Description: (Soldier)
Pancha Carrasco had a remarkable professional life as Costa Rica's first woman in the military. She bravely volunteered during the invasion of William Walker and his filibusteros in 1856, serving as an army cook and medic. Carrasco's defining moment came when she joined the defending forces at the Battle of Rivas, armed with a rifle and pockets filled with bullets. Her strength and determination in the face of adversity made her a symbol of national pride, honored with a postage stamp, a Coast Guard vessel, and the creation of a prestigious police women's award in her name.