Nov 14 , 2025
Daniel Daly, Marine Who Held the Line and Won Two Medals of Honor
Blood runs thicker when courage is carved into bone. Daniel Joseph Daly knew this truth before most ever fired their first rounds. It was fear, danger, and duty wrapped tight in his battle-scarred hands. Twice, against hell’s fire, he stared down death and roared back victory—earning two Medals of Honor in the brutal crucibles of the Boxer Rebellion and the First World War.
From Brooklyn Streets to Marine Corps Valor
Born January 11, 1873, in Glen Cove, New York, Daly marched into the Marine Corps in 1899. Raised in working-class grit, he carried the quiet steel of a man who learned early that honor never bends. Faith and fierce loyalty molded his code—a warrior’s creed steeped in duty, a soldier’s prayer, and a heart breaking for comrades.
The Old Corps was more than uniform and orders. It was a brotherhood stamped with sacrifice.
“We want more men with the spirit of Sergeant Major Daly,” Marines would say. A man who accepted death’s face without blinking.
The Battle That Defined Him: Boxer Rebellion, 1900
Few moments seared into military lore like June 20, 1900, at the Siege of the Legations in Peking, China. The Boxer Rebellion’s chaos had the city under siege. Daly, now Sergeant Major, was manning a critical fortification during the intense street fighting that blazed on.
Amid relentless bombardment and deadly ambushes, Daly’s leadership surged. When Marines wavered under crushing enemy pressure, he anchored their line, defiant against the impossible.
His Medal of Honor citation recounts:
“In the presence of the enemy during the battle near Tientsin, China, June 20, 1900, Sergeant Major Daly distinguished himself by his conduct.”[¹]
This was no routine commendation. It was the embodiment of a warrior who would not break—who held the line when all else pushed back.
The Immortal Words: The Marines’ Battle Cry
In the trenches of World War I, during the Battle of Belleau Wood, Daly’s legend deepened. May 1918, Marines faced the savage storm of German advance. Morale frayed. Men died by the second, mud clinging to bloodied faces, machine guns spat death.
It was here, under a hailstorm of bullets, that Daly, then a Gunnery Sergeant, reportedly shouted at the Marines:
“Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?”[²]
That cry echoed beyond the battlefield—a summons to courage, a defiance of death itself. It galvanized the Marines to hold fast, pushing back waves of enemy assaults, earning the title "Devil Dogs."
The Second Medal of Honor: World War I Valor
In October 1918, during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, Daly again demonstrated unyielding heroism. Under heavy fire near Landres-et-Saint-Georges, France, he single-handedly swept out enemy snipers with lethal precision. His courage under fire saved countless lives and kept vital positions intact.
The second Medal of Honor citation emphasizes:
“For heroism above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the 4th Marine Brigade... putting to rout a party of German snipers alone.”[³]
No frills, no glamor—just raw, brutal valor that carved the path for victory.
Recognition That Spoke Beyond Medals
Few men have earned the Medal of Honor twice. Daly stands among that sacred few, joining legends like Maj. Gen. Smedley Butler, his close friend and fellow Marine giant.
But no medal can fully capture the living proof of leadership—the men who followed him into hell and lived to tell the tale.
Maj. Gen. Butler said it plainly:
“There is no man in the United States Marine Corps I admire more than Sgt. Maj. Daniel Daly.”[⁴]
Daly’s legacy was painted not only in ribbons but in lives saved, battles won, and the indomitable spirit of every Marine who heard his thunderous call.
The Eternal Battlefield: Courage and Redemption
Daniel Daly died in 1937, but his story still bleeds alive. His valor reminds us that courage is not a fleeting act. It is forged in the daily grind of sacrifice, pain, and perseverance.
His scarring lessons echo for warriors and civilians alike:
- Fear is tethered to faith. - Leadership is sacrifice born in fire. - Redemption belongs to the man who survives his wrestling with death and leads others back to life.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9
In today’s battles—whether fought in distant deserts or the silent wars within—this scripture, this warrior’s heart, calls us still.
Daniel Joseph Daly was more than a hero. He was a testament to the grit, honor, and redemptive power of a soldier’s soul. The battlefield may claim the body—but the legacy of courage endures forever.
Sources
1. Medal of Honor citation, Daniel Joseph Daly – Naval History and Heritage Command, Sergeant Major Daly’s Citation, Boxer Rebellion 2. Millett, Allan R., Semper Fidelis: The History of the United States Marine Corps (1991) 3. Medal of Honor citation, Daniel Joseph Daly – U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients — World War I 4. Smedley Butler, quoted in The Warrior’s Legacy: The Life of Sergeant Major Daniel J. Daly by Kevin O’Brien (Marine Corps Heritage Foundation)
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