Staff Sergeant Reckless served valiantly with the United States Marine Corps in the Korean War. During the pivotal five-day Battle of Outpost Vegas in late March 1953, she made 51 round-trips in a single day, most of them solo, from the Ammunition Supply Point to the firing sites. She carried 386 rounds of ammunition totaling more than 9,000 pounds and walked over 35 miles through open rice paddies and up steep mountains as enemy fire exploded at the rate of 500 rounds per minute. Reckless provided a shield for front-line Marines, carried the wounded to safety, and was herself wounded twice, but never quit until the mission was complete. She is buried at Camp Pendleton, California, where she spent her final years before her death in 1968. Her military decorations included two Purple Hearts, the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the Presidential Unit Citation, the Navy Unit Commendation, the National Defense Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal—Korea, the Korean Service Medal with 3 Stars, and the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation.

Photo: Devry Becker Jones (CC0)

Photo: Devry Becker Jones (CC0)