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| SSgt Reckless |
| Staff Sergeant Kristopher J. Battles, USMCR |
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Accession Number: KJB2014.3.7
Original work: Oil on canvas
Original size:
In June 1950, President Truman ordered air, naval, and ground troops to Korea in response to North Korean troops invading South Korea. China and the Soviet Union supported the North; the United Nations Command led by the U.S. came to the assistance of the South. It was the first proxy war of the Cold War era. Marines were part of the ground war from the beginning, and the fight took them to steep mountains, extreme cold, and long supply lines to fight an enemy that outnumbered them.
One of the Marines' weapons was the M20 75mm recoilless rifle, used on a tripod for close-infantry support. It weighed 103 pounds, and its shells were over 20 pounds each. Typically, the M20 was set up at a fixed location on the high ground, and the shells had to be carried to the rifle, a hard job that exposed Marines to enemy fire. Resourceful Marines went to a racetrack near Seoul and purchased a horse for $250 to help with the re-arming task. They taught the two-year-old mare to carry shells up the mountains, and she learned to do so without assistance. She took shells and supplies up and sometimes brought down wounded personnel. In one day during a pitched battle, she made 51 solo trips. The Marines named her Reckless, which was also the nickname for the M20. She was wounded twice, became a corporal in 1953, a sergeant the next year, and retired as a staff sergeant. The horse was much loved, had the run of the Marines' camps, slept in tents, and would eat anything. At war's end in 1953, she sailed to the United States and stood duty at Camp Pendleton in California until her death in 1968. She was buried at the Marine Corps base.
Artist Kris Battles was also a Marine Corps staff sergeant when he painted Reckless for an exhibition at the National Museum of the Marine Corps.
Reproduction Size:
If not indicated, the average reproduction is approximately 20x26 inches. All reproductions are custom printed and can be printed/framed to various sizes. We are happy to quote various options. Contact Us
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