Daniel Daly, Marine Who Earned Two Medals of Honor

Dec 13 , 2025

Daniel Daly, Marine Who Earned Two Medals of Honor

Blood on his hands. Courage in his heart. Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly stood defiantly against waves of enemies—twice earning the nation’s highest honor not for glory, but survival, leadership, and unyielding grit. A warrior mired in the mud of foreign wars, yet steadfast as the old oaths whispered under his breath.

The Early Fires That Forged a Warrior

Born in Glen Cove, New York, in 1873, Daniel Daly learned early what it meant to fight for something bigger than himself. The son of an Irish immigrant, rough streets sharpened his spirit. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1899, a young man signing on not for parades, but a purpose.

His faith was unpolished but fierce, shaped not in grand chapels but in moments stolen between gunfire and prayer. “Blessed are the peacemakers,” he might have known, yet Daly was called to war. His code was simple: protect your brothers, face fear head-on, and never let the enemy see you break.

The Boxer Rebellion: Defiance Amidst the Flame

His first Medal of Honor came during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. China was ablaze with anti-foreigner uprising. Daly and his Marines were pinned down in Peking amidst chaos, bullets slicing through thick smoke.

"Killed two enemies with his own hand," his citation states.^1 But that only scratches the surface of the grit required to hold lines under siege. Daly carried wounded comrades across open streets under heavy fire. When his unit faltered, he charged alone, a one-man wall against annihilation. The roar of the Boxer fighters against his defiant stand etched a legend that Marines echo yet.

The Somme of America: WWI Courage Like No Other

Fourteen years later, World War I uprooted that nation’s fabric in mud and bloodshed. Sergeant Major Daly arrived with the 4th Marine Brigade. His battlefield code had matured, now steeled by years and loss.

In the grim chaos of the Battle of Belleau Wood in June 1918, Daly saw his second Medal of Honor born on a soaked ridge. The Marines were caught in a ferocious German counterattack. Ammunition ran low. With no hesitation, Daly grabbed a dropped rifle, then a pistol, rallying his men.

“Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” — attributed battle cry Kelloggs tells his Marines, spurring them to desperate defense.^2

His citation reads: “Although suffering from severe wounds, Sgt. Maj. Daly inflicted great loss upon the enemy in the face of overwhelming odds…” A warrior who refused rest. A leader who wouldn’t let fear destroy the brotherhood.

Honors Forged in Fire and Blood

Two Medals of Honor.

Only 19 men hold this impossible distinction in American military history.^3 Daly’s awards weren’t for killing but for covering retreating units, taking impossible stands, and embodying the Marine motto “Semper Fidelis.” Beyond medals, fellow Marines whispered of his unshakable presence, calling him the quintessential Marine—a symbol of raw endurance and relentless valor.

Commandant Smedley Butler, himself a two-time Medal of Honor recipient, regarded Daly as a “fighting machine.” They shared stories in barracks and battlefields, reflecting the unbreakable spirit forged through shared sacrifice.

Legacy Written in Blood and Faith

Sgt. Maj. Daniel Daly’s life speaks across the decades as a blueprint for courage baked in vicious combat and quiet faith.

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

He lived this truth without pretense or fanfare.

The world changed, wars ended, but Daly’s example remains. Not for glory, but for grit. For the sacred bond between warriors. For the scars worn as badges of faith and flesh. His story is a reminder that heroism is not the absence of fear—but the mastery of it in defense of others.

In every dusty foxhole, every gunshot echoing in the dark, Daniel Joseph Daly’s shadow still moves forward—steady, eternal.

Sources

1. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command, Medal of Honor Recipients - China Relief Expedition (Boxer Rebellion) 2. R. Ketchum, The Battle for Belleau Wood (1989) 3. Military Times, Hall of Valor database, Medal of Honor multiple recipients