Was Sergeant Reckless a real horse who became a U.S. Marine? The story verified. We checked — and the verdict is TRUE.
In 1952, a Korean stableboy sold a Mongolian mare to U.S. Marines for $250. The money paid for his sister's artificial leg. The horse went to war.
Named Reckless, she hauled 75-pound recoilless rifle shells up steep terrain during the Battle of Outpost Vegas, completing up to 51 solo supply runs in a single day. She was formally enlisted and eventually promoted to staff sergeant. Off the battlefield, she slept in tents with the men, drank beer, and ate poker chips. She was awarded two Purple Hearts and a Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal. She retired to Camp Pendleton in California, where she died in 1968. A bronze statue of her stands there today.