A new book by Robin Hutton reveals the “Pride of the Marines." "She wasn’t a horse—she was a Marine!” proclaims Robin Hutton, author of the forthcoming book Sgt. Reckless: America’s Warhorse, releasing July 28, 2014 from Regnery Publishing.
Bringing a great war horse out of the shadows
Sergeant Reckless, a small Mongolian mare, earned two Purple Hearts for her heroic actions in the Korean War and when Robin Hutton discovered her tale in 2006, she became determined to reintroduce Reckless to the world.
Sergeant Reckless, a small Mongolian mare, earned two Purple Hearts for her heroic actions in the Korean War and was once a beloved household name. When Robin Hutton discovered her tale in 2006, she became determined to reintroduce Reckless to the world.
Robin interviewed seventy-five Marines who served with Reckless to learn her story and uncovered hundreds of photos of the little mare from her war days and beyond. Thanks to Hutton’s years of research, Sgt. Reckless is the first-ever full biography of the mare and her colts, revealing the complete story of how a young Korean boy’s horse became one of the greatest Marine wartime heroes of all time.
In one battle, Sgt. Reckless made 51 trips —mostly on her own — through 35 miles of open rice paddies up steep hills to deliver ammunition and supplies to her fellow Marines. She was trained to step over communications lines, get down at the sound of incoming fire, and ignore the noise of battle. She shielded soldiers from fire and was injured twice during the battle.
In an effort to share the story of Sgt. Reckless, Robin rallied horse and history lovers across the country to raise enough money to erect a monument honoring her in the National Museum of the Marine Corps’ Semper Fidelis Park in Quantico, VA, in July of 2013. A second monument will be dedicated later this fall at Camp Pendleton, CA, where Reckless lived out her days and is buried.
Robin will be at the Western States Horse Expo June 13-15 in Sacramento, CA. She will discuss her book and hand out exclusive, limited edition Sgt. Reckless trading cards in the Book Corral.