Nov 17 , 2025
Daniel Daly Two-Time Medal of Honor Marine and His Legacy
Blood and fire. Raw courage hammered into flesh and bone.
That was Sgt. Major Daniel Joseph Daly—two-time Medal of Honor recipient, a man who refused to back down when hell showed its teeth.
The Making of a Warrior
Born 1873 in Glen Cove, New York, Daly’s life was forged from grit and blue-collar sweat. A dockworker before he found himself in the Marine Corps. No silver spoons here—only calloused hands and steady eyes.
Faith wasn’t spoken about much in the barracks, but his actions whispered a quiet code. A warrior’s honor, a soldier’s loyalty, and a man’s unshakable belief in fighting for something greater than himself. Daly carried his burdens without complaint. His motto: Stand firm. Protect your brothers. Don’t quit.
Bastion of Valor: The Boxer Rebellion
In 1900, China’s Boxer Rebellion turned into a crucible of fire. Daly, then a corporal, stood with the 1st Marine Regiment inside the besieged foreign legations in Peking. The enemy swarmed. Explosions, sniper fire, and madness on every side.
It was a desperate fight for survival.
Daly did not flinch.
When the enemy surrounded the legations, Daly grabbed a rifle and swept the streets alone, repelling a Boxer advance. This fearless act earned him his first Medal of Honor. His citation reads:
“In the presence of the enemy during the battle of Peking, China, on 20–21 July 1900, [he] distinguished himself by his conduct.”¹
One of his comrades remembered him as “a man who could single-handedly hold a line.” No bravado—just fact.
Warrior of the Great War
Then came the Great War—World War I. The world’s bloodiest conflict. Daly, now a sergeant major, fought with the 6th Marine Regiment in France. He wasn’t just a senior enlisted man; he was a bulwark for younger Marines under fire.
They arrived at Belleau Wood in June 1918. The forests were turned black with smoke and bodies. The Germans clawed and fought hard, but Daly stood steel against the storm.
His second Medal of Honor came for his actions during the battle. The citation recounts a moment when his unit was pinned and facing annihilation:
“For distinguished conduct in action … rallying his men and leading them against the enemy.”²
He reportedly shouted, "Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?"—a rallying cry woven into Marine Corps legend.³
His leadership turned the tide. Under his watch, battered Marines pushed forward amid chaos, blood, and death.
Recognition Etched in Bronze and Pain
Two Medals of Honor. Not from luck. Not from politics.
Daly bore scars—physical and invisible—that carried every step home. But medals weren’t vanity—they were testament to lives saved, battles held, and the fury of a man who refused to fold.
Commanders called him “a legend,” Marines called him “the epitome of valor.” Major General Smedley Butler, a fellow Marine and two-time Medal of Honor recipient himself, praised Daly:
"He was the kind of man you wanted in the foxhole beside you."⁴
Daly was awarded the Army’s Distinguished Service Cross and the Navy Cross as well—honors few ever hold in one lifetime.
Legacy Written in Blood and Faith
Daniel Daly’s story is not one of glory but sacrifice. The grueling demands of combat shaped him—molding purpose from pain.
He did not fight for medals. He fought because the man beside him depended on it. Because courage is contagious, and faith—whether in God or brotherhood—is the surest armor.
He left the Corps a legend, died in 1937, but his legacy? It’s alive in every Marine who hears those words,
“Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?”
In a world quick to forget the debts owed by liberty’s defenders, remember this—courage is forged in the fires of sacrifice, and there is honor in the scars we carry.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” —Deuteronomy 31:6
Men like Daly remind us: We don’t fight because it’s easy. We fight because it matters.
Sources
1. U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Recipients: China Relief Expedition (Boxer Rebellion) 2. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War I 3. U.S. Marines in World War I, Capt. Joseph H. Alexander, History and Museums Division, U.S. Marine Corps 4. Smedley Butler, War Is a Racket (1935)
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