Source: USA Today
“It is ‘Feel Good Sunday’ and today we highlight a war-time equine hero who is NOW going to be permenatly honored by the USMC in a larger than life statue. This is a horse who suffered to fight for our country…she was not a cow, pig or chicken which is where horse-eaters want you to go, she was a hero. In a nutshell, we do not eat our friends or national heroes, unless you are a twisted pervert. (I call it like I see it)” ~ R.T.
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A decorated Marine hero of the Korean War will be immortalized next week in bronze with a statue dedication near the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Va.
The larger than life-sized statue of Staff Sgt. Reckless, a beloved horse who carried load after load of ammunition to Marines and brought wounded men off the battlefield while under fire, will be dedicated in a ceremony July 26, according to USA TODAY.
STORY: Marines honor four-legged war hero
Reckless was wounded twice in intense fighting and formed strong bonds with the Marines she served with. More than a dozen Marines she served with will attend the ceremony.
After the war she came to the United States and became something of a celebrity, appearing on the Art Linkletter show and making other public appearances, according to The New York Times.
STORY: Remembering a Beloved Horse and Decorated Marine
Since then the mare was largely she forgotten. She died in 1968.
“I couldn’t understand how she had just vanished from the face of history,” said Robin Hutton, who organized efforts to recognize the mare.
The 1,200-pound statue will depict Reckless climbing a hill, a reference to the critical role the mare played in the battle of Outpost Vegas where she made 51 trips in one day, delivering ammunition to beleaguered Marines.
Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter, The Force of the Horse
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Sgt Reckless was a true war hero…she deserves all the attention she gets.
Where ever she is, may she always have green grass, cool clean water and a shady tree…you’ve earned it girl!!
Click this link to hear an original song written in her honor!!
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A true hero and a fine example of what horses have done for man in wartime. This Friday she will be immortalized by folks who ‘Get It”. Unfortunately for many thousands once the conflicts were over and the Army didn’t want to feed them anymore they were sent to slaughter.
God Bless Staff Sergeant Reckless and all the others who gave so much yet have long since been forgotten!
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What does that make us? Once these animals have given all they can for US – off to slaughter they go. Remember how most of the war dogs never came home from Viet Nam- probably happened in Korea too. Too expensive for the government to bring them back? After the money & lives wasted in wars?
So glad Reckless is being remembered. I bet there were a lot more horses that just were forgotten.
God Bless.
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Here in Colorado when I was at the new Memorial for fallen Colorado heros-I asked the Marine that was standing guard at the memorial if he had heard of Sergeant Reckless~~~my huband and I sat and listened to his accounts of her for quite some time, he knew everything and more. We cannot even imagine the real hero she is to the Marines.
http://www.sgtreckless.com/Reckless/Memorial.html
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This is an incredible story, my grandpa told me about her. The sad truth is the military disposed of horses helping create this break in the horse industry. The military demonized animals and slaughtered thsm to keep the men focused. But after the war that disconnected is seen through people who are callous to them, the propaganda the military spread across the states was evil to say the least. They should be recognizing this horse and every animal befpre it but they carry alot of shame on their shoulders for slaughtering them, soto let the horses be forgotten and disappear into the past is,what the military wanted, in order to be honored many men werent allowed to step in and say anything or be arrested by mps, so saf that they couldnt save the horses, so your looking at where the Government first got on bed with horse slaughter, they say there is a fine line between between love and crazy, but i think its the othet way around
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I think the fine is between hate and crazy, my father served in the Korean war, my grandpa told me about, dad would only say a few things over my entire life about it, grandpa said for a man who.grew up.raising horses the military was hard on him because of what they did to the horses. Its taboo to talk about a man once told me the military killed horses because it had to. But thats not true, i later found out the man i spoke to was actually a largely known broker for kill buying military horses. What a sad scenario, he was paid to ride them, then when the military said auction them to the general public he sold them all to kill buyers, he pocketed,much of the money, went on to serve in government for a short while before his death according to my grandfather in 1988. My grandfather in 1989 told me how the military twisted the horses into the slaughter pipeline and even were questioned by Congress but people resigned before it was resolved
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After so many years, she’s finally getting the recognition she deserves. Truly an amazing horse, along with the heroic men who served along side her. Horses are incredible animals and she was certainly a wonderful example of strength, intelligence and endurance, when needed.
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Amazing story!!…what a great horse and “Hero”.
Blows me away they sent them off to slaughter after all they did for them???
We see today the mentality has not changed much…same ol sh@t!! Angers me……
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So what I just realized is that horses served for the UNITED STATES of AMERICA AND they are actually veterans. The horse has had its place ALL OVER THE HISTORY BOOKS without the horses, the Big AG cattle barons wouldn’t have had the life they live TODAY, without horses they wouldn’t have been able to move their cattle to the lands they are fighting over today. Without horses that land that they are paying nothing for would have been privately owned and therefore only one family business would have had it all, leaving everyone else out. Without horses America would have lost several battles, several wars, is this how we treat the veterans and the progeny? We need to preserve the horses on the basis they were military personnel. We have all heard the stories that after the civil war was over many calvary horses were turned loose and they bred with the Wild Horses alive today, we also know that after WW2 the people who refused to allow the military to kill any horses turned those enlisted animals loose as well. So for whatever number that were slaughtered there were instances in history where men who had more Moxy than the government could control turned horses out who survived with the wild bands. So doesn’t that make then entitled to government protection? I am NOT making a joke or grasping at straws, we really have to put all the pieces of the puzzle together and get the horse a new status. The animals deserve respect and dignity, especially if they served in the Military all these decades and protected OUR country, we shouldn’t be sending them to other countries to eat. It’s a honor and designation to have the Mustang’s survive. It’s there anyone with the ability to help put this into action and get them a new protection status?
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Cynthia~~
If you want to know how our government treats our equine warriors-watch the movie In Pursuit of Honor-starring Don Johnson – it is losely – based on a true story.
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Cynthia, Would you send your comment here to President Obama, Sally Jewel, The Speaker of the house, John Bahner & any other person you can think of.
Send it as a postcard. WH&B has postcards you can use. That way it’s more likely to be seen by more people.
You are so right with what you have written. We need to respect our horses!
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It’s the same mindset that is running the government today only a different year with different arse wipes in office.
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It’s about time our little Marin horse is properly honored.
Maybe more will be honored now & someone will open their eyes to the fact that our horses shouldn’t be eaten & that our Mustangs mean something to all of us
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One little mare who risked her life for the flag. She and all the others who fight and died should be immortalized. They are truly heroes!
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