A 1,200 pound bronze statue of real-life warhorse Reckless will be immortalized on July 26 with a dedication near the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Va.
Reckless carried load after load of ammunition to Marines during the Korean War (1950 to 1953) and brought wounded men off the battlefield while under fire.
She stood 13 to 14.1 hands high and weighed 900 lbs.
1. How much heavier is the statue than Reckless’s actual weight?
A pony is any horse under 14.2 hands high.
2. Was Reckless’s height > or < 14.2 hands?
She was wounded twice in intense fighting and formed strong bonds with the Marines she served with. More than a dozen of those same Marines will attend the ceremony.
The statue will depict Reckless climbing a hill, a reference to the critical role the mare played in the battle of Outpost Vegas.
During that battle Reckless made 51 trips from the ammunition supply point to the firing sites, 95% of the time by herself, all in one day.
3. How many trips did Reckless make by herself?
Sergeant Reckless pictured with a recoilless rifle.
The ammunition she carried was for the recoilless rifle. Each round weighed 24 pounds. Reckless carried loads of six rounds at a time. With adjustments to the saddle she could carry eight to 10. Lt Pedersen, the man who purchased her at the Seoul Race Track for $250, was not in favour of her carrying a heavier load unless it was absolutely necessary.
4. How much did a six round load weigh?
On the day she made 51 trips, she carried 386 rounds of ammunition. It is estimated she traveled more than 35 miles.
Math Talk – estimate: to make a close guess or rough calculation often based on rounding.
5. How much weight did she carry over the course of the entire day?
After the war she was brought back to the United States.
Reckless is the only animal to ever hold an official rank in any military service. Her two Purple Heart medals and a multitude of others were pinned to the scarlet and gold blanket she wore at appearances. She was retired on Nov. 10, 1960, with full military honors and lived at the stables at Camp Pendleton in California. She died in 1968 at the age of 20.
Click here to see a photo of the powerful statue created by Colorado sculptor Jocelyn Russell.
1. How much heavier is the statue than Reckless’s actual weight?
Answer: 1200 – 900 = 300. Reckless weighed 300 pounds less than the statue.
2. Was Reckless’s height > or < 14.2 hands?
Answer: <
3. How many trips did Reckless make by herself?
Answer: 51 x .95 = 48.45. Reckless made 48 trips by herself.
4. How much did a six round load weigh?
Answer: 24 x 6 = 144. Each load weighed 144 pounds.
5. How much weight did she carry over the course of the entire day?
Answer: 386 x 24 = 9264. She carried 9,264 pounds of ammunition that day.
Common Core:
3.OA.C.7 – Fluently multiply and divide within 100
3.OA.D.8 – Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division word problems
4.OA.A.2 – Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division word problems
5.NBT.B.5 Fluently multiply multi-digit whole numbers using the standard algorithm
5.NBT.B.7 – Multiply a decimal by a multi-digit whole number
Photos:
Sgt Reckless with communication wire taken by Andrew Geer or another member of United States Marine Corps; public domain
Sgt Reckless with recoilless-rifle taken by Andrew Geer or another member of United States Marine Corps; public domain
Sgt Reckless in pasture by Andrew Geer; public domain
