The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Sergeant Louis Kolakoff (ASN: 20203519), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with the 105th Infantry Regiment, 27th Infantry Division, in action at Saipan, Mariana Islands, on 7 July 1944. Sergeant Kolakoff volunteered to accompany a highly dangerous rescue party which penetrated the enemy lines in four unarmored vehicles. When the surviving vehicles were ready to return, he volunteered to remain behind the enemy lines to give assistance to the wounded. Later, when all the wounded had been evacuated, and all members of his organization still unhurt were told that they, too, could be evacuated by amphibious tractor, Sergeant Kolakoff elected to remain with a small group of the rescue party, for whom there was insufficient space in the tractors. After two and a half hours under intermittent enemy fire, with enemy in undetermined numbers closing in on the position, it was decided that the rescue party had been forgotten, and that they would be forced to spend the night behind the enemy lines unless the attention of passing amphibious tractors could be secured. Sergeant Kolakoff promptly volunteered to go for help, together with another man, and was killed while exposed on the beach.