Page 122 - January_2023

Lieutenant Eric
Pedersen leads Sergeant Reckless off the SS Pacific Transport in San Francisco, 1954.
© USMC photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
120 SPEEDHORSE January 2023
underwent the ultimate test. The filly was compelled to travel close to a mile each time she resupplied the troops. Worse still, the final stage of Reckless’ journey was a 45 degree incline.
To top it all off, the filly would be subjected to murderous fire during the entire route.
After leading her the first few times, Reckless’ handlers were confident that she could make the trip alone. For the rest of the day, the filly journeyed back and forth as explosions rocked the ground around her. Her courage was inspiring. Despite being injured twice by shrap- nel, she resolutely plowed ahead. One time, after being outfitted with flak vests, Reckless even shielded four injured soldiers as they retreated up the mountain. By the time night fell, she had made 51 trips, covering 35 miles and carrying a total of 9,000 pounds of ammunition. Thanks in part to Reckless’ efforts, the Americans held their position for three days until they were relieved by Turkish reinforcements from the United Nations. Soon after the battle, she was officially promoted to corporal.
Although the soldiers were given a well- deserved rest after the vicious conflict, Reckless continued to contribute to the war effort. She proved to be excellent at laying down telephone wire. One officer calculated that the filly was more efficient at her job than 12 men.
When the platoon learned that they would be transferred to Inchon (a port city in north- west South Korea), they refused to abandon Reckless. Convincing the Navy to transport her proved tricky. When the unit arrived at their ship, the captain, who was renowned for his cleanliness and unaware of Reckless’ status, refused to let the filly on board. Fortunately, the soldiers had stuck a note about her into the loading plan the captain had signed. “It was obvious,” Lieutenant Colonel Ed Wheeler, the commander of the platoon’s parent unit noted, “his embarrassment was profound when the Marines pulled out a loading plan approved
by him, which included in its myriad columns and figures, ‘1 horse, w/ appurtenances.’ From that point on, I imagine that this officer is a firm believer in reading ‘the small print’ in any loading list he signs.” Eventually, the exasper- ated captain allowed Reckless onto his ship. The filly’s participation in the transfer made her the first horse in Marine Corps history to participate in an amphibious landing.
Her trials were far from over. Once at sea, the filly became violently seasick. Reckless spent the first part of the voyage vomiting on the ship’s floors, much to the chagrin of the fas- tidious captain. When she found her sea legs, however, the filly promptly plowed through all her rations. Because the soldiers didn’t have any more horse feed, Reckless was forced to subsist on oatmeal and cabbage. Her weight dropped dangerously. With a trace of melodrama,
© USMC Archives from Quantico, USA, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons