HORSES IN HISTORY

SERGEANT RECKLESS

- SARAH WANLESS

In this instalment of ‘Horses in History’, we tell the tale of Sergeant Reckless, arguably America’s greatest war horse, who served in the Recoilless Rifle Platoon, Anti-Tank Company, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division during the Korean war.

WHAT IS A RECOILLESS RIFLE?

The Recoilless Rifle was an exceptionally heavy piece of equipment. It would often take several strong men to carry it across the battlefield, which was a very dangerous but necessary part of American warfare. This was because of the impressive impact at accurate distances that the Recoilless Rifle could achieve. The nature of the rifle earned it the nickname ‘reckless’.

RECKLESS

It was Lieutenant Pedersen that suggested purchasing a horse to assist in carrying the rifle, and all the supplies that went with it, and in October 1952, Pedersen went to the racetrack and purchased a small, chestnut mare named Morning Flame for US$250. Upon returning to the base, she was quickly renamed Reckless, after the rifle she was learning to carry, and was deemed to carry and hold the position of Private First Class.