Daniel J. Daly, Marine Hero From Boxer Rebellion to Belleau Wood

Jan 16 , 2026

Daniel J. Daly, Marine Hero From Boxer Rebellion to Belleau Wood

Under fire with nothing but guts and grit—Sergeant Major Daniel J. Daly stood alone, a slim wall of defiance against chaos. His rifle smoked, his voice thundered over the screams: “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” That raw roar crushed enemy lines, bought time, and saved countless lives. This was no warlord’s brag; it was a Marine’s unyielding grit—etched in blood during the Boxer Rebellion and later, the hellfire of the Great War.

The Forged Origins of a Warrior

Born in 1873, Daniel Joseph Daly emerged from the rough streets of Glen Cove, New York. A coal miner’s son, he knew hard work and hard knocks early. The Marine Corps became his sanctuary and crucible.

Faith was Daly’s silent backbone. Though no preacher’s pulpit crowned him, his life echoed the warrior’s psalm: “Be strong and courageous.” He carried an intrinsic code—a fierce loyalty to brother Marines and a belief that valor was more than courage. It was sacrifice. Honor meant standing unbroken when hell came knocking.

“Sgt. Maj. Daly... a man who carried the soul of the Corps in his chest.” — Marines, Corps History Division[1]

Blood in China: The Boxer Rebellion, 1900

The summer of 1900 in China was a furnace of fear and fury. The Boxer Rebellion engulfed foreign legations in Beijing. The 1st Marine Regiment was storming streets, rooftops, houses—the enemy was everywhere.

It was during the Siege of Peking that Daly’s first Medal of Honor was earned. Armed with a rifle and razor-sharp instincts, he defended a vital position at the city’s legation quarter. Though vastly outnumbered and repeatedly attacked, Daly moved among his men—calm and relentless.

“By the inspired leadership and valor of Sergeant Daniel J. Daly, the position was held, and the enemy repulsed.” — Medal of Honor citation, Boxer Rebellion[2]

His actions saved not just his unit but the entire diplomatic enclave from annihilation. No glory-seeking attitude, just pure necessity: hold the line, no matter the cost. Daly's grit became a beacon.

Valor Reborn: The Great War, Belleau Wood 1918

Fast forward eighteen years. The world had convulsed into a war unlike any other. France was bleeding, and American Marines were their iron fist against German advances.

At the Battle of Belleau Wood, Daly found himself amidst the screaming jungle of bark and bullet. The fighting was brutal, violent, a test of every shred of faith and mettle. Wounded multiple times, Daly refused evacuation, rallying his men with every breath.

But it was his near suicidal solo assault on enemy machine guns that carved his name into legend again.

“Fighting where others fled, Sergeant Major Daly silenced enemy guns and saved the regiment from annihilation.” — Silver Star citation, June 1918[3]

Though not awarded a second Medal of Honor for Belleau Wood, his breathtaking courage was universally recognized. He was awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism and stood as a living symbol that age—and wounds—mean nothing in the face of duty.

Honors Etched in Iron and Blood

Daniel J. Daly was one of the rare few Marines to receive the Medal of Honor twice. His first for the Boxer Rebellion. His second for heroic actions during the occupation of Haiti in 1915—a brutal campaign of jungle warfare, guerrilla combat against Caco rebels.

He earned the Navy Cross during WWI and countless other decorations.

But medals did not make him. It was the respect of his men, the quiet nods of hardened veterans, the whispered stories around campfires.

Brigadier General Commandant Wendell C. Neville called him:

“The epitome of the fighting Marine.”[4]

Names fade. Battles end. But soldiers like Daly carve a mountain of legacy that stubbornly refuses to crumble.

The Wounds We Carry, The Legacy We Leave

Daly’s story demands more than trophies. It demands confrontation—of what it truly costs to stand when all odds scream to fall.

Two Medals of Honor. Countless battles. Death all around. Yet, in every shot fired, every order barked, he was a man fighting for something greater—his brothers in arms, their families, his country, and a silent God overseeing the chaos.

“Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be afraid...” — Joshua 1:9

In today’s world, where comfort dulls the bite of sacrifice, Daly’s life shocks us back to fight with purpose and honor.

He walks in the blood-stained earth of every veteran who’s ever screamed into the void, refusing to quit.

Daniel Joseph Daly, a Marine’s Marine, carried his scars like badges of truth. His legacy is a sermon written in gunpowder and grit—the unquestionable testament that courage still lives, even when the world burns.

Sources

1. Marine Corps History Division, Biographies of Marine Heroes 2. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: China Relief Expedition (Boxer Rebellion) 3. Charles H. Bogart, U.S. Marine Corps in World War I, Naval Institute Press 4. Wendell C. Neville, Address to the Corps, 1920, Marine Corps Archive