Daniel Daly, Marine Who Earned Two Medals of Honor at Belleau Wood

Nov 22 , 2025

Daniel Daly, Marine Who Earned Two Medals of Honor at Belleau Wood

The roar of gunfire, the screams of the wounded, and the bitter stench of death—this was Daniel Joseph Daly’s world. At Belleau Wood, under a rain of German shells and relentless machine-gun fire, Daly stood alone, a living wall that stopped a tide of death. No flinch. No retreat. Just raw guts forged by combat and faith. A warrior marked by scars only a handful have dared to bear.

Background & Faith: Born in the Fires of Duty

Daniel Joseph Daly came from the rough streets of Glen Cove, New York. Raised in a working-class Irish neighborhood, the kind where toughness meant survival, and loyalty ran deeper than blood. His faith was simple but ironclad—belief in a just cause, in brothers-in-arms, and in a God who redeems through suffering.

He lived by an unshakable code: courage is not the absence of fear, but the mastery of it.

Long before his first Medal of Honor, Daly was a Marine Corps private who carried the weight of every man beside him. His spine wasn’t just hardened by muscle—it was forged in prayer and conviction.

“For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life...shall be able to separate us from the love of God…” – Romans 8:38-39

The Battle That Defined Him: Boxer Rebellion to Belleau Wood

In 1900, the Boxer Rebellion in China threw Daly into the first flames of heroism. Surrounded, outnumbered, pinned down—he grabbed the flag and shouted, “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” This was no bravado. It was the kind of fearless leadership that seizes desperation and transforms it into victory[^1]. For that, he earned his first Medal of Honor.

But it was World War I where Daly’s legend was cemented in blood and steel.

By June 1918, Marines fought in Belleau Wood like hell itself, with the forest burning from gunfire. The German advance threatened to break the Allied line. Daly, then a Gunnery Sergeant, received orders that could’ve meant life or death for hundreds. They were losing ground.

Without hesitation, Daly single-handedly charged a German machine-gun nest. Under nonstop fire, he killed or captured the crew, tipping the scales back.

His relentless assault wasn’t pride—it was necessity. His men counted on him. The enemy was at the gate.

“He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty,” his Medal of Honor citation reads[^2].

Recognition: Two Medals, One Unbreakable Spirit

Daniel Daly is one of only nineteen men in U.S. history to earn two Medals of Honor—and one of just three Marines to do so. The first for saving his unit during the Boxer Rebellion. The second for the fearless assault at Belleau Wood.

Marine Corps legend Charles H. Smith once said, “When Daly took the field, you knew you had something others couldn’t match.” His courage reverberated through generations of Marines and soldiers alike. He was more than a warrior—he was a symbol of indomitable will.

His decorations don’t just glitter—they tell stories of sacrifice, pain, and survival. Each medal stained by the grit of real combat, not ceremony.

Legacy & Lessons: Courage Carved in Blood and Faith

Daly’s legacy is not just in medals or stories. It’s in the idea that true courage is an act of faith—faith in the man beside you, faith in your mission, and faith in a higher purpose beyond the carnage.

He walked battlefields bearing wounds but never weariness of spirit. His life proves that courage is not reserved for heroes born but made—hammered by fire, prayer, and pain.

In his own words, “Go get ‘em, boys. You’re not dying for nothing.” This was a promise to his comrades and a testament to his belief that sacrifice carves the path for redemption.

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

Daly’s story is a reminder that combat leaves scars—some visible, some hidden—but the spirit endures. His battle cry echoes not only in the mud of forests but in the hearts of all who fight for a cause larger than themselves.

Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly died in 1937, but his story isn’t buried in history. It rages on every time a Marine marches forward under fire—undaunted, unyielding, and unstoppable. A testament carved in blood that courage is not given. It is earned, forged where men stand firm and refuse to let darkness win.

Sources

[^1]: Marine Corps University, Medal of Honor Recipients: Boxer Rebellion [^2]: U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Citations: Daniel Daly