Photo By Sgt. Brian Stippey | U.S. Marine Sgt. Natasha Ochsner, a stable keeper with the Marine Corps Mounted Color...... read more read more
On May 10, the United States Marine Corps Mounted Color Guard left Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, California to begin traveling for their East Coast tour, before stopping in Baltimore, Maryland, at the Pimlico Race Course just days before the 149th Preakness races.
There, they participated in sunrise tours, where visitors met with the team and the horses, May 15 to 18. The MCG presented colors at the commencement on Black Eyed Susan Day, May 17, and presented the Sgt. Reckless trophy to the winner of the 9th Memorial Dash race.
The Black Eyed Susan is Maryland’s state flower, and the Memorial Dash race on Black Eyed Susan Day is a precursor to the Preakness, where 3-year-old fillies race in honor of the only horse of rank in the Marine Corps, Staff Sgt. Reckless.
Robin Hutton, author of Sgt Reckless: America’s War Horse, details Reckless’ history with the USMC. Reckless was a small Mongolian mare named by the troops after the gun whose ammunition she often carried. She was promoted to Staff Sergeant by the then Commandant of the entire USMC, Gen. Randolph McCall Pate, in the late 1950s, at Camp Pendleton, California. Staff Sgt. Reckless was a decorated warhorse who served during the Korean War, active 1952 – 1960, primarily by carrying supplies, ammunition and evacuating wounded troops. On a single day during the five-day conflict of the Battle for Outpost Vegas, Staff Sgt. Reckless made 51 trips, carried 368 rounds of ammunition (over 9,000 pounds), walked 35 miles through open rice paddies and over a steep mountain while being fired at by the enemy troops. She protected Marines by serving as a living shield as they made their way to the front lines and didn’t stop her trips after being wounded twice, for which she was awarded two Purple Hearts. She was promoted to Sergeant while still in Korea, and her eponymous Memorial Dash trophy still holds that rank.
A statue of Staff Sgt. Reckless is memorialized at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, Quantico, Virginia, where the MCG held a meet and greet, May 24.
The team joined the Silent Drill Platoon at the USMC Iwo Jima War Memorial in Arlington, May 20 to 21.
During their East Coast tour, the MCG also presented Colors at the 17th Annual United States Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon, Fredericksburg, Virginia, May 19. and engaged in community relations, doing a meet and greet at the marathon’s finish festival.
On May 26, the MCG then presented Colors at the Armed Forces Day event during the Washington Nationals Game at their Nationals Park stadium, District of Columbia and engaged in further Community Relations.
Rounding out their East Coast tour, the team will participate in the National Memorial Day Parade, at the National Mall, also in DC, on Memorial Day, May 27.
All of these events support Marine Corps Recruiting efforts, and Community Relations Programs within the Corps, with support from Communication Directorate staff to include Communication Strategy and Operations personnel from Marine Corps Base Quantico and Defense Media Activity.
| Date Taken: | 05.23.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 06.03.2024 14:16 |
| Story ID: | 472888 |
| Location: | BARSTOW, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 86 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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