The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Private First Class Everett F. Cottrell (ASN: 35660304), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with Company H, 2d Battalion, *** Infantry Regiment, 35th Infantry Division, in action in the vicinity of ****, France, on 8 November 1944. When intense enemy fire forced the withdrawal of Company E and its supporting unit, Company H, it was discovered that a machine gun of the latter unit had been left behind. Private Cottrell, a machine gunner of Company H, *** Infantry Regiment, and who had received a severe leg wound early in the action, but for which he refused evacuation, volunteered to return in order to recover the weapon so urgently needed to support the riflemen of Company E. By crawling forward through the mud, making quick dashes from cover to cover, over open terrain under enemy observation and enemy artillery and mortar fire, Private Cottrell reached the weapon and returned it to his lines, where he set up the machine gun and manned it in operation against the enemy until he was ordered evacuated for treatment of his wound. The ultimate success of the attack was due, in a great measure, to the gallant actions of Private Cottrell.