Sgt. Reckless - A War Horse Hero

Meet Staff Sgt. Reckless, who became a decorated Marine during the Korean War and ... was a horse.

by Darley Newman

Standing only eleven hands high, the sorrel mare named Reckless served with the 1st Marine Division in Korea. Like great war horses of the past including Robert E. Lee's horse Traveler, and Alexander the Great's Bucephalus, Reckless was smart, brave and seemingly unstoppable.

Carrying ammunition, wounded soldiers and serving as a sort of mascot, Reckless received the Purple Heart for her heroic efforts during the battle for Vegas Hill. 

Andrew Geer, who commanded the 2nd Battalion, 5th Regiment of the 1st Division in Korea and wrote a book about Reckless, wrote in a memo to the Commandant of the Marine Corps in Washington, DC.

"During the extreme heat of Korea, when potable water was scarce or non-existent, Reckless came to know and like certain liquids other than water. She is fond of coca cola and milk. Under the stress of battle she has been known to drink beer."

Reckless enjoyed a cushy retirement at Camp Pendleton and passed away there in 1968. 

Learn a little of her story in the above YouTube video.