Note: While the Korean War was after WWII, Reckless story began with a Korean orphan, A-Ha Kim, in 1949. The Korean War directly followed WWII and the same veterans fought in both. Reckless became one of the most decorated animals in military history.
In 1950, a US Marine named Lieutenant Eric Pedersen was stationed in a Korean village near the 38th parallel when he met a Mongolian mare named Ah-Chim-Hai, which means The Morning Sun. The mare had belonged to a Korean orphan who could no longer afford to feed it. Pedersen bought the horse for $250 and renamed her Reckless.
Reckless was trained to carry mortar shells, ammunition, and supplies to the front lines and to carry wounded soldiers back to safety. She made 51 trips in a single day during the Battle of Outpost Vegas, carrying 38 mortar shells over rough terrain under fire. She was wounded twice and never refused to run.
The Marines were so devoted to Reckless that when she was rotated back to the United States in 1954, the entire camp said goodbye. She was given the rank of Staff Sergeant, making her the highest-ranking horse in the US Marine Corps.
Reckless lived out the rest of her life at Camp Pendleton in California, where she was visited by veterans who had served with her in Korea. She died in 1968 at the age of 20. At her funeral, Marines stood at attention while a bugler played Taps.
Reckless story is not widely known, but it is one of the most extraordinary stories of loyalty and bravery in military history. A horse that crossed the Atlantic, fought in a war, and carried the hope of orphaned children became one of the most beloved members of the US Marine Corps.