Daniel J. Daly, Marine Hero at Tientsin and Belleau Wood

Jan 01 , 2026

Daniel J. Daly, Marine Hero at Tientsin and Belleau Wood

Sgt. Major Daniel J. Daly stood alone, waves of enemy charging at him on the blood-soaked ground of the Boxer Rebellion. Outnumbered. Outgunned. Zero hesitation. With rifle in hand, he shouted to his men, “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” The words cut through the chaos—a challenge and a command. There, amid the screams and smoke, Daly etched his name into the hard ledger of valor.

A Warrior Forged in Philadelphia

Born in Philadelphia in 1873, Daniel Joseph Daly grew up tough and raw—an Irish Catholic son learning early that survival was earned. The streets shaped him, but the Marine Corps forged his soul. He enlisted in 1899, stepping into a legacy of duty marked by grit, loyalty, and faith. Daly wasn’t just a fighter; he was a man who carried his beliefs like armor.

He lived by a code beyond orders and medals. In his quiet moments, scripture was a shield. “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). This was no hollow comfort. It fueled his resolve when every nerve screamed in pain and fear.

The Battle That Defined Him: Tientsin, Boxer Rebellion, 1900

The summer of 1900 saw imperial powers locked in brutal street fighting in Tientsin, China. Daly was a corporal then, tasked with defending the American settlement from Boxer insurgents and Qing troops. It was hellfire—the kind that grinds men down to raw bone.

During the defense, a group of Marines fell back under withering fire. Daly saw the retreat as defeat. Without hesitation, he ran into the bullets, rallied the men, and held the line alone at a critical barricade. Small arms emptied but still, he stood his ground, firing until his rifle was empty, then grabbed a fallen enemy’s weapon to keep fighting.

His Medal of Honor citation reads:

“For extraordinary heroism in action in China, 20 July 1900. Corporal Daly distinguished himself by the heroic qualities which he displayed in the presence of the enemy during the battle of Tientsin.”

Two decades would pass before his second Medal of Honor—but the legend was born then: a Marine unshaken, relentless, a rock in the storm.

Hell and Honor in the Great War

Daly’s second Medal of Honor came from a different but no less savage fight—the mud and blood of Belleau Wood, France, in 1918. Now a Sergeant Major, Daly commanded men in a hellish forest under artillery barrages and gas attacks.

Americans called that fight the bloodiest in Marine history—the crucible that carved the Corps into an elite force. Amid a swirl of machine gun fire and grenades, Daly’s leadership shone. At one point, his men wavered under intense pressure, many exhausted or wounded. Daly, relentless as ever, charged alongside his Marines through barbed wire, rallying them to push forward.

His citation slaps down the stakes without poetry:

“For extraordinary heroism and courage in action against enemy forces during operations near Belleau Wood, June 1918, where Sergeant Major Daly personally inspired his men by his valor and indomitable fighting spirit.”

No false modesty. Just steel.

Recognition and a Soldier’s Voice

Daly didn’t seek fame. But his deeds spoke for him. Two Medals of Honor—one of only 19 Americans to ever receive that distinction twice. More than honors, he earned the respect of peers and subordinates alike. A Marine officer who fought alongside Daly said,

“He wasn’t just brave; he was the kind of man who made you believe death was just another mission.”[1]

Daly’s legacy blended the roar of combat with the deep, quiet strength of a man unshaken by fear or doubt. He rose through the ranks, ending as Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps—his scars a map of battles survived, his leadership a torch passed to future warriors.

Lessons Etched in Blood and Steel

Daniel Daly’s story is a brutal hymn to courage and faith intersecting on the battlefield. He embodied not just valor but purpose. His famous challenge—“do you want to live forever?”—represents more than bravado. It’s a call to commit fully to whatever mission calls you, regardless of mortality’s shadow.

Real courage is forged in sacrifice. It’s in the man who stands when all others fall, driven not by glory but by duty to brothers and an unbreakable inner creed.

His life reminds veterans and civilians alike: there is grace in the grit, redemption in the struggle.

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

Daly walked through hell without surrendering his soul. His legacy is the fire that molds warriors—and not just men of war—but men of virtue.

In every scar and story, Sgt. Major Daniel J. Daly remains a blazing example: fight hard. Fight true. Leave a mark not just on history—but on hearts.

Sources

1. U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Marine Corps Heritage Foundation: SgtMaj Daniel J. Daly 2. Medal of Honor citations, U.S. Army Center of Military History, Twice Awarded Medal of Honor Recipients 3. Richard D. Kohn, Forgotten Warriors: The Medal of Honor and the Bloody Streets of Tientsin 4. John A. Carroll, Belleau Wood: The Birth of the Modern Marine Corps