Corporal Reaves was a member of Company F, 2nd Battalion, 5th Infantry Regimental Combat Team. He was seriously wounded while fighting the enemy near Kumji-ri North Korea on 21 April 1951 and died of those wounds on 28 April 1951.

Reaves was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.