May 7, 2021
Hello ,
Man o' War was so famous when he died his funeral was broadcast nationwide on the radio. The thoroughbred stallion won 20 out of 21 races in his career. His owner turned down a blank check from a Texas oil millionaire, refusing to sell Man o' War for any price.
But this is the story of a mare originally named Flame of the Morning, known for her bravery and fidelity to fellow marines in the Korean War. That's right, she was a real war horse.
Man o' War got his name because he was born during WWI, but he never actually set foot on a battlefield. Okay, he is probably the greatest racehorse to ever run, so comparing these two chestnut horses is like comparing apples to oranges. But it makes a good story!
Flame of the Morning, a mare that stood less than 14 hands (to Man o' War's 16), had the heart and courage of any thoroughbred. In March 1953, when the Chinese attacked the Vegas outpost about 60 miles north of Seoul, she carried more than 9,000 pounds of ammunition to marines in the trenches, and on return trips evacuated wounded men.
Flame of the Morning Turns Reckless
US Marines discovered Ah Chim Hai— Korean for “Flame of the Morning”—at a racetrack in Seoul. Lt. Eric Pedersen, commanding officer of the Recoilless Rifle Platoon, Antitank Company, 5th Marine Regiment paid $250 for the horse.
Her owner, a young Korean boy Kim Huk Moon, needed the money to buy an artificial leg for his sister, who'd been injured by a land mine explosion.
Back at the Marine base, the men named the mare Reckless, Marine jargon for their recoilless guns "reckless rifles." She immediately took to military life, eating pancakes with maple syrup in the mess tents and drinking beer with the boys.
But this was war and like any soldier, Reckless had to pass basic training. Platoon Sgt. Joe Latham trained her to carry up to six 25 pound shells for the company's rifles. She learned to hit the dirt at incoming fire, and safely make her way through barbed wire fortifications.
Below: Sgt. Latham training Reckless to pick her way through barbed wire. (Courtesy of Leatherneck: Magazine of the Marines)
When the 5th Marine anti-tank company came under attack, Reckless was ready as she would ever be.
"Wham-whoosh! The hills bellowed and rocketed with the roar. Behind the [recoilless rifle] spurted a flame of dust."
Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Geer, author of the 1955 book Reckless: Pride of the Marines, described the moment:
"Though weighted down with six shells, Reckless left the ground with all four feet…her eyes went white. ‘Take it easy, Reckless,’ Coleman, a Marine, soothed. Wham-whoosh! Reckless went into the air again, but not quite so far. She snorted and shook her head to stop the ringing in her ears. Wham-whoosh! She shook as the concussive blast of air struck her, but she did not rear. She stood closer to Coleman, trembling slightly, but
the white was gone from her eyes.”
The mare settled into the routine of battle, at first led along the trail from the stockpile of ammunition to the trenches on the frontline, but soon learned her to make her way back and forth.
Below: Reckless delivered ammo to the recoilless rifle platoon’s firing sites. Courtesy of Leatherneck: Magazine of the Marines
In March of 1953, Chinese forces attacked the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines hunkered in trenches defending the strategic Outposts Vega, Reno and Carson. Lt. Col. Greer said, wave after wave of heavy machine gun, mortar and artillery fire turned the land into a "smoking, death-pocked rubble".
On the worst day of the five day battle, Reckless made 51 unaided trips from the supply depot to the trenches bringing shells in and casualties out, as the Marines struggled to hold their positions. She remained on duty after twice suffering shrapnel wounds.
American casualties in the month of March at the Vega, Reno and Carson outposts numbered 170 dead, some 1200 wounded, and 104 missing in action. The Marine positions held; Reckless earned her stripes.
"She was loved by the marines, they took care of her better than they took care of themselves, throwing their flak jackets over her when incoming fire was heavy," Lt. Col. Greer said. "There is no knowing the amount of lives she saved."
Reckless continued to serve nine more months, hauling ammunition and helping string miles of telephone wire essential for troop communication. In November 1954, Reckless got leave and took a troop ship to the United States.
"Her ship docked on the morning of the Marine Corps birthday and everyone who is anyone was down to meet her. Besides, there were many of her old friends from Korea waiting on the dock."
From the Randolph Pate Collection (COLL/802), Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections.
Reckless eventually settled permanently at Camp Pendleton in California. She gained two promotions ending her military career as Staff Sgt. Reckless, was
awarded two Purple Hearts and numerous medals and citations from the US, England and France.
In 1968, at age 20, Reckless carried her final pack to the great pastures of beyond, she was buried with full military honors at Camp Pendleton.
“She came to be the symbol of the real heroic actions in that difficult war,” said retired Marine Col. Richard B. Rothwell, president of the Camp Pendleton Historical Society.
A monument to this brave and loyal mare stands at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Virginia. Below, a Marine color Guard stands by.
One final note on Man o' War. In an era when men dominated the horse racing world, his first stud manager was a woman, Elizabeth Daingerfield, who eventually owned her own thoroughbred farm. Man o' War sired 381 named offspring! Sixty-two
became stake winners.
Once again, apples and oranges, but at Camp Pendleton, Reckless became the proud mother of three colts and a filly.
In 1979, LIFE Magazine listed Reckless, in a Special Collector’s Edition “Celebrating our Heroes." Among the others featured? George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King and Mother Teresa. No Man o' War. 😉
Sources
https://cowgirlmagazine.com/mare-sergeant-reckless/
http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/semper-fi-equine-sister-in-arms
https://www.ocregister.com/2016/09/02/staff-sgt-reckless-wasnt-just-a-horse-she-was-a-marine-who-served-in-korean-war
The box below looks like a black hole, but it's actually the first of my live interviews on the topic of media literacy. With Instagram, there is no practice, hence the "Insta" so no option but to dive in. Here it is! For the interesting part, forward to just past five minutes in.
A Conversation about Media Literacy with Librarian Amanda Mead: Judge the Credibility of online info in 90 seconds!
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