On 26 March 1953 the Chinese People's Volunteer Army (PVA) launched an attack on the Nevada Cities, including Vegas, in an attempt to better the position of China and North Korea in the Panmunjon peace talks which were occurring at the time, and to gain more territory for North Korea when its borders would be solidified.

The battle raged for five days until PVA forces halted their advance after capturing one outpost north of the MLR on 30 March, but were repelled from Vegas.

The battle is also known for the involvement of Sergeant Reckless, a horse in a USMC recoilless rifle platoon who transported ammunition and the wounded during the U.S. defense of outpost Vegas.

In March 1952, the 1st Marine Division redeployed from east-central to western Korea, to join US I Corps where they were assigned a 35-mile (56 km) sector to defend on the Main Line of Resistance (MLR).

[4][1] 1st Battalion, 5th Marines defended the Nevada Cities, reportedly coined as such by Lieutenant colonel Tony Caputa because "it's a gamble if we can hold them.

These attacks varied from a squad to two battalions in strength against outposts Reno and Vegas, in order to deny the US observation into the PVA rear areas.

[4]: 270 I Corps commander General Bruce C. Clarke advocated defense on the hills north of the MLR to deny the tactical advantage they offered to the PVA.

Outpost Carson, on the left, guarded a largely barren hilltop where a cave provided living quarters for the Marines, who manned an oval perimeter protected by barbed wire and including bunkers, tunnels and a main trench with fighting holes.

It not only lay closest to PVA lines, but also occupied a ridge that forced the defenders into a perimeter vaguely resembling the wishbone of a turkey, open end to the north.

As a result, the approach that seemed to pose the greatest danger to Reno's defenders followed a ridge extending generally southward from Hill 150.

Like the Marines defending the other outposts, those at Reno relied on C-rations and tossed the empty cans into nearby gullies.

At night, when the tin cans clattered, the source of the noise might be PVA moving close to attack behind a sudden barrage.

Perched on a hilltop, Reno Block afforded excellent visibility, but conversely it could easily be seen from PVA lines.

Barbed wire and a well-constructed trench encircled the egg-shaped perimeter on Vegas, with its one warming and two living bunkers.

By day, Vegas proved a magnet for sniper fire and harassment by mortars and artillery, forcing the Marines to remain under cover.

According to Elliot Akermann, the Chinese wanted to capture the Nevada Cities north of the MLR in order to gain leverage at the Panmunjom peace talks.

[1] For Lieutenant colonel Pat Meid and Major James M. Yingling, the PVA wanted to take the hills and ridgelines adjacent to the Marine MLR.

There they would wait until the overwhelming numbers of PVA soldiers were pushed off the hill by the VT shells, and then the Marines would reemerge from the caves to man the defenses.

Overwhelming PVA numbers and supporting fire forced the Marines on Vegas to abandon the outer ring of less easily defended trenches.

At the same time during the evening of the 26th, Marine tanks and artillery had been positioned on the MLR to support an infantry raid to destroy PVA bunkers scheduled for the next morning on the 27th, designated "Operation Clambake."

[4]: 281 [1] By 19:40, communications wire between Vegas and 1st Battalion Command Post had been lost because of PVA artillery and mortar fire striking in the rear areas of the Marine positions.

By 19:50, more than 100 PVA soldiers occupied the lower trenches of outpost Vegas, where they could survive Marine artillery bombardments.

Their fire was directed at PVA artillery behind their front lines and at fortifications atop of captured outposts Reno and Vegas.

Over two dozen Air Force and Marine aircraft also flew missions against PVA positions on the captured outposts, including Grumman F9F Panther jets.

[4]: 295 On the morning of 28 March for 23 minutes the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing dropped some 28 tons of bombs on outpost Vegas.

[1]: 101 The PVA would renew their attack on the Nevada Complex on 25 May and after four days of heavy fighting the UN Command ordered that it be abandoned.

When artillery began to hit Outposts Vegas and the support network behind it on the MLR, Reckless ran to the nearest bunker, where she remained clearly shocked by the impact of war.