Dec 13 , 2025
Daniel Daly, Marine Who Earned Two Medals of Honor
Blood soaked the streets of Tientsin. Smoke and screams tangled in the early dawn.
Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly stood his ground, twice the man in a world starving for heroes. His hands bled from the charge, his eyes steel—unflinching against the chaos. This wasn’t just war; this was a test of soul.
From Brooklyn Streets to Battle Lines
Born in 1873, Daniel Daly grew up rough, a Catholic working-class kid from Brooklyn. No silver spoon, just grit. He enlisted in the Marine Corps at 19 because he knew what needed doing. Faith helped him carry that burden—a quiet fire burning beneath the thunder of battle.
He lived by a code worn into his skin: never quit, protect your brothers, fight as if your life meant something beyond yourself. “You’re never a hero for what you have, but for what you hold when it all gets taken away,” he’d say.
The Boxer Rebellion: The First Medal of Honor
In 1900, China’s Boxer Rebellion threatened to crush the foreign legations in Peking. Marines were sent to hold the line. Daly found himself in the thick of the siege during the Battle of Tientsin.
Under a hailstorm of bullets and fire, he led a charge to seize enemy positions that were turning the tide. Twice, he grabbed fallen comrades and dragged them to safety—all while exposed to enemy fire. His fearless leadership inspired men to keep moving through hell’s furnace.
His Medal of Honor citation reads:
“For distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy at the Battle of Tientsin, China, July 13, 1900.”[1]
There, Daly earned his first immortal mark—a Marine who would stand fast when all others broke.
World War I: Valor Beyond Measure
Fourteen years later, the Great War swallowed a new generation in mud and blood. By then, Daly was Staff Sergeant—a hardened warrior. But danger sought him out again at the Battle of Belleau Wood in June 1918.
The Marines faced a brutal German offensive. Daly’s unit was pinned down. Reports describe how he single-handedly attacked a machine gun nest, clearing the way for his men to advance—walking the razor’s edge between life and death.
Later, when a German raiding party overran a section, Daly drove them back with his revolver and fierce determination. His second Medal of Honor recognized valor rare in any fight, let alone one as bitter as the trenches of France:
“For extraordinary heroism while serving with the 6th Regiment (Marines), 2d Division, A.E.F., in action at Belleau Wood, France, 6–7 June 1918.”[2]
Legend has it that when asked about his feats, Daly shrugged and muttered something grim: “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?”
Recognition Etched in Iron and Blood
Sgt. Maj. Daniel Daly stands as one of the few to receive two Medals of Honor—a distinction earned by those who stare down calamity and refuse to blink. He also earned the Navy Cross and countless accolades from comrades and commanders alike.
Gen. Smedley Butler, himself a two-time Medal of Honor recipient, once noted of Daly:
“He was the fighting Marine.”[3]
But Daly never sought glory. His scars were stories told quietly over cinder and gin, always pointing back to something greater than himself.
Legacy Carved in Stone and Spirit
Daly’s life is a testament to sacrifice and grit. No battlefield bravado. Just unwavering duty. In every scar, a lesson—in every medal, a reminder.
He carried a deep belief that courage is a choice. Sacrifice isn’t for fame; it’s for the man beside you. Redemption comes not in trophies, but in surviving and fighting on—for those who can’t.
He laid down his arms in 1937, but his legend endures like a burned brand on Marine Corps history.
“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” — Isaiah 40:31
In a world hungry for real heroes, Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly reminds us that true valor is born in sacrifice and tested in fire. He fought not for medals but for a cause larger than himself—the survival of comrades and the honor of the Corps.
This is the heart of a warrior. This is legacy.
Sources
1. Naval History and Heritage Command, Medal of Honor Recipients: Boxer Rebellion 2. United States Marine Corps, Medal of Honor Citations: Belleau Wood 3. Butler, Smedley D., War Is a Racket, 1935 (quoting his thoughts on Daly)
Related Posts
Robert J. Patterson at Shiloh Earned the Medal of Honor
Ross McGinnis, Medal of Honor Recipient Who Shielded Comrades
Robert J. Patterson's Antietam Stand Earned the Medal of Honor