The Coast News (Page 1)

B4 THE COAST NEWS
DEC. 16, 2011
‘Sgt. Reckless,’ heroic warhorse, had ties to North County
By Lillian Cox
CAMP PENDLETON —
One of the greatest animal
stories in American military
history is that of the real-life
warhorse, Staff Sgt. Reckless,
who served courageously
with the Marine Corps during
the Korean War.
Adding to the legend is
the fact that Reckless was a
lady, a petite racehorse whose
given name was “Flame of
the Morning.”
In October 1952, 2nd Lt.
Eric Pedersen bought
“Flame” for $250 from a boy
at a Korean racetrack who
needed the money to buy an
artificial leg for his sister who
had stepped on a land mine.
“(Pederson) wanted to
increase the firepower of his
Recoilless Rifle Platoon and
he needed an animal to pack
75-mm shells over the rugged
Korean hills,” said Marine Lt.
Col. Andrew Geer, who commanded
the 2nd Battalion,
5th Regiment of the 1st
Division.
Flame’s name was
changed to Reckless, a nickname
for “recoilless” rifles.
Despite her tiny stature, she
displayed unflinching determination
as a munitions carrier
in combat, including the
bloody Battle of Vegas.
“Marines, young and old,
who were there can tell you of
Reckless,” Geer wrote in
“The Saturday Evening Post”
on April 17, 1954. “Fifty-one
times she marched through
the fiery gantlet of the Red
barrage — and she saved the
day for the Leathernecks.”
Staff Sergeant Reckless in an elevator for the first time at the banquet
hall. Courtesy photo
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Reckless also carried
wounded marines back to
base.
After the truce was
signed in July 1953, most of
Reckless’ buddies returned
home.
Bob Rogers, a former
Navy corpsman, was among
those who remained.
“A lieutenant, myself
and others were in a circle
talking,” Rogers said.
“Reckless came up behind
one fellow and nuzzled the
back of his neck. It scared the
guy, and he cussed Reckless,
calling her a blanking ‘nag.’
The lieutenant sternly let him
know Reckless was a hero
and had done more for the
Marine Corps than he ever
would. And since Reckless
outranked him, any further
verbal abuse would be cause
for disciplinary action.
Rogers added, “I had the
honor of being in formation
when Cpl. Reckless was promoted
to sergeant.”
In 1954, war buddies and
the American people, who
learned about Reckless from
the Geer’s Post article, rallied
to bring her “home” to the
United States.
Pacific Transport Line
graciously agreed to transport
Reckless via ship to San
Francisco. A hero’s welcome
awaited her that included the
national press, Gov. Goodwin
Knight and friends from the
battlefield who never forgot
her.
“It is claimed that horses
have no memory and quickly
forget past associations,”
wrote Geer in the Post article.
“Obviously these so-called
authorities do not know
Reckless. She recognized us
immediately and gave voice
to her joy at seeing us again.
It had been 18 months since
she had seen Pedersen, but
she strained against the stall
gate to lean her head into his
hand. The same greeting was
extended to all of us.”
After posing for photographs,
she was taken to a
reception in the theater of
the Marines’ Memorial Club.
Later, she stepped into an elevator
for the first time and
rode 10 floors to the banquet
hall where she was guest of
honor at a Marine Corps
anniversary celebration.
“With Pedersen and
(Elmer) Lively as escorts, she
Staff Sergeant Reckless is seen next to one of the 75-mm guns she would carry into battle. Courtesy photo
trooped into the dining room
to the thunderous applause of
400 marines and their
ladies,” Geer wrote. “While
being introduced, she spied a
two-foot-high anniversary
cake and helped herself
before anyone could stop
her.” Reckless also grazed on
rose and carnation centerpieces.
When the festivities
were over, Reckless traveled
south to Vista, Calif., where
she was the guest of Pederson
and his wife, Kate, on their
ranch.
In preparation for her
transfer to Camp Pendleton,
Geer wrote the Commandant
of the Marine Corps in
Washington, D.C.:
“The undersigned is in
hearty agreement that
Reckless should be stationed
at Camp Pendleton . . . It
should be kept in mind, however,
that this is no ordinary
horse and she should have
special care and attention . . .
It is suggested her court be in
the vicinity of the
Commanding General’s quarters
and properly marked
with appropriate sign, so that
all will know this to be the
home of Sergeant Reckless,
Pride of the Marines.
“... Her shoes should be
removed and she should be
allowed to go barefoot for a
period of six weeks,” Geer
continued. “At that time, her
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feet should be trimmed and
new shoes fitted. Only the
most knowing and patient
horseshoer should be
employed. Sergeant Reckless
is extremely proud of her feet
and will not stand for inexpert
attention. Several
Korean horseshoers will
painfully attest to this statement.”
The memo continued,
“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.”
Five years after arriving
at Camp Pendleton, Reckless
was promoted in a ceremony
to staff sergeant. She died in
1968 and was survived by
three offspring: Fearless,
Dauntless and Chesty
(named after Lt. Gen. Lewis
B. “Chesty” Puller).
During her military
career, Staff Sgt. Reckless
earned two Purple Hearts, a
Good Conduct Medal, a
Presidential Unit Citation
with star, a National Defense
Service Medal, a Korean
Service Medal, a United
Nations Service Medal and a
Republic of Korea
Presidential Unit Citation, all
of which she proudly wore on
her scarlet and gold blanket.
In 1955, Geer published
the book, “Reckless, Pride of
the Marines.” Videos of
Sergeant Reckless, including
one with her foal, Fearless,
can be viewed at
http://bit.ly/uf7rDl.
Scan the code
with your smart
phone to watch
video archives
of Sgt.
Reckless.
Sgt. Joe Latham prepares the tiny racehorse, whose name was changed
from Flame of the Morning to Reckless. Courtesy photo