Nov 20 , 2025
Daniel Daly, the Marine Who Earned Two Medals of Honor
Blood drips beneath the mud, gunfire cracks like thunder. Sgt. Maj. Daniel J. Daly Jr. stands unyielding, a living fortress amid chaos. The Boxer Rebellion’s streets burn, and in France’s muddy trenches during World War I, his name rings out — not once, but twice, clad in Medal of Honor valor. This isn’t legend by rumor. This is raw, grit-forged proof of what unbreakable courage looks like.
The Bloodline of Duty
Born in Glen Cove, New York, 1873, Daniel Daly came from humble roots. No silver spoon, just grit and a deep-seated sense of right. The streets taught him to fight, but faith mapped his soul. Raised Catholic, the weight of scripture hammered home a code: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).
He enlisted in the Marines at 18. Early on, Daly wasn’t just a soldier; he was a shield. A man who believed the warrior’s purpose wasn’t glory but to protect, to bear the scars so others might live. Honor isn't just earned in victory—it's forged in pain and sacrifice.
Boxer Rebellion: Hell’s Crucible
In 1900, Beijing’s Legation Quarter became a cauldron where nations clashed with the Boxer insurgents. Daly, assigned as a private, displayed a fearless streak nearly impossible to tame. The streets twisted with wires, barricades, and fire.
During the siege, Daly took a place in the breach, rallying his squad against overwhelming odds. Enemy fire cut through the air like a butcher’s blade. But he pressed, throwing grenades, leading charges, his voice raw and relentless. When his squad faltered, Daly stood alone, pinning down enemy snipers just long enough for wounded Americans to pull back.
A citation for his Medal of Honor reads:
For distinguished bravery and conspicuous gallantry in action at Tientsin, China, July 13, 1900, Sgt. Daniel Daly fearlessly exposed himself to heavy crossfire to rescue comrades and hold his position.
This was no one-man show. Daly became a symbol — the relentless heart that wouldn’t quit.
World War I: The Storm Returns
Fast forward 17 years. The world erupts in global war. Daly, now a seasoned Sgt. Maj., finds himself in the hellish muck of Belleau Wood in June 1918. The woods were a grinder — machine guns stuttered, artillery tore earth to bloody shreds, and men screamed in agony.
On June 7, Daly’s orders were brutal: take the woods or die trying.
He charged forward, twice. Once when his platoon hesitated under machine-gun fire, he famously yelled:
"Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?"
That line wasn’t bravado—it was gospel to men teetering on the edge of mortality. Standing exposed, firing his rifle, dragging injured men out from no man’s land when others couldn’t.
The citation for his second Medal of Honor records:
Sergeant Major Daly distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in combat near Bouresches, France, 6-7 June 1918. Alone, he opened fire upon the enemy with a Lewis machine gun, killing or wounding many of their ranks and thereby halting a German advance long enough to allow his company to regroup.
The dents in his uniform mirrored the holes in his body and soul. But his will pressed onward. A rock among the tide.
Medals, Memory, and Men
Only one other Marine in history carries two Medals of Honor like Daly. He never chased fame. Daly once shrugged off the nation’s praise, saying,
“Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” — that’s all any Marine needs.*
Others saw a man tempered by fire, who fought not for medals but because of the man next to him.
General Pershing called him:
“One of the bravest men in American history.”
Daly’s legacy isn’t just the medals or the battles — it’s the embodiment of the Marine Corps’ fierce creed and the living promise of sacrifice.
Enduring Lessons
Daniel Daly teaches us that courage is a muscle, exercised in the hell of combat and hardened by constant sacrifice.
He refused to quit even when the shrieks of war told him to. His faith anchored him, reminding that redemption comes through service, pain, and loyalty —
“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,” says the Lord Almighty (Zechariah 4:6).
In the dust-soaked trenches, under relentless barrage, Sgt. Maj. Daly didn’t just fight. He embodied purpose. He was every combat vet who faced death with grit, scarred but not broken.
The story of Daniel Daly rips through the false glamor of war. It’s painful, raw—the grime and blood, but also the fire that keeps a soldier’s soul burning.
His legacy demands we never forget: valor isn’t born from ease. It’s carved with bitter sacrifice, relentless service, and a steadfast heart that won’t let fear define it.
He stood in hell so others could walk in peace.
Sources
1. U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Citations: Daniel J. Daly 2. George B. Clark, Medal of Honor Heroes of World War I (2015) 3. Department of the Navy, Historic Battles: Boxer Rebellion and Belleau Wood 4. Pershing, John J., quoted in Robert D. Heinl Jr., Combat History of the United States Marines (1948)
Related Posts
William J. Crawford's Courage at Leyte and Medal of Honor
William J. Crawford’s Stand at Suvereto Earned the Medal of Honor
Robert J. Patterson, Medal of Honor Hero at Petersburg