The early parts of her story remain hazy due to a lack of reliable Korean sources, but what happened after she was bought is not in doubt.
For $250, US Marine Lt. Eric Pedersen purchased a filly at the Sinseol-dong racetrack. According to legend, the seller, Kim Hyuk-moon 김혁문, a teenager, needed the money to help his sister Kim Jeong-suk, who had lost a leg after stepping on a land mine. Lt. Pedersen bought the mare specifically to carry M20, 75 mm recoilless rifle ammunition to the front line for the anti-tank platoon of the 5th Marine Corps.1 She was a small Mongolian mare, only 140 cm tall and less than 400 kg, named Achimhai (Morning Sun; 아침해). Morning Sun enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on October 26, 1952. The marines quickly trained her in combat survival techniques, and the horse received its baptism under fire at a place called Hedley’s Crotch, near the villages of Changdan and Kwakchan (창단마을과 곽찬마을).2 Initially spooked when the recoilless rifle was fired, she calmed down and quickly learned to stay calm under fire. The Marines renamed her “Reckless” as a contraction of the name of the recoilless rifle and a nod to the daredevil attitude associated with those who used the gun. Her finest hour was in the 5-day battle (March 26-30, 1953) known as “Outpost Vegas,” also known as the Battle of Yeoncheon (Maehyang-ri, Jangnam-myeon, Yeoncheon-gun 연천군장남면 매향리), against the 120th division of the Chinese Army. On March 27, 1953, during the battle, she made 51 trips from the ammunition supply point to the firing sites. Almost always traveling alone, she carried a total of almost 5 tons of ammunition a total of 35 miles in the open and under enemy fire. In short tons, that averages out to 196 lbs. (88.9 kg) per trip. She was wounded twice (above his left eye and on his left buttock) but continued in her task. After the battle, the US Marine Corps gave her an official military rank of sergeant. She was well taken care of by the Marines and became something of a mascot—albeit one well-versed in combat. Reckless essentially became one of the boys.
Randolph M. Pate (1898–1961), then the commander of the 1st Marine Division, gave Reckless a battlefield promotion from corporal to sergeant in a formal ceremony, complete with a reviewing stand, on April 10, 1954. A week later she was the subject of an article in the Saturday Evening Post (새터데이 이브닝 포스트). A campaign was launched to bring Sgt. Reckless to the USA, and the Marine Corps quickly obliged, and she was brought to Camp Pendleton in California.
Reckless was promoted again, to staff sergeant (E-6), on August 31, 1959, at Camp Pendleton, California. This promotion was also awarded by Randolph M. Pate, then the Commandant of the Marine Corps. Pate personally presided over her retirement ceremony, and Reckless was honored with a 19-gun salute and a 1,700-man parade of Marines from her wartime unit. She was an early example of an animal holding official rank in a branch of the United States military.
She died on May 13, 1968, at the age of 19 or 20, and was given a formal military funeral and buried within the division headquarters. A monument was also erected next to the stable where she resided.
In total, Sgt. Reckless was awarded two Purple Hearts, a Good Conduct Medal, a Presidential Unit Citation with star, the National Defense Service Medal, a Korean Service Medal, a United Nations Service Medal, a Navy Unit Commendation, and a Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation.
The tale of war hero Reckless’s bravery continues to be told. In 1997, Life magazine ran a ‘Special Collector’s Edition’ entitled “Celebrating our Heroes,” and Reckless was selected as one of America’s 100 Greatest Heroes. On July 27, 2016, Sgt. Reckless became the 4th horse in history, and the only American horse, to receive this prestigious “Victoria Cross for Animals,” “the PDSA Dickin Medal #68.” Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra presented the medal to the Marine Corps.3
Her story was first noticed in Korea in 2006 with an article in the Korea Racing Authority’s in-house newsletter and has since been covered by several media outlets. However, none of them can add anything new to the American information sources. In Korea, activities of all sizes have continued to commemorate the hero “Morning Sun.” A statue of her was erected in Jangnam-myeon, Yeoncheon-gun, Gyeonggi Province near the Outpost Vegas where Reckless had served. Inside the exhibition hall near the statue, there is also a VR game where you protect Reckless and transport ammunition to the friendly camp. Since 2015, the Korea Racing Authority has been presenting a horse cultural performance featuring “Morning Sun,” conveying his courage to the public. A statue of Reckless is installed in Gorangpogu Historical Park (located in Jangnam-myeon, Yeoncheon-gun) near the Vegas outpost where Reckless was active to commemorate his achievements. Inside the exhibition hall, there is also a VR game where you protect Reckless and transport ammunition to the friendly camp.
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Footnotes:
- The rifle weighs between 103 and 114.5 pounds (47 to 52 kg), depending on configuration, and the rounds weigh 20.5 to 22.6 pounds (9.3 to 10.3 kg), depending on the type of explosive.
- Today, the villages of Changdan and Kwakchan no longer exist. Their location is now part of the heavily fortified DMZ.
- PDSA, ‘The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals,’ is a British charity for pets in need.