Daniel Daly the Two-Time Medal of Honor Marine Who Wouldn't Quit

Jan 17 , 2026

Daniel Daly the Two-Time Medal of Honor Marine Who Wouldn't Quit

Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly stood alone at the edge of chaos — bullets screaming past, men falling in silence. He wasn’t a hero made by medals or parades. He was carved from raw grit and unshakable will. Two Medals of Honor speak volumes, but his real battle was the soul of a warrior who never quit standing when all seemed lost.

A Boy from Glen Cove Who Carved His Code in Blood

Born in 1873 in Glen Cove, New York, Daly's boyhood was marked by hard knocks. Irish roots forged a stubborn backbone, a street kid who grew up fast and learned early the price of toughness in a harsh world. Faith wasn’t flashy—no church sermons printed on his chest—but a silent anchor: a steadfast sense of duty, an unspoken belief that a man stands with his brothers or he falls alone.

His Marine Corps career kicked off at 21 in 1899, a time when America’s young empire was testing its mettle overseas. Daly’s code was simple: Lead from the front. Hurt first, ask questions later. There was no room for cowardice.

The Boxer Rebellion: Holding the Line at Tientsin

China, 1900. The Boxer Rebellion raged like hellfire. Foreign legations surrounded, desperate, outnumbered by thousands of insurgents aiming to wipe the “foreign devils” off the map.

Daly, then a private, found himself manning a defensive position during the Battle of Tientsin. With an entire section of riflemen wiped out, he grabbed a rifle from a fallen comrade and held the line alone until reinforcements arrived.

“Without hesitation he risked his life to hold back the enemy, fully exposed to withering fire.” — Medal of Honor citation¹

That single act carved his name into Marine Corps lore: a warrior who wouldn’t blink. Marines still refer to Daly’s stand as the embodiment of semper fidelis—always faithful, always fierce.

The Great War: Blood in the Trenches and the Heart of Belleau Wood

World War I found Daly a hardened non-commissioned officer entrenched in a conflict unlike any before. The trenches of Belleau Wood, June 1918 — a maelstrom of artillery, poison gas, and close-quarters slaughter — defined a generation of Marines.

Daly’s legendary cry, “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” captured the brutal truth of combat. His words shoved men forward when fear screamed to retreat. The 4th Marine Brigade clashed with the German 28th Division, fighting tooth and nail for every inch of forest.

Amid the chaos, Daly’s fearless leadership earned him a second Medal of Honor. Twice decorated for risking everything.

“By his courage and skill he rallied his men, inspiring them to defeat attacking forces.” — Medal of Honor citation²

His battlefield scars told a story of ceaseless valor, but more than wounds, his example was a blueprint for every Marine who came after.

Recognition Beyond Medals: The Warrior’s True Measure

Daly’s two Medals of Honor make him one of the few Americans to receive this honor twice — a testament not to luck, but relentless resolve forged in the hellfire of battle.

Promotion to Sergeant Major was a quiet nod to a warrior who led silently and fiercely. Comrades respected him not for medals but because he stood shoulder to shoulder.

General John A. Lejeune once said of the Marines at Belleau Wood:

"They fought like devils, and never surrendered." In every sentence, you hear Daly’s voice — the very spirit of Marine ferocity.

Legacy Written in Blood and Redemption

Daly lived by a warrior’s creed: courage isn’t about the absence of fear, but action in its face. His legacy isn’t just medals or battlefield glory. It’s sacrifice and leadership hammered into the bones of every Marine who follows.

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” — Philippians 1:21

In the end, Sergeant Major Daniel Daly’s story is a reminder: the battlefield’s true victory is the courage to meet the darkness and stand unbroken. His scars, his grit, and his faith meld into a testament not just to war, but to redemption — a warrior’s hope beyond the roar of gunfire.

Sources

1. U.S. Marine Corps History Division — Medal of Honor Citation: Boxer Rebellion, 1900 2. U.S. Marine Corps Archives — Medal of Honor Citation: Belleau Wood, 1918