the racehorse who became a Marine Corps hero
The horse's Korean name was Ah-Chim-Hai (Flame of the Morning). She was an old chestnut-colored Mongolian racehorse. Once she amazed the racing crowd with her remarkable speed. But when the 1950's Korean War shut down the racetrack, she was sold to an American Marine and trained to carry heavy loads of ammunition across steep hills under a barrage of bullets and bombs. Her new name was Reckless. And she proved to be fearless under fire, exposed to every type of hazard. Sometimes she shielded human reinforcements and soon the Chinese were targeting the horse. But Reckless never shied away from danger and soon the men came to appreciate her not just as a horse but as a fellow Marine. She lived through the war and ended her days as a retired Marine at Camp Pendleton, giving birth to four foals while she was there.
