The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Major Charles L. Cogswell (MCSN: 0-5676), United States Marine Corps Reserve, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while a member of the Second Battalion, First Marines, FIRST Marine Division, during action against enemy Japanese forces on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands on August 29 and September 2, 1942. On the former date, after enemy bombs set fire to an ammunition dump and four days later after enemy naval bombardment had fired an aviation gas and high explosive munitions dump, Major Cogswell organized fire-fighting parties and unmindful of exploding shells advanced at the head of his detachment fighting the blaze until he was painfully wounded by a shell fragment. Largely as a result of his valiant actions, many lives and much invaluable equipment were saved.