Nobility of Order

In 1952, a Marine lieutenant bought a small Mongolian mare from a young Korean stable boy for $250. The boy sold her because he needed money to buy an artificial leg for his sister. The Marines named her Reckless, after their recoilless rifle platoon. Her job was to carry heavy ammunition up steep hills to the guns. The Marines trained her to step over barbed wire, lie down under fire, and run into a bunker when shells started falling. She learned fast. She also learned to eat everything: scrambled eggs, pancakes, Coca-Cola, beer, chocolate bars, and once, reportedly, a pile of poker chips. In March 1953, during the Battle for Outpost Vegas, Reckless proved what she was made of. In a single day, she made 51 trips up and down the mountain, mostly alone, carrying thousands of pounds of shells through enemy artillery fire. On the way back down, she often carried wounded Marines. She was hit by shrapnel twice. She kept going. The Marines promoted her to sergeant, then staff sergeant. She was awarded two Purple Hearts. After the war, she came to America, lived at Camp Pendleton, and had foals of her own. Life magazine named her one of America's 100 greatest heroes, alongside people like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.