Daniel Daly, Marine Who Earned Two Medals of Honor

Nov 20 , 2025

Daniel Daly, Marine Who Earned Two Medals of Honor

Rain pounded like the hellfire drums of war. Bullets tore the sky as Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly stood firm—alone and unyielding—against waves of Boxer Rebellion insurgents. His rifle cracked like thunder while his voice bellowed commands. Around him, chaos reigned, but he was a rock in the storm.

This was no act of chance. This was the making of a warrior—one who would earn the Medal of Honor not once, but twice.

From Brooklyn Streets to Battlefield Resolve

Born in 1873, Daniel Daly came up tough in the rough alleys of Brooklyn, New York. No silver spoon, just grit and an iron will. Two things shaped him early—faith and fierce loyalty to those he called brothers. His devout Catholic background gave him a moral compass many lose in combat’s maelstrom. A code rooted in sacrifice, honor, and never quitting.

“I cut my teeth on hard ground,” he once said. The Marines were his calling—a brotherhood where scars meant stories and courage was the currency. For Daly, every fight was a test of faith as much as fortitude.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13

The Battle That Cemented a Legend

It was June 20, 1900, in Tianjin, China. The Boxer Rebellion had escalated into brutal urban warfare. As the Marines advanced, Daly’s unit found itself pinned down. Where others faltered, Daly surged forward with relentless firepower and fearless resolve.

His Medal of Honor citation for this day reads:

“For distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy in the battle of Tientsin, China, June 20, 1900.”

The battle was vicious. Daly and his men fought street to street, hand to hand. More than once, he fearlessly exposed himself to enemy fire, rallying Marines around him to hold a critical position. His voice carried over the gunfire—a lifeline in chaos.

“He made courage contagious,” recalled a fellow Marine. “There was no quitting with Daly in your corner.”

The Hell of World War I and the Second Medal

Fast forward 17 years. The Great War engulfed the world, and Daly’s hardened frame marched once more into violence. October 26, 1918, near Blanc Mont in France, his battalion was under fierce German assault. Daly’s leadership and raw bravery turned the tide.

The Medal of Honor citation from this action reads in part:

“...when his men were pinned down by heavy machinegun fire, he voluntarily went forward alone and engaged the enemy with his pistol until reinforcements arrived.”

Machineguns spat death, but Daly moved like a force of nature. He drew enemy fire, buying his unit precious seconds to regroup and counterattack. His fearless act saved countless lives.

Sergeant Major Daly wasn’t just a soldier. He was a bulwark. His gritty style of leading from the front set a standard Marines still honor today.

Recognition Beyond Medals

Daly was awarded two Medals of Honor—the only Marine to hold that distinction twice for separate conflicts. The first in China, the second in France. Few men carry such weight.

Yet his valor never went to his head. He remained a humble Marine, focused on the mission and the men. Fellow Marines spoke of his unshakable presence:

“Daly was the kind of warrior you wanted at your six when the bullets started flying.” — Marine Corps historian Robert Leckie

He rose to Sergeant Major, the highest enlisted rank, becoming a living legend in the Corps—etched in history not just for medals, but for embodying the Marine spirit.

Legacy Etched in Sacrifice and Redemption

Daly’s story is carved from battlefields but speaks beyond violence. It’s about standing when others fall, about the moral grit to face hell and never lose sight of what’s right—even when blood waters the ground. His faith—quiet and unflinching—anchored him.

“On a battlefield full of screams and smoke, a man’s soul lays bare,” he once reflected. His life was a testament that courage and sacrifice flow from something deeper than muscle and brass. They come from a relentless sense of duty to one’s brothers and to something greater than self.

To veterans and civilians alike, Sgt. Maj. Daniel Daly’s name is a call to bear our scars without shame—to live with honor in the shadow of sacrifice.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” — Deuteronomy 31:6

Daly stood tall where so many fell. His story bleeds truth into the marrow of service, sacrifice, and redemption. The battles fade, but the legacy—unbroken—carries forward.

Sources

1. U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Recipients: Daniel Joseph Daly 2. Robert Leckie, Helmet for My Pillow: The Marine Corps in World War II (reference for Marine valor traditions) 3. Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Daniel Joseph Daly Citations