearthed a pile of war-era cannonballs in Folly Beach, S.C., near Charleston. Former Folly Beach
Mayor Richard Beck found the cannonballs and noti- fied authorities. A section of the beach was shut down briefly so bomb technicians
could detonate some of the cannonballs in place. The rest were taken to a nearby naval base for disposal. “I knew they were cannonballs,” Beck told CBS affiliate WCSC-TV. “Just know- ing a little bit about the Civil War, I know that they put fuses in cannonballs for them to explode when they desired them to.”
MO
— Don Vaughan, a North Carolina-based free- lance writer, authors this monthly column.
To see several videos about Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Reckless and her newest memorial, visit
moaa.org/warhorse. PHOTO: ANDREW CLARE GEER, USMC
FEBRUARY 2017 MILITARY OFFICER 75
Reckless stands with her primary trainer and care- taker Marine Corps Platoon Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Latham, circa 1952.
History Lesson On Feb. 1, 2003, Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-107) disintegrated upon reenter- ing the earth’s atmosphere after its 28th mission, killing all seven crew members.
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