She was estimated to be three or four years old when purchased by the United States Marine Corps for $250 in October 1952 from a Korean stableboy at the Seoul racetrack who needed money to buy an artificial leg for his sister who had stepped on a land mine. She was trained to be a pack horse and used to carry ammunition and supplies for the Recoilless Rifle Platoon of the 5th Marine Regiment.
But it wasn’t long before Sergeant Reckless proved herself to be much more than just a pack animal. She quickly learned to navigate the treacherous terrain of the Korean War, carrying supplies and evacuating wounded soldiers to safety without hesitation. She often travelled to deliver supplies on her own, without a handler. In fact, she became so vital to the unit that they renamed themselves the “Reckless Rifle Platoon.”
On one particularly harrowing day, Sergeant Reckless made 51 trips to the front lines, carrying over 9,000 pounds of supplies and ammunition. She was hit by shrapnel twice, but she refused to stop working. She even made the trip up and down the steep and rocky hills with a wounded soldier on her back.
The Marines were very fond of her, feeding her treats like beer, Coca-Cola, and scrambled eggs. They even built her a special tent to sleep in, and she was allowed to roam freely through the camp.
Her most significant accomplishment came during the Battle Outpost Vegas/Vegas Hill in March '53, when she made 51 solo trips in a single day, carrying a total of 386 recoilless rounds (over 9,000 pounds, carrying four to eight 24-pound shells on each trip) covering over 35 miles that day.
When not on the front lines, Reckless packed other items for the platoon, and was particularly useful for stringing telephone wire. Carrying reels of wire on her pack that were played out as she walked, she could string as much wire as twelve men on foot.
She became the first horse in the Marine Corps known to have participated in an amphibious landing when the 5th moved from Camp Casey to Inchon, planning to participate in amphibious landings hundreds of miles south of Inchon.3] The commanding officer of the transport halted loading operations when he saw the platoon on the dock with Reckless. He refused to take her on board his clean ship, which had won an award for being the cleanest ship in the previous two years.
She was allowed on board after the Marines produced the loading plan, approved by him, which specifically listed Reckless and her equipment.
She also became the first horse in the Marine Corps known to have participated in an amphibious landing, and following the war was awarded two Purple Hearts, a Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, inclusion in her unit's Presidential Unit Citations from two countries,
After the Korean War, Sergeant Reckless retired to Camp Pendleton, California, where she lived out the rest of her days. She passed away in 1968, but her legacy lived on. She was the first animal to be officially promoted to the rank of Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps, and she was recognized by LIFE Magazine as one of America’s 100 all-time heroes.
thank you George!
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