Daniel J. Daly, Belleau Wood Marine Awarded Two Medals of Honor

Feb 11 , 2026

Daniel J. Daly, Belleau Wood Marine Awarded Two Medals of Honor

Blood pounds. Smoke chokes the dawn. Amidst the chaos, one man stands, his voice a rallying cry against the rising tide of death. Sergeant Major Daniel J. Daly—a lion in combat, a mountain in resolve. Two Medals of Honor. Twice the valor. Twice the sacrifice.

The Roots of a Warrior’s Spirit

Born in Glen Cove, New York, in 1873, Daniel Daly wasn’t handed courage—he forged it in the furnace of working-class grit and faith. Before the warbags and bullets, there was a stubborn belief in right and wrong, in standing for the man next to you.

Raised Irish Catholic, Daly’s faith was a silent backbone—quiet until the storm. It shaped a code: protect the weak, honor the fallen, never quit. Combat was hell, but honor was sacred.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9

The Boxer Rebellion: Where Valor Became Legend

The year was 1900. China convulsed in rebellion, foreign legations under siege in Peking. Daly, a U.S. Marine private, landed with the China Relief Expedition. The streets were death traps: narrow alleys filled with snarling Boxers and crackling rifle fire.

In one famed incident, his small squad held a critical position under monstrous odds. Enemy forces surged like a tide, pushing his line back. Daly didn’t flinch. He grabbed a rifle and a couple of grenades, charged the assailants single-handedly, driving them back with a fury no man could match.

That action earned him his first Medal of Honor—a testament to raw courage, guts, and the will to hold ground no matter the cost. He returned fire with reckless abandon, refusing to yield.

His citation reads:

“Distinguished himself by his conduct in the presence of the enemy during the battle of Peking, China, July 21 to August 17, 1900. In the attack on Peking, Private Daly distinguished himself by meritorious conduct.”¹

The Great War: Fierce Valor in Hell’s Cauldron

Fourteen years later, trench warfare would test Daniel J. Daly like no Chinese rebellion. Sergeant Major by then, his legendary grit sharpened into a battle-tested leadership. The First World War wasn’t just a war of rifles, but trench mortars, gas attacks, and mind-shattering artillery.

In 1918, at the Battle of Belleau Wood, the Marines faced withering machine-gun fire from fortified German positions. The woods were thick with bullets and death. Captains fell. Morale wavered.

Daly stepped forward, twice manning a machine gun under hellfire, holding back the enemy long enough for his unit to regroup and counterattack. His cool under fire and fearless leadership earned him a second Medal of Honor—an almost unheard-of distinction, reserved for the most extraordinary warriors.

His citation states:

“In the Bois de Belleau, on June 6 and 7, 1918, Sergeant Major Daly displayed extraordinary heroism while serving with the 6th Marine Regiment in holding off strong enemy machine gun nests, thus allowing the advance of the troops and saving many lives.”²

From war correspondent Floyd Gibbons came this somber tribute: “Daly is the fighting Marine; he never knew what fear was.”³

A Legacy Written in Blood and Brotherhood

Sgt. Maj. Daniel J. Daly’s story is etched into the blood-soaked soil of two wars and countless battles in between. Twice awarded the Medal of Honor—and yet, it was his grit in quiet moments that defined him. The scars he wore were invisible: the memories of those who fell, the burden of survival.

He rose to Sergeant Major, the highest enlisted rank in the Corps, a mentor and symbol for generations of Marines to come.

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

Daly carried the weight of that love—the price of brotherhood—long after the guns fell silent.

Enduring Lessons from a Warrior’s Soul

His life teaches this: heroic valor is not just battlefield flash, but relentless commitment to duty amid chaos.

Courage is a choice; sacrifice the currency of redemption. In the face of impossible odds, rising means standing firm—looking fear in the eye and saying, not today.

Daniel Daly’s story calls veterans and civilians alike to remember what true grit demands: honor the fallen, protect the weak, never turn your back on your brothers.

In every scar lies a story. In every moment of courage, a legacy.

“Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life…” — 1 Timothy 6:12

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients – Boxer Rebellion 2. U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Citations, WWI 3. Floyd Gibbons, "The Fighting Marine" (1918, Harper’s Magazine)