Daniel Daly, Marine Who Earned Two Medals of Honor in Combat

Dec 07 , 2025

Daniel Daly, Marine Who Earned Two Medals of Honor in Combat

The air was thick with smoke and blood. Shells screamed overhead. Around him, men fell silent. Yet Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly stood fast at the wire’s edge, fists clenched and ready—alone against a charging horde. No hesitation. No retreat. Just sheer guts and the grim resolve of a warrior who knew fear but refused to bow.

The Making of a Warrior

Born in Glen Cove, New York, 1873, Daly’s bones were forged in the rough streets, where survival was the first lesson. A working-class Irish Catholic boy, he found discipline and purpose in the Marines. Faith was his backbone—a quiet fire in the darkness—anchoring his soul through the chaos ahead.

He lived by a code not penned but etched in sweat and honor: protect your brothers, never waver, carry your scars with pride. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). Daly knew peace was earned in sacrifice, and he bore that truth like a battle flag.

The Boxer Rebellion: A Test of Steel

In 1900, China’s Boxer Rebellion exploded. The old world clashed with the new. Daly’s unit, a handful of Marines, found themselves besieged in Peking’s Legation Quarter, surrounded by thousands of rebels hellbent on extermination.

When the enemy launched their final assault, Daly’s response was pure grit. Beneath ferocious fire, he manned a defensive position holding the crucial wire barricade. With nothing but man-sized courage and a loaded rifle, he beat back wave after wave.

For this unprecedented valor, he earned his first Medal of Honor. His citation is stark: “For extraordinary heroism in battle. During the advance on Tientsin, China, 13 July 1900. Sgt. Daly distinguished himself by his coolness and decision in fighting his way forward.”

His steadiness didn’t just hold ground—it inspired the men beside him to fight on as if their lives hung on his hands alone. Because, in that moment, they did.

The Great War: Valor Reforged in Fire

World War I gutted a generation, but for Sgt. Maj. Daly, the crucible was another proving ground.

At the Battle of Belleau Wood, June 1918, with death all around, an enemy machine-gun nest pinned down his company. Seeing lives slip away, Daly grabbed a rifle and charged single-handedly into the hellfire. He reportedly shouted to his stunned comrades, "Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?"

His bold assault silenced the guns, saving many lives. In that instant, he embodied every attribute of the Marine Corps creed: courage, aggressiveness, devotion.

The military awarded him his second Medal of Honor (a distinction shared by only 19 men in American military history) with citation reading: “For extreme gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the 4th Marine Brigade near Vierzy, France, 24 June 1918.”

His leadership and relentless push forward turned the tide for his unit. Men trusted his guts, his grit, his refusal to quit.

Honors Etched in History

Two Medals of Honor. A Navy Cross. The respect of an entire Corps.

Fellow Marine General Smedley Butler, a legend himself, captured Daly’s spirit: “Dan Daly is the fighting marine par excellence . . . a man who inspires others to the greatest efforts.”

Beyond medals and citations, Daly earned something more profound: a legacy forged in the bitterest fires, etched deep in the Marine alma mater—“Retreat hell! We just got here!”—words Daly famously embodied.

Legacy of Blood and Redemption

Daly’s life chased a brutal clarity: courage is more than a moment; it is a lifetime’s habit. His scars were not just wounds but badges that told of presence in the storm others fled. Yet through every fight, his faith persisted, reflecting a soldier who found redemption not in glory but in sacrifice.

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

Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly’s story is raw truth—etched in mud and blood, in grit and grace. He teaches veterans and civilians alike that real valor is born from stubborn heartbeats in the darkest places.

Every soldier who laces boots today carries a fragment of his fierce will—a reminder that honor lives when men refuse to back down, and redemption walks hand-in-hand with sacrifice.

Sources

1. Naval History and Heritage Command, Medal of Honor Recipients: Boxer Rebellion 2. U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Dan Daly: Biography and Battle Records 3. Official Medal of Honor citations, The Hall of Valor database 4. Smedley D. Butler, War Is a Racket (1935) 5. Charles F. Jones, The Fighting Marine: The Story of Sergeant Major Daniel Daly