05/25/2026
Before engines could go everywhere, horses carried the weight of war.
Staff Sgt. Reckless, a small Korean mare, made 51 solo trips through the Battle of Outpost Vegas in 1953, hauling ammunition and carrying wounded Marines under fire. She was wounded twice by shrapnel and still kept going.
She became the most decorated animal in Marine Corps history.
After the war, Reckless didn’t fade into legend overseas, she came home to the United States with the Marines. She was promoted again at Camp Pendleton, honored for her service, and officially retired in 1960. She lived out her final years there and was laid to rest on U.S. soil in 1968 with full military honors.
But Reckless wasn’t the only one...Millions of horses, mules, and donkeys served alongside soldiers throughout history; carrying supplies, pulling artillery, and moving wounded through conditions no machine could replace.
Today, on Memorial Day, we remember every life that served. 🇺🇸
Photos courtesy of Robin Hutton & USMC