The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Commander Kenneth Keith Cowart, United States Coast Guard, for conspicuous gallantry as Engineer Officer on the U.S.C.G.C. CAMPBELL (WMEC-909) during and following the sinking of an enemy submarine on 22 February 1943. When his ship surprised the enemy vessel on the surface and collided with it during an attempt to ram, Commander Cowart, by his expert direction of engine operation, contributed materially to the sinking of the submarine by gunfire and the capture of several members of her crew. When the cutter began to take water as a result of a large rupture in her side plating he bravely stood by his station in the flooding engine room and supervised damage control.