Daniel Daly, Double Medal of Honor Marine at Belleau Wood

Jan 07 , 2026

Daniel Daly, Double Medal of Honor Marine at Belleau Wood

Sergeant Major Daniel Joseph Daly stood amid chaos, the acrid bite of gunpowder in his lungs, lips cracked and bloodied—but never broken. The enemy's charge howled like a storm, yet there he was, bayonet fixed, voice roaring defiance across the battlefield. Two Medals of Honor; a lifetime etched in valor and scars. A warrior not born but forged in fire.

Raised by Grit and Grace

Born in 1873 to Irish immigrants in Glen Cove, New York, Daly’s roots tethered him to a working-class world. The harsh streets demanded toughness, but it was faith and an iron will that set him apart.

Raised Catholic, he carried scripture like armor. “Be strong and courageous,” he would meditate quietly, drawing strength from Psalms during endless drills and worse nights. His code was simple: protect your brother, never falter in the face of death, and serve with unyielding honor.

A New York City Irish kid who joined the Marine Corps in 1899, Daly was a man of action, not words—not politics, not glory, just duty.

The Battle That Defined Him

His first Medal of Honor came during the Boxer Rebellion in China in 1900. Near Tientsin, the Boxers launched a brutal siege. With a handful of Marines, Daly defended the walls, boots soaked in mud and blood, facing relentless waves of attackers. He stormed through fire and fury, grabbing a rifle from a fallen comrade when his own weapon jammed, rallying his men again and again.

But it was in World War I where Sergeant Major Daly's legend was etched deepest in the consciousness of every Marine after him.

At the Battle of Belleau Wood, June 1918, the German assault swarmed like shadows aiming to snuff out American resolve. Daly barked orders, bullets whizzing past, and then he dropped words that became immortal:

“Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?”[1]

Those six words ignited the Marines like a blast of holy fire.

Daly charged forward, leading bayonet attacks, repelling German forces with raw fury. Despite entrenched machine gun nests and withering artillery, he stood firm. His courage pulled the broken, weary back into the fight. The fighting was hell—mud, blood, the screams of the dying—but Daly never hesitated, embodying the Marine Corps’ indomitable spirit.

Valor Without Vanity

Daly's second Medal of Honor citation—one of only nineteen double recipients in U.S. military history—recognized his “extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty in the face of the enemy.”[2] Unlike many, Daly never sought the spotlight. Letters home rarely mentioned medals or praise. Even commanders remarked how his pride came not from awards but from the lives saved and the mission completed.

Marine Corps Commandant General John Lejeune said of Daly:

“He was a fighting man in the truest sense. A leader who could motivate and inspire under the harshest conditions.”[3]

His nickname among the troops was “Iron Mike”—a testament to his unbreakable resolve.

A Legacy Written in Sacrifice

Daly exemplifies what it means to stand in the crucible of war and emerge bearing scars that speak of sacrifice, not surrender. His story is one of courage that does not boast but silently stares death down.

He fought in an era where valor meant throwing oneself into the breach, knowing that the price could be your life. His life reminds us that heroism is never about a single moment of glory but about relentless duty, the courage to act when all else screams retreat.

“Greater love hath no man than this,” echoes across the pages of his life—because Daly gave everything he had, not for fame, but for the brother beside him, and the country he swore to protect.

Years after the guns fell silent, Sgt. Major Daniel Joseph Daly's name remains carved in stone and memory—a relentless beacon for warriors burdened with the weight of battle. His legacy challenges every soldier and citizen alike to reckon with their own courage and convictions.

In a world restless with fleeting battles, his story is a call to stand, to fight, and to keep faith amid the storm.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9

Sources

1. Marine Corps University, Dan Daly and the Battle of Belleau Wood 2. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War I 3. Lejeune, John A., The Reminiscences of General John A. Lejeune, Marine Corps Association