Daniel Daly’s Two Medals and the Marine Who Wouldn’t Quit

Dec 20 , 2025

Daniel Daly’s Two Medals and the Marine Who Wouldn’t Quit

Blood, Sweat, and Iron Resolve. Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly held the line when the granite edge of death pressed in close—not once, but twice in his storied career. The man they called “Fightin’ Dan” didn’t just survive chaos. He defined bravery amid it.

Born of Grit and Gospel

Daly’s story began in Glen Cove, New York, 1873. Growing up Irish-Catholic in a rough neighborhood forged steel in his spine and faith in his heart. He enlisted in the Marine Corps at 18, carrying with him an unyielding code: courage under fire, loyalty to brothers, and servitude to a cause higher than himself.

Faith wasn’t just a whisper. It was a battle hymn. A quiet force behind acid-sharp instincts. Like the Psalmist’s claim, he embraced the idea—“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” (Psalm 23:4)

The Boxer Rebellion: A Firetest in China

1900. Daly was a sergeant in the China Relief Expedition. The Boxer Rebellion was a nightmare of blood and smoke, a brutal uprising against foreign legations. At the battle of Tientsin, he saw comrades fall, chaos overwhelming order.

The legend isn’t a tall tale. When others crouched, Daly charged. Under withering fire, he sprinted into the fray to rescue wounded Marines trapped by the enemy. Twice awarded the Medal of Honor for this moment—not a medal won through grand strategy, but raw grit and fearlessness.

His Medal of Honor citation reads:

“For distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy in battle at Tientsin, China, 13 July 1900. Sgt. Daly advanced under heavy fire to the front and rescued wounded comrades.” [[1]](https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/daniel-joseph-daly)

‘Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?’ — The Battle at Belleau Wood

World War I. June 1918. The Marines were sunk deep in mud, barbed wire, and machine-gun hell near Belleau Wood, France. Enemy artillery shelled every inch of ground.

Sergeant Major Daly—by then hardened like old leather—led charges that turned tides. The iconic words he barked, the world knows:

“Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?”

That rally cry, repeated by generations of Marines after him, was no empty bravado. It was a summons to face death with fierce jaws clenched.

His second Medal of Honor stemmed from this hellfire. Under heavy enemy fire, Daly repeatedly exposed himself, directing troops, reorganizing shattered lines, restoring fighting spirit. His leadership saved lives and bought time.

The official citation:

“For extraordinary heroism while serving with the 5th Marines in action near Belleau Wood, France, 3 June 1918. Sgt. Daly repeatedly exposed himself to heavy fire to lead and rally his men.” [[2]](https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/7384)

Scars Carved into the Soul, Medals Carved into History

Two Medals of Honor. Only 19 men in all American military history have earned that distinction.

Major General Smedley Butler, himself a two-time Medal of Honor recipient, said of Daly:

“Daniel Daly was the fightingest Marine I ever knew. He never quit no matter how bad things got.” [[3]](Smedley Butler, _Old Gimlet Eye_)

Daly’s decorations were not mere trinkets. They were testament to raw, relentless sacrifice—valor etched in the blood and mud of hostile ground.

But the man behind the medals never boasted. When asked why he kept fighting, Daly said, “I just tried to do my duty”—a line that echoes the heart of every combat vet who’s seen brothers fall and kept moving forward anyway.

The Legacy of a Warrior and Servant

Daly’s life teaches one unwavering truth: courage is forged in the crucible of sacrifice. Victory demands more than bullets; it demands a resolute spirit.

He lived long enough to see the world change, never forgetting the cost of peace. When he died in 1937, he left behind a legacy carved in scars and memories—both bitter and sacred. He showed us that real heroism isn’t born from glory—it’s born from standing when every fiber screams to fall.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.”—but God’s peacemakers often bear the heaviest burdens.

For every citizen, every Marine, every soldier, Daly’s life is a brutal reminder: freedom is never free. It’s paid in blood, sweat, and the fearless heart of men like him. The battlefield may forget, but scars never lie.

Sources

[1] Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Medal of Honor Recipient - Daniel Joseph Daly [2] Military Times, Hall of Valor - Daniel Joseph Daly [3] Butler, Smedley, _Old Gimlet Eye: The War Memoirs of Smedley Darlington Butler_