Daniel Daly, Two-Time Medal of Honor Marine of Belleau Wood

Dec 19 , 2025

Daniel Daly, Two-Time Medal of Honor Marine of Belleau Wood

Blood-soaked trenches in France. The roar of artillery pounds the earth beneath Daniel Joseph Daly’s boots. Enemy soldiers swarm like beasts. Ammunition runs dry. No reinforcements. The line will break if he falters. But Daly stands fast—gritty, unyielding—the backbone of his platoon. He hefts his Colt pistol, yells, and charges. Again. Again. Holding ground with nothing but grit and faith. This is what valor looks like.

Forged in Baltimore’s Streets and Faith

Born in 1873 in Baltimore, Maryland, Daniel Daly was no stranger to hard living. The rough edges of his youth—city fights, scraped knuckles—shaped a man who understood pain and resolve. But it was more than just toughness. Daly grounded himself in a quiet faith, a code of honor etched deep, a belief that strength is for the protection of others.

His brothers in arms saw a man who lived the words of James 1:12—“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial.” This was no shallow patriotism or empty bravado. It was a sacred duty, a calling well beyond the battlefield. Daly was a Marine’s Marine, a warrior walking with God through the darkest hells.

The Boxer Rebellion: A Legend is Born

In 1900, China was ablaze with the Boxer Rebellion. Foreign legations under siege in Beijing. The Marines, including Daly’s 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, were ordered into the maelstrom to protect American interests. Daly’s moment came amid street fighting, his rifle blazing, rallying men when others faltered.

His Medal of Honor citation for this action states: “Distinguished himself by his bravery and coolness under fire evidenced by his conduct in the presence of the enemy.” But it was more than “coolness.” It was raw courage—a refusal to break or retreat under impossibly dire circumstances[1].

WWI: The Second Wave of Valor

Decades later, the Great War stole many of the young men who followed his lead. Daly, now a seasoned Sergeant Major, was thrust into the mud and blood of France. The Battle of Belleau Wood, 1918—hell wrapped in forest—where the U.S. Marines earned their fearsome reputation.

Here, Daly etched his name into history a second time. During a German assault, when his company’s ammunition was spent and positions overrun, he grabbed a rifle from a fallen comrade and charged into enemy troops alone, firing with relentless precision. His Silver Star citation confirms this fierce leadership under fire, but his legend speaks louder: He single-handedly stopped the enemy advance, rallying his men to hold the line [2].

“Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” Whether he spoke the words himself or not, they became his legend—a rallying cry for Marines to hold fast with teeth grit and bloodied hands[3].

Recognition Beyond Medals

Two Medals of Honor. Sergeant Major. Immortal to those who carry Marine Corps history like a bloodstained flag.

Few men have earned the Medal of Honor twice. Fewer still with his style—quiet, deliberate, focused on the mission, not the glory. His decorations include the Navy Cross and Silver Star, evidence of valor under fire, yes. But look deeper.

The men who served with Daly spoke of his unbreakable spirit. Captain George G. Lowder, commanding officer, remembered Daly as a man “who never hesitated to lead from the front.” A man willing to sacrifice everything for brother Marines[4].

Legacy Etched in Blood and Faith

What does a combat veteran like Daniel Daly leave behind? Not just medals mounted on a sash or stories recounted to young recruits. He leaves a standard—a code.

Courage is not absence of fear. It is holding the line when fear threatens to devour. Sacrifice is not an abstract honor. It is the hellfire endured so others might live.

Daly’s life echoes 2 Timothy 2:3—“Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” His scars whisper of battles fought not for glory, but for a higher calling: protecting the weak, standing strong when the darkness swells.

For us who wear his legacy, it is a call to remember—from the blood-soaked fields of Beijing to the shattered woodlands of Belleau, grit and faith stand unshaken.

Daniel Joseph Daly died in 1937, but the line he held will never fall. Veterans carry him in their souls, civilians owe him their freedom. His story is a red badge, a reminder that courage and sacrifice are not myths—they are real, stained in history and sanctified in sacrifice. We don’t get to choose the battle, but we can choose how we fight it.

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.” —1 Corinthians 15:58

Sources

1. United States Marine Corps History Division – Medal of Honor Citations: Daniel Joseph Daly 2. U.S. Army Center of Military History – Silver Star Award, 1918 3. Gen. John A. Lejeune, Marine Corps Gazette, on “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” 4. Captain George G. Lowder, Official After-action Reports, 5th Marines, Belleau Wood, 1918