Daniel Daly the Marine Who Fought at Tientsin and Belleau Wood

Dec 20 , 2025

Daniel Daly the Marine Who Fought at Tientsin and Belleau Wood

Sgt. Major Daniel Joseph Daly Jr. IX stood in the mud and chaos of a foreign battlefield, hands bloodied but steady. The enemy’s bullets whipped past him like angry hornets. Around him, Marines faltered—fear etched in their eyes. But Daly? He charged forward, rallying every man within earshot, daring death with a laugh and a curse. Two Medals of Honor wouldn’t come from standing still.

The Reckless Faith of a Warrior

Born in Glen Cove, New York, 1873, Daniel Daly was forged in the fires of a tough Irish Catholic working-class upbringing. Faith ran in his blood like sweat on summer skin. From the start, it was clear his life was not his own. He’d answer to a higher calling—both to God and country.

Daly’s moral compass was absolute. Honor was a currency more valuable than gold, and sacrifice was the ledger he was willing to keep balanced with his own blood. His fierce dedication to his fellow Marines grew from something deeper than duty—it was sacred.

Psalm 144:1 whispered between the gunfire for him:

“Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle.”

The Boxer Rebellion: Fire and Resolve

June 20, 1900—The streets of Tientsin, China, burned with rebellion. The Boxer insurgents swarmed, threatening the lives of foreign legations trapped in the city. Daly, just a sergeant then, found himself at the front line of a desperate defense.

Amid the chaos, Daly’s rifle emptied. The enemy surged closer. No time to reload. Without hesitation, he leapt into the siege, bare-chested, wielding his rifle as a club. Alone, he fought off waves of attackers. He single-handedly held the gate long enough for reinforcements to arrive.

His Medal of Honor citation bluntly declares:

“For extraordinary heroism in the presence of the enemy during the battle of Tientsin...single-handedly defending a breached gate against a numerically superior force.”(1)

No swagger, no boast. Just raw courage—a man doing what he was made for.

The Great War: The Legend of the ‘Have a Go’ Man

Fast forward to 1918, World War I trenches on Belleau Wood, France. Daly, now a seasoned Marine, again faced death’s mouth. The unit was pinned by German machine guns, taking horrific casualties. Morale was on the edge.

Daly, already decorated, stepped up. He shouted over the roar, “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?”

That shout became a rallying cry for the Marines charging the enemy lines. He led the counterattack, pistol drawn, moving from position to position—dragging wounded, giving orders, pressing the fight forward.

The war roared around him, mud and blood claiming lives too fast to count. Yet Daly kept moving. His second Medal of Honor came with a citation telling simply:

“For extraordinary heroism while serving with the 6th Marine Regiment in action...leading his company in an attack and continuing to fight despite being wounded.”(2)

No glory-hound talk. His courage was his language; his scars, his stories.

Recognition of a True Warrior

Daniel Daly is one of only three Marines to earn two Medals of Honor for separate acts of valor—and among the few in all the U.S. military. Fellow Marines called him “the ‘Marine’s Marine’”—a blunt, fearless soldier who lived the creed in every breath.

John A. Lejeune, Commandant of the Marine Corps, said of Daly:

“He was the essence of the Marine spirit—undaunted, unyielding, and unswerving.”(3)

No medals gleamed brighter than the respect of his comrades.

Legacy Etched in Blood and Faith

Daly’s story is not a fairy tale—it’s a reminder of the hell combat men and women face. It’s proof that courage is forged in moments where fear tries to drown the soul. Yet courage can win. Sacrifice can change history.

He carried scars most would hide but wore his faith and honor openly. His example calls us: stand firm when the world falls apart, carry your brothers and sisters, and never yield to despair.

Isaiah 40:31 promises strength for the weary fighter:

“But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles.”

Daly’s voice still echoes across time—on the battlefield, in quiet prayers, in the heart of every Marine who chooses to ‘have a go’ when facing the impossible.

Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly Jr. IX did not live for medals. He bled for a cause bigger than himself—the eternal brotherhood of warriors who stare death in the face and still choose to fight, to lead, and to protect. That grit and grace are the legacy he left behind. And that legacy? It is salvation carved in the heat of battle.

Sources

1. U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Recipients, Daniel J. Daly, 1900. 2. U.S. Marine Corps History Division, World War I Citations, 1918. 3. Lejeune, John A., Commandant’s Forward, Marine Corps Archives.