Daniel Daly, Medal of Honor Marine at Tientsin and Belleau Wood

Dec 05 , 2025

Daniel Daly, Medal of Honor Marine at Tientsin and Belleau Wood

They came at us like shadows from hell—fangs bared, teeth flashing in the smoke. Sgt. Major Daniel Joseph Daly was standing alone, rifle slammed up against the chaos, his voice cutting through the carnage. “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” Those words echoed on a battered street corner in Tientsin, China, 1900, a challenge thrown straight into the heart of the Boxer Rebellion. That moment didn’t just mark a battle won. It etched a warrior’s spirit into the American soul.

Blood and Faith in Brooklyn

Born in 1873 in Glen Cove, New York, Daniel Daly didn’t come from privilege. He was the son of working-class Irish immigrants—men who knew hard work, long hours, and sacrifice. Daly enlisted in the Marines at 21. The Corps became his first true family. For a man steeped in the grit of blue-collar grit, discipline, honor, and unwavering faith drove his code.

Daly was a devout Catholic. His faith wasn’t a worn page in a Bible or hollow words in quiet rooms—it was battle-tested, fought over, and forged in fire. He lived Romans 5:3-4: “suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” His scars, both visible and invisible, spoke of a man who bore his burden with solemn pride.

The Boxer Rebellion: Defiant Valor at Tientsin

The summer of 1900. The Boxer Rebellion—the upheaval against foreign influence shaking China's streets. Daly and his Marines landed in Tientsin, tasked with breaking a siege intent on wiping out the legations.

The fighting was vicious, brutal, and unrelenting. Daly’s rifle cracked like thunder as enemy forces surged. In an action that earned him his first Medal of Honor, Daly single-handedly manned a barricade under devastating fire, rallying his comrades even as nearly every man around him fell. His citation reads: “For distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy at the battle of Tientsin.” [1]

That July day, Daly’s fearless stand became a bulwark of hope. His voice—rough and commanding—became a rallying cry, that line screamed across the battlefield, a testament to raw courage: “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” This was no bravado. It was pure, unyielding defiance in the face of death.

War to End All Wars: Valor in Verdun's Shadows

Two decades later, history’s irony dealt Daly another hand. World War I—the Great War—ripped the world apart anew. Daly, now a seasoned veteran, was a Gunnery Sergeant with the 6th Marine Regiment, the “Fighting Sixth.” They landed in France, thrown into the grinding nightmare of trench warfare.

One more Medal of Honor came not from a single act but sustained valor. At the Battle of Belleau Wood in June 1918, Daly’s leadership was as fierce as ever. Under withering artillery and machine gun fire, his Marines held the line. Amid the mud-choked forests, Daly refused to blink under a storm of fire, rallying men who were bone-tired and tear-stained but refusing to yield. [2]

His citation notes his “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his own life above and beyond the call of duty.” The legend grew not because Daly sought glory, but because he stood as a rock when the world was crumbling around his men.

Lt. Col. Earl H. Ellis, one of Daly’s commanders, said it plainly:

“Daly’s courage is not merely personal valor. It’s the lifeblood of our Corps.” [3]

Decorations Worn Like Battle Scars

Two Medals of Honor. Not many can claim that. But Daly’s honors went beyond medals. His Silver Star, Navy Cross, and persistent promotion to Sgt. Major—highest enlisted rank—tell a story of consistent, undeniable leadership.

His decorations never defined him. He once said, “I’m just a Marine.” That humility stood against the relentless challenges of combat. His courage was not an isolated flash. It was endurance—day after day, fight after fight.

The Legacy of an Undying Warrior

Daly’s story is the unvarnished truth of sacrifice. His life reminds us, courage isn’t the absence of fear—it’s the choice to stand, to fight, and to inspire when everything screams to run.

He stands as a beacon for every combat veteran who knew the cost of loyalty to brothers-in-arms and the price of freedom. Through his scars, his faith, and his combat grit, he provides a roadmap for redemption in chaos.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9

Honed by battle and baptized in sacrifice, Sgt. Major Daniel Joseph Daly’s name is etched into the iron backbone of American valor. He was the man who dared death to his face—not for fame, but for the blood-stained legacy of those who fought beside him. In every veteran’s soul, his story bleeds still.

Sources

1. U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Citations: Boxer Rebellion 2. U.S. Marine Corps Archives, Belleau Wood Campaign Reports (1918) 3. Joseph H. Alexander, Storm Landings: Epic Marine Battles in the Pacific, Naval Institute Press (1992)