The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star (Army Award) to Sergeant Leslie G. Caldwell, Jr. (MCSN: 296186), United States Marine Corps, for gallantry in action on 15 January 1943, at Guadalcanal. The advance of a platoon of Marines was halted by fire from an enemy machine gun. Sergeant Caldwell and one other volunteered to advance through machine gun and sniper fire to a point near the enemy machine gun position. Improvised dynamite bombs were then used to blast it out of action. As a result two enemy gunners were killed and the machine gun was destroyed.