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Riding four abreast atop their palomino mustangs, the Marines of the Mounted Color Guard proudly bear the colors of their country and Corps.
Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, Calif., is home to the only remaining Mounted Color Guard in the Marine Corps. This small and unique entity has the honor of representing the Corps in parades, rodeos and other events nationwide. With determination and enthusiasm, these Marines on horseback carry on a time-honored tradition that originated more than a century ago.
The "Horse Marines" was the nickname given to the mounted U.S. legation detachment in Peking, China, a guard unit established in 1900. While their purpose was to conduct patrols on horseback, they also participated in weekly parades during their 33-year presence in Peking.
Horses in the Corps haven't solely been used for ceremonial purposes; with their strength and high endurance, they have assisted Marines in battle as well. Sergeant Reckless, perhaps the most beloved horse in Marine Corps history, accomplished a remarkable feat during the Korean War as she supported ammunition carriersresupplying and transporting heavy rounds across long distances. After the war, she was retired with full military honors and is buried at Stepp Stables at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif.
The days of relying on horses for conveyance may be long gone, but the legacy is continued by the modern-day "Horse Marines" at Barstow-a legacy that stems from pride in the Corps, a love for tradition, and an unquenchable esprit.
The Mounted Color Guard at MCLB Barstow was not the first of its kind. The first official Marine Corps Mounted Color Guard was established aboard Camp Pendleton in 1955.
Colonel A. C. "Ace" Bowen was brought back from retirement to institute a new water-use policy for Camp Pendleton. He not only accomplished this, but also instituted the Camp Pendleton rodeo and the Mounted Color Guard. Col Bowen was a horse lover who wanted to revive the equestrian traditions of Camp Pendleton, which dated back to the base's establishment in 1942. In those early days, as World War II progressed, mounted Marines were charged with patrolling the beaches, out of concern that the Japanese might attack the base by way of the Pacific. After the Allied victory, those mounted patrols were discontinued.
Col...