A Marine Corps NCO named Reckless carried nearly five tons of ammunition and equipment through the mountains of Korea to his fellow Marines on the front lines. He was wounded twice while carrying other wounded Marines to safety. His efforts earned him a promotion to sergeant and two Purple Hearts. Sgt. Reckless also received a commendation with the rest of his unit, along with a Presidential Unit Citation.
As many reading this might know, Sgt. Reckless was a horse, originally purchased by U.S. Marines to carry a Recoilless Rifle and its ammunition. It eventually became a beloved member of the squad and even participated in an amphibious landing.
Animals have served alongside their people throughout history, with some (like Sgt. Reckless) becoming more well-known than others. A new children's book, "We Also Served: True Stories of Brave Animals in the Military and Other Heroic Tales," recounts the tales of history's most beloved animal combat veterans for the youngest of audiences.
Author and illustrator Erin McGill compiled the stories of 13 courageous war heroes that also happened to be animals, and wrote them in a way children ages 4-8 can appreciate. Along with Sgt. Reckless, she tells the stories of World War II search and rescue dogs Rip and Beauty, who helped search the rubble of war-torn London, and Smoky, who might have been the world's first therapy dog.
Read: The World's First Therapy Dog Was a World War II Pacific Veteran
There's also the story of Old Abe, the bald eagle mascot of the 8th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry during and after the Civil War. Originally captured by the leader of an Ojibwe native tribe, the eagle was sold to a civilian who gave it to the 8th Wisconsin, which soon joined the Union Army of the Mississippi.
After the war, Old Abe became a national celebrity and helped raise money and awareness for the plight of wounded war veterans and orphaned children. He even raised the alarm when the Wisconsin State Capitol building caught fire.
Stories like those of Old Abe, Smoky and Sgt. Reckless are timeless and heartwarming for children and adults alike. They are beautifully summarized and captured in McGill's 40-page children's book.
"We Also Served: True Stories of Brave Animals in the Military and Other Heroic Tales" is available for pre-order now, and ships on July 4, 2023.
-- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on LinkedIn.
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