Sgt. Reckless

Sgt. Reckless
America’s Favorite War Horse

By World Watch Media

Bought by the members of the United States Marine Corps in October 1952 when she was three or four years old from a young Korean stable boy named Kim Huk Moon, Sergeant Reckless was a chestnut colored horse with three white stockings and blaze. Ah Chim Hai was the horse’s original name which means “Flame of the Morning” or “Morning Flame” in Korea. Nicked named “Flame” by its owner Moon, the horse was sold for $250 to Lieutenant Eric Pedersen in order to buy a prosthesis leg for his sister who had stepped on a land mine. At first glance the horse’s breed was thought to be Mongolian because of the shape of its head which was the same as horses of the thoroughbred lineage. She weighed 400kg and stood at 56 inches or 142cm.
Colonel Eustace P. Smoak gave Pedersen permission to buy the horse for his platoon in October 1952. Pedersen needed an animal that could carry nine of 24 pound heavy shells to supply recoilless rifles used by the Recoilless Rifle Platoon of the 5th Marine Regiment who were based in mountainous terrain. On October 26th, 1952, just one day after getting permission, Corporal Phillip Carter, Sergeant Willard Berry and Pedersen drove to the Seoul racetrack in a jeep with a trailer. Pederson used his own money to buy the horse despite Moon being reluctant to sell at first.