US Marine Corps horse honored for Korean War valor

tle for Outpost Vegas in March 1953.

After the war, Reckless retired to the United States and died in 1968 at age 20. She was nominated by a historian who wrote a biography about her.

Reckless is the 68th recipient of the medal, awarded by the PDSA veterinary charity and billed as the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross — Britain’s top award for military valor.

Since 1943, the medal has recognized gallantry by animals serving with the military, police or rescue services.

Almost half the recipients have been dogs, including a World War II commando collie who made more than 20 parachute jumps. The medal has also gone to police horses, carrier pigeons and, once, to a cat — a Royal Navy ship’s mascot who carried on rat- catching while the vessel was shelled and besieged in China in 1949.

FRANK AUGSTEIN — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Horse Haldalgo, representing life-saving US Marine horse Sergeant Reckless who served with the US Marine Corps during the Korean War, is awarded with the PDSA Dickin Medal beside Sergeant Mark Gostling, right, and Lieutenant Colonel Michael Skaggs in...