Sgt. Reckless, Korean warhorse that aided Marines, immortalized in bronze

(CBS News) WASHINGTON - As the United States honors the heroes of the Korean War, there is one who is often overlooked, but her contributions are now set in stone.

In Triangle, Va., near the grounds of the National Museum of the Marine Corps, the curtain dropped to reveal Sgt. Reckless.

Sixty years ago, she was a real-life warhorse, pressed into service hauling supplies and ammunition to Marines in Korea pinned down by enemy fire.

"Reckless was scared; flares were turning night into day," said retired Marine Sgt. Harold Wadley, who witnessed the heroism. "Surely an angel had to be riding that mare."

In March 1953, during the Battle of Outpost Vegas, the Mongolian mare made 51 roundtrips in a single day, hauling 9,000 pounds of ammunition to the front lines.

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She earned her stripes that day and cemented her bond with the Marines around her.

"Quite a horse, quite a horse," said Korean War veteran Mike Mason. "It's kind of unbelievable, you know. You picture a horse, but she was truly a Marine."

Not bad for a horse bought by a young Marine in Korea for $250. She would eventually earn military honors.

Robin Hutton led the effort to see Sgt. Reckless immortalized in bronze.

"I just thought she needed to have a monument so people would forever know who she was," Hutton said.

A tribute to a Marine's courage, on four legs instead of two.