Jan 28 , 2026
Daniel Daly and the Belleau Wood Charge That Won Two Medals of Honor
The enemy broke through. Darkness closed in. Surrounded, outnumbered, barely a handful stood shoulder to shoulder against a tide of fire. In this hell, amid screams and smoke, Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly Jr. roared a battle cry that echoes across a century of warriors: “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?”
The Making of a Warrior
Born in Glen Cove, New York, in 1873, Daniel Daly grew up rough and restless. The streets bred a hard edge—and so did the stories his father told. But faith ran deeper than fury in Daly’s blood. A man of raw grit and quiet prayer, he carried more than a rifle; he carried a code forged by scripture and sacrifice.
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful…” (Hebrews 4:12)—it wasn’t just a verse to him. It was a weapon as sharp as any bayonet.
Daly enlisted in the Marine Corps at 18. What followed was a life drenched in combat, where the line between survival and death blurred daily. His character distilled under fire, trimmed by the agony of loss and the refusal to quit.
The Boxer Rebellion: First Medal of Honor
In the summer of 1900, Daly found himself in China, part of the relief force rescuing Western civilians and soldiers trapped in the Siege of Peking. The air was thick with gunpowder and desperation.
On July 13th, with bullets raining, Daly manned a machine gun at the Tartar Wall. Under constant attack, the weapon jammed. Without hesitation, he leapt forward, faces of the enemy mere yards ahead.
He grabbed a pistol, stood alone, and fought back the assault—demonstrating fearless leadership in the face of overwhelming odds.
For this, he earned his first Medal of Honor. The citation praised his “distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy.” But Daly never patted his own back. He was just doing what had to be done.
The Battle That Defined Him: Belleau Wood, WWI
Seventeen years later, the nightmare returned. The Great War’s firestorms consumed Europe. As a Gunnery Sergeant with the 5th Marine Regiment, Daly faced the bloodiest jungle of trenches and trees in Belleau Wood, France, June 1918.
German forces surged. Marine lines faltered. Amidst the maelstrom, Daly’s voice rang out.
“Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?”
It was more than a taunt—it was a summons to fight beyond fear, beyond reason.
He was already a legend among the leathernecks. But here, battered and exhausted, his grit earned him a second Medal of Honor. This time for “extraordinary heroism” during the attack on Hill 142, where he provided crucial leadership despite wounds and relentless enemy fire.
Never one for self-glory, Daly deflected praise to his comrades and the cause. “There’s one thing a Marine can always do: fight,” he said.
Honors Beyond the Medals
Daly’s two Medals of Honor put him among the rarest warriors in American history. Only a handful have received that distinction twice, and fewer still in such dramatic circumstances.
Other decorations followed—the Navy Cross, the Distinguished Service Cross, and countless unit commendations. His boots that marched through Boxer blood and European mud left an indelible path for generations to follow.
His fellow Marines remembered him as “a force of nature.” Legend has it that when asked how he stayed so composed, Daly simply said, “I’m not trying to be a hero. I’m just trying to get home.”
Legacy Written in Blood and Honor
Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly Jr. passed in 1937, but his battle cry still reverberates. In the mud, under fire, with death inches away, he found a purpose bigger than himself.
His life is a testament to the cost of freedom. To stand when others falter. To push past fear. To lead not for glory, but because someone has to.
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)
For veterans and civilians alike, Daly’s story is a stark reminder: courage isn’t measured by medals. It’s etched in sacrifice—the endless grit it takes to say, “I won’t quit, because this fight is worth it.”
In every scar lies a story. In every warrior, a hope. Sgt. Maj. Daniel Daly’s legacy is written in the unyielding will to stand and fight—for comrades, for country, for redemption.
That voice from a century ago still calls.
Answer it.
Sources
1. U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Citations: Daniel Joseph Daly 2. John Ellis, In the Highest Tradition: The Biography of Sgt. Maj. Daniel J. Daly, USMC 3. Marine Corps University, The Battle of Belleau Wood: A Study in Leadership 4. The Naval History and Heritage Command, The Boxer Rebellion and the American Expeditionary Forces
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