Staff Sergeant Reckless (c. 1948 – May 13, 1968), a decorated warhorse who held official rank in the United States military,[1] was a mare of Mongolian horse breeding.

Out of a racehorse dam,[a] she was purchased in October 1952 for $250 (equivalent to $2,900 in 2023)[2] from a Korean stableboy at the Seoul racetrack who needed money to buy an artificial leg for his sister.

[1] She quickly became part of the unit and was allowed to roam freely through camp, entering the Marines' tents, where she would sleep on cold nights, and was known for her willingness to eat nearly anything, including scrambled eggs, beer, Coca-Cola and, once, about $30 worth of poker chips.

The highlight of her nine-month military career came in late March 1953 during the Battle for Outpost Vegas when, in a single day, she made 51 solo trips to resupply multiple front line units.

Her wartime service record was featured in The Saturday Evening Post, and LIFE magazine recognized her as one of America's 100 all-time heroes.

[4] Her date of birth and parentage are unconfirmed, but she was estimated to be around three or four years old when she was purchased by members of the United States Marine Corps in October 1952.

She was sold to the Marines by her owner, a young Korean stableboy called Kim Huk-moon (김혁문 or 김흑문),[7] though that was not his real name.

[4][10][11] The day after he received permission, on October 26, 1952,[10] Pedersen, Sergeant Willard Berry, and Corporal Philip Carter drove a jeep with a trailer to the Seoul racetrack.

[4] In addition to Pedersen, Latham, and Coleman, Lieutenant Bill Riley and Sergeant Elmer Lively were also involved with the training and care of Reckless.

[22] The Marines, especially Latham, taught Reckless battlefield survival skills such as how not to become entangled in barbed wire and to lie down when under fire.

[4] She was fond of a wide variety of foodstuffs, entertaining the platoon by eating scrambled eggs and drinking Coca-Cola and beer.

The second time the gun fired she merely snorted, and by the end of the mission that day appeared calm and was seen trying to eat a discarded helmet liner.

[33][34] Randolph M. Pate, then the commander of the 1st Marine Division, gave Reckless a battlefield promotion from corporal to sergeant in a formal ceremony, complete with reviewing stand, on April 10, 1954, several months after the war ended.

[10] An article in The Saturday Evening Post, published on April 17, 1954, while Reckless was still in Korea,[8] resulted in a campaign by American supporters to get the Marines to bring her to the United States.

An executive at Pacific Transport Lines, Stan Coppel, read the article and offered to let Reckless ride free on one of his company's ships from Yokohama to San Francisco.

[4] Prior to her departure for America, a ceremony, including a band, for Reckless' rotation to the United States was held during half time of a football game between the Marine Corps and Army.

If she failed to receive the attention she felt her due, she would deliberately walk into a group of Marines and, in effect, enter the conversation.

The Customs Bureau was not much of a problem but the United States Department of Agriculture insisted a medical check and lab tests be completed before she disembarked from the ship once it reached San Francisco, which would make her late for the Marine banquet where she was to be the guest of honor.

The Marines contacted Agriculture Department officials in Washington, D.C., who agreed to allow her off the ship after her blood was drawn for lab tests, with the understanding that if she had glanders or dourine, she would be destroyed or sent back to Japan.

Many of the Marines who actually knew her were incensed at what they considered an affront to her honor when they learned that dourine was an equine sexually transmitted disease.

She was led off the ship by Lieutenant Pedersen and set foot on American soil in San Francisco on November 10, 1954,[39] coincidentally the anniversary of the creation of the Marine Corps.

For the Marine Corps Birthday Ball held that day, she rode an elevator, and then ate both cake and the flower decorations.

[37] A monument by sculptor Jocelyn Russell of Reckless carrying ammunition shells and other combat equipment was unveiled on July 26, 2013, in Semper Fidelis Memorial Park at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, one day before the 60th anniversary of the Korean War.

"[44] There are five additional monuments to Sergeant Reckless around the country by artist Jocelyn Russell: Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, CA (October 26, 2016); Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, KY (May 12, 2018); National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, Ft. Worth, TX (November 13, 2019), Barrington Hills Farm, Barrington Hills, IL (September 2019); and the World Equestrian Center, Ocala, FL (December 2020).

[46] A memorial to Sergeant Reckless at Yeoncheon Gorangpogu History Park (Near Battlefield of Outpost Vegas Battle) was dedicated in 2018.