Uncle Bud ~ A Horse Story

And straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak:

The Horse Marines by Ken Weir

“MajGen Kenneth W. Weir and Mrs. Weir regret we will be unable to attend the SSgt Reckless Monument ceremony 26 Oct.  The attached photo is of Capt Weir and Sergeant Major Stepp lecturing 2nd Lts at The Basic School Quantico Virginia  in 1958 about the legend of Reckless and her valor in combat during the Korean War.” 

The RSVP above hid an interesting story about the Horse Marines as follows:

Since I was a jet fighter pilot I was exceptionally well qualified to teach the three hour course entitled The Tactical Employment of the Pack Animal.  Interestingly, SgtMaj Stepp took a very strong exception to my very existence.

One time before I gave the pack animal presentation out at Camp Upshur, I instructed SgtMaj Stepp to bring a horse out from the base stables that I could ride. When they arrived, I told him to tie the horse up to a tree behind the hill, put a saddle, and bridle on him. He said, "you did not tell me to bring a saddle and bridle". He tied the horse up to the tree with only a simple one-side halter. By this time I had added to my uniform for the lecture - a parachute, sword, and swagger stick that I used as a riding crop. When the 2nd Lt students arrived, the horse and I were hidden in defilade,

I had a Marine bugler sound Jockey's Call. At the same time one of SgtMaj Stepp's Marines gave me a foothold boost up onto the bareback horse and all hell broke loose. The horse (I later found out) had not been ridden for over a year, was very temperamental, and just bolted -taking off for the Quantico main side stables right across in front of the entire bleachers on the parade field filled with 2^nd Lts.  screaming their lungs out.  The tighter I tried to hang on- the faster the horse ran, across in front of the Basic School headquarters building right in front of the shocked XO LtCol. Reginald R. Myers who had been awarded the Medal of Honor for valor in Korea, then raced out the main gate to the sentry's and everybody else's complete bewilderment.

Crossing the small bridge outside Camp Upshur, I could not stop the horse and could no longer hang on.  The horse threw me off.   I hobbled back with this entire garb though the gate and over to the parade field only to find that SgtMaj Stepp had told everyone the show was over and they were dismissed.  They cheered getting out of the remaining 2 hours and 55 minutes of a three-hour class. Everyone, including SgtMaj Stepp and his cattle cars with the other horses and training aids, had long since gotten out of there down the road looking for their missing horse.

The next time I ran into SgtMaj Stepp he was retired and faithfully fostering the legacy of Reckless, and running the Camp Pendleton tables where Reckless was known by all as a true Marine warrior.

We all owe SgtMaj Stepp a big salute for preserving the history of Reckless and finally this fitting Monument.

Very respectfully,

Ken Weir