![]() ![]() Queen Mary with General Jack Seely & Warrior, 1934. Today, her statue stands at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Virginia ( read more about Reckless here). and a hero’s welcome in California, where she was eventually retired. Though wounded twice in the battle, Reckless was patched up and continued on in her duty.įor her bravery, the little mare was promoted to the rank of sergeant and after surviving the Korean War, was sent to the U.S. The pony carried 386 heavy shells, each weighing 20 to 23 pounds, returning at times with dead and wounded soldiers on her back. Lieutenant Eric Pedersen’s petite OTTB-purchased for $250 at a former Korean racetrack-turned-airstrip and specially trained by the Marine Corps-became essential to that effort.ĭuring the Battle for Outpost Vegas in April 1953, Reckless worked constantly for the better part of three days, making more than 50, unattended trips to various recoilless rifle sites along a dangerous track of 35, mine-strewn miles. During that time, the transport of the 75mm recoilless rifle and its ammunition was essential to the ridgeline warfare taking place along the border of North and South Korea. Marine Fifth Regiment during the Korean War of the early 1950s. Though the role of horses in combat was largely reduced following WWI, the contributions of the Thoroughbred pony, Reckless (a.k.a.“Jeju”), made her a legend in the U.S. Lieutenant Eric Pedersen and Staff Sergeant Reckless. Behind the front lines, life was equally grim, with the ever-present threat of illness, starvation, and exposure. Their large size made them easy targets in the field, where they faced enemy gunfire, bombs, shells-and in WWI-gas attacks. ![]() No matter their role, however, the life of a war horse was impossibly difficult, traumatic, and, all too often, brief. Fortunately, that conflict marked the last time that horses were used in combat on a grand scale.ĭuring the Great War, the Civil War, and other major conflicts, draft horses were used for hauling guns, supplies, and heavy ammunition, while lighter breeds were trained for use as cavalry mounts. ![]() In WWI, alone, it is estimated that eight million horses and mules were killed in action. In 1982, Michael Morpurgo’s novel, War Horse, and the subsequent play and 2011 Steven Spielberg movie based on it largely exposed the courage, heroism, and sacrifice of horses in the Great War for the first time. But especially, on this day, among #ponypeople everywhere, it is important to remember the legacy of those silent heroes whose contributions are often forgotten: the real-life war horses who fought side by side with their handlers in Europe and America during the wars of the 19th and 20th centuries. Veterans Day is a time to honor all those who have served and continue to serve in our military forces, past and present. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |