The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Private Earl W. Nelson (MCSN: 357089), United States Marine Corps Reserve, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while serving with the Company B, First Battalion, Seventh Marines, FIRST Marine Division, during action against enemy Japanese forces on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, October 9, 1942. While his company was under heavy fire from hostile mortar and machine guns in a wooded draw west of the Matanikau River, Private Nelson, with cool courage and utter disregard for his own personal safety, voluntarily crawled to the vicinity of the enemy position and threw two hand grenades into a Japanese machine-gun emplacement. His heroic conduct, performed a great personal risk in the face of grave danger, contributed materially to the reduction of enemy fire from that sector.