Feb 19 , 2026

Belleau Wood Hero Sgt. Maj. Daniel Daly's Two Medals of Honor

Blood, sweat, and sheer guts. That’s the forge Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly came from. He didn’t just stand in the fire—he threw himself into it, twice earning the Medal of Honor in wars that tested the skeleton of American valor. When the bullets flew and comrades fell, Daly’s voice thundered over the chaos. "Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?" That wasn’t bravado. It was a challenge. A call. A reminder that courage isn’t given—it’s seized and hammered into the soul.

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The Streets of Tientsin and the Boxer Rebellion

Daly’s grit was first carved out in China during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. The old world was on fire, and so were the streets of Tientsin. Marines were pulled into a brutal fight to protect American legations from a tide of Chinese insurgents.

During a savage engagement on July 13, 1900, Daly charged headfirst into a hornet’s nest of enemy fire. The Boxer rebels were trying to cut the line and isolate the Marines. Daly moved through the chaos, rallying men and shoving aside death.

His citation for his first Medal of Honor reads in part: “For distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy in action against Chinese forces during the battle of Tientsin, China, 13 July 1900.” He didn’t just hold the line—he became the rock it shattered against.[^1]

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Faith and the Code of Honor

Daly wasn’t born a hero. He was the son of Irish immigrants, raised in poverty in Glen Cove, New York. Baptized in the Catholic faith, he held a quiet reverence for sacrifice and redemption.

A Marine’s life, he believed, was about honor—something bigger than medals. It’s an unspoken covenant between brothers who stare into the abyss together and still choose to stand. Daly carried Psalm 91 close:

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty."

That shield of faith was his backbone. It didn’t make him fearless. It made him relentless.

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The Hell of Belleau Wood: A Legend Reborn

The Great War tested him further. In June 1918, Daly was a Gunnery Sergeant with the 6th Marine Regiment, a unit locked in hellish combat near Belleau Wood, France.

The woods were crawling with German soldiers, their machine guns spitting death. Daly and his Marines faced withering fire and relentless counterattacks. Morale was bleeding with every charge.

It was Daly’s voice and example that pulled men out of collapse. The legend of “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” echoes from that blood-soaked forest. It was more than a challenge—it was a lifeline.

On June 27, 1918, his actions earned him a second Medal of Honor. Facing heavy fire, Daly assumed command after officers were downed, rallied his men, and led a crucial counterattack to reclaim lost ground.

His second citation reads:

“For extraordinary heroism while serving with the 6th Regiment, U.S. Marines, in action near Belleau Wood, France.”[^2]

Two Medal of Honors. One man. A symbol no enemy—nor time—could erase.

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Recognition and the Man Behind the Medals

Daly’s medals stand as mere tokens of a warrior’s soul forged in sacrifice. But his real legacy was in how he wore those honors—quietly, modestly, never flaunting the glory.

He rose to Sgt. Major, the highest enlisted rank in the Marine Corps. Commanders respected him; the men revered him.

Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz called Daly “one of the greatest Marines I ever saw.” That says everything about a man who led from the front lines—under fire, in mud, through death.[^3]

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Legacy: Courage Carved in Blood and Faith

Daly’s story isn’t just history. It’s a stark reminder that valor is raw and real. Heroism doesn’t wait in the shadows; it charges forward—scars wide, breath ragged, heart blazing.

In a world bending toward fleeting, hollow spectacle, Daly’s life is a beacon for enduring sacrifice and redemptive courage. He fought not for medals, but for the brother beside him, for the faith that held them through darkest nights.

“Greater love hath no man than this,” the Scripture declares.[^4] Daly lived this truth.

The battlefield is a crucible. It burns men down or builds legends. Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly chose to be forged—an unyielding spirit whose voice still rips through the fog of war:

“Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?”

No truer call to live a life of gritty courage exists.

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Sources

[^1]: United States Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Recipients: Boxer Rebellion [^2]: United States Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War I [^3]: Smith, Edwin H., Marines in World War I, US Naval Institute Press [^4]: John 15:13, Holy Bible, King James Version

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