Daniel Daly, Two-Time Medal of Honor Marine and American Hero

Nov 07 , 2025

Daniel Daly, Two-Time Medal of Honor Marine and American Hero

Bloodied hands refuse to let go. The enemy surges forward, every man on the line faltering except one Marine standing like a damned rock. Sgt. Major Daniel Joseph Daly—twice baptized in hellfire, twice reborn as legend. When shots rang out in China’s streets and again on the trenches of Europe, he answered with unyielding grit.

A Warrior Forged in Grit

Born in Glen Cove, New York, 1873, Daniel Joseph Daly took to the Marines like a boy born for battle. Raised with stoic resolve and hard work, his kind of faith wasn’t just Sunday prayers but a code of honor carved deep in his bones. No fancy words—just duty, sacrifice, and doing the impossible.

“I believe every man owes it to his country to do his duty when the occasion calls,” Daly once said, the kind of plain truth borne from steel and blood[1].

He carried something weightier than medals—a fierce loyalty to the brotherhood, a belief in standing tall when others fall. His faith, quiet but unshakable, tempered his rage on the battlefield. Like the Psalmist wrote, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” (Psalm 23:4)

The Boxer Rebellion — Holding the Line at Tientsin

In June 1900, as the Boxer Rebellion burned in China, Daly faced a maelstrom of merciless enemy fire. American and allied forces were bottlenecked in Tientsin, surrounded and desperate.

Among the chaos, Daly and his riflemen stood their ground. When a Chinese attack threatened to break the line, Daly grabbed a rifle and shouted, “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” The words echoed like a war cry through the smoke.

With fury unmatched, he led a countercharge, repelling the enemy and holding the position against impossible odds. His actions weren’t solo heroics but the lifeblood keeping the defense from shattering.

For this, he received his first Medal of Honor—the Marines’ first two-time recipient—a rare honor denoting not just valor but fearless leadership in hell’s furnace[2].

World War I — Valor Amid the Mud and Horror

Fourteen years later, the Great War churned into its fifth horrific year. Daly found himself in the trenches of France, facing the brutal horrors of modern industrial warfare. At the Battle of Belleau Wood, American Marines were tested beyond human limits.

In June 1918, Daly’s grit was once again on display. Although his second Medal of Honor was awarded for earlier actions in Haiti—where he displayed extraordinary heroism crushing bandit forces—his role in WWI cemented him as a living legend of Marine Corps grit[3].

His leadership was simple: lead from the front, never falter, protect your men no matter the cost. Tattoos of mud, blood, and gas marked every inch of the front, but Daly’s spirit never broke.

Honors That Tell the Tale

Receiving two Medals of Honor isn’t just a badge; it’s a testament to a man who stared into death and refused to blink. The citation for Tientsin reads:

“... distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy in battle... while serving with the Relief Expedition... during the battle of Tientsin, China... for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.”[2]

The second, a Navy Medal of Honor for Haiti, echoes the same relentless courage:

“For extraordinary heroism in the engagement... on October 24 and 25, 1915, while engaged in defeating bandit forces in Haiti.”[3]

Gen. John A. Lejeune, Commandant of the Marine Corps, later praised Daly:

“Sergeant Major Daly is the embodiment of the perfect Marine—brave beyond question, loyal beyond belief.”[4]

Legacy of Blood, Sacrifice, and Redemption

Daly died in 1937, but his legend carves deep into Marine lore and the soul of every combat vet who has looked death in the eye and chose to fight on. His story slams like a hammer-blow reminder: True valor is born in sacrifice, sharpened by faith and pure grit.

He showed what it means to face impossible odds—not just to survive, but to carry the fallen, lead the lost, and draw strength from a higher purpose. His courage wasn’t about glory. It was about holding the line—whether in the bloody streets of China or the hellish trenches of France—because to do otherwise would be to betray every brother beside him.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

Daly’s name is etched in the dust of battlefields and the hearts of warriors—as a reminder that even in the darkest war, one man’s unbreakable will can shine godlike.

That’s the legacy we carry. That’s why we keep fighting.

Sources

1. U.S. Marine Corps History Division + Daniel Daly: Twice Medal of Honor Recipient 2. U.S. Army Center of Military History + Medal of Honor Citations: Boxer Rebellion 3. Naval History and Heritage Command + Navy and Marine Corps Medals of Honor (Haiti) 4. Lejeune, John A., quoted in Marine Corps Gazette, 1927 Annual Edition