Sgt. Reckless: America's War Horse - Hardcover

"Hutton's passion and admiration for her subject (she also heads an effort to create a monument to Reckless) shines through in this sparkling and engaging portrait of a most remarkable and courageous animal." - Publisher's Weekly "Reckless is more than a story about a horse. It is a story of Marines and their horse. The ingenuity and compassion of Marines, even in battle, has always amazed me. These two traits, combined with a special horse we now know as Reckless, produced a legacy and a legend that lives today in Marine Corps lore. Robin Hutton has written the preeminent book on Reckless and her heroics." -- General Walter E. Boomer, USMC (Ret.), Former Assistant Commandant of the United States Marine Corps and Marine Commanding General in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm during the Gulf War. "Robin Hutton has given us a stirring, extraordinary book about the true wartime journey a filly and her fellow Marines traveled together. Sgt. Reckless got the job done and Robin got the history right." -- Victoria Racimo, co-author of Alicia Keys's The Journals of Mama Mae and LeeLee and founder and president, Palomino Entertainment Group "In Sgt. Reckless: America's War Horse, Robin Hutton has masterfully crafted the definitive story of Reckless, the great little Korean mare who so boldly served alongside Marines of the Recoilless Rifle Platoon, 5th Marine Regiment, in the Korean War carrying ammunition under enemy fire. Hutton has shared Reckless with the world, ensuring her bravery will never be forgotten." -- Colonel Walt Ford, USMC (Ret.), publisher and editor, Leatherneck, Magazine of the Marines "After reading Robin Hutton's stirring, heartfelt saga of the courageous, intelligent Sgt. Reckless, you wonder why she wasn't promoted to general. Robin's account evokes echoes of War Horse but this story of a great equine Marine is true. Make sure you have a comfortable chair and a box of tissues because traveling the road with Sgt. Reckless will take you to places you've never been before. Both Robin and her inspiration are to be commended." -- Michael Blowen, former arts and film critic for The Boston Globe and founder and president of Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement "The Korean War is often referred to as 'the forgotten war,' but, among Marines, the memories of that bloody and frozen conflict are strewn with the names of heroes, brave actions, and incredible sacrifices. Robin's new book about one of those forgotten warriors-- one with four legs and a quirky appetite--adds detail, drama, and color to the documentation of the Korean War. Her research has brought new information and depth to the story. Bravo!" --L in Ezell, director, National Museum of the Marine Corps

New York Times Bestseller! From the racetrack to the battlefield dauntless, fearless, and exemplar of Semper Fi she was Reckless, "pride of the Marines." A Mongolian mare who was bred to be a racehorse, Ah-Chim-Hai, or Flame-of-the-Morning, belonged to a young boy named Kim-Huk-Moon. In order to pay for a prosthetic leg for his sister, Kim made the difficult decision to sell his beloved companion. Lieutenant Eric Pedersen purchased the bodacious mare and renamed her Reckless, for the Recoilless Rifles Platoon, Anti-Tank Division, of the 5th Marines she'd be joining. The four-legged equine braved minefields and hailing shrapnel to deliver ammunition to her division on the frontlines. In one day alone, performing fifty-one trips up and down treacherous terrain, covering a distance of over thirty-five miles, and rescuing wounded comrades-in-arms, Reckless demonstrated her steadfast devotion to the Marines who had become her herd. Despite only measuring about thirteen hands high, this pint-sized equine became an American hero. Reckless was awarded two Purple Hearts for her valor and was officially promoted to staff sergeant twice, a distinction never bestowed upon an animal before or since. Author Robin Hutton has reignited excitement about this nearly forgotten legend, realizing the Sgt. Reckless Memorial Monument at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, completed in July 2013, and now spurring the creation of a second memorial at Camp Pendleton, California, where Reckless lived out the rest of her days.