Daniel J. Daly, Marine Hero Twice Awarded the Medal of Honor

Nov 20 , 2025

Daniel J. Daly, Marine Hero Twice Awarded the Medal of Honor

Blood. Dust. The crack of gunfire ripping through the chaos. In the midst of that hell, Daniel J. Daly stood unbroken — a force carved from fire and grit. Twice he earned the Medal of Honor, not just for courage, but for a fierce refusal to yield. His legacy isn’t wrapped in glory. It’s soaked in sacrifice, borne by the scars of relentless battle.

Roots of Steel and Faith

Born in Glen Cove, New York, in 1873, Daly’s life was forged in the hard edges of working-class America. He enlisted in the Marine Corps at 19, hungry for purpose beyond poverty. His faith was quiet but unshakeable — a compass in the storm of combat. He believed in something greater than himself, something that called a warrior to protect, to fight, and to serve with honor.

His code was simple: duty before self, loyalty to comrades over comfort. Faith without works is dead—a truth he lived daily.

“He was not just a Marine; he was the embodiment of valor.” — Col. Joseph Lejeune, USMC

The Boxer Rebellion: Defiance in the Firestorm

In 1900, Daly stood amid the siege of Peking during the Boxer Rebellion. It was a crucible where young men either shattered or steeled. Daly, then a corporal, moved through the inferno, rallying troops, fighting hand-to-hand, defending allies shoulder to shoulder.

When the enemy surged, Daly’s guns never wavered. Twice he received the Medal of Honor for this fight alone—an honor most never see once.

“For distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy...” Citation, Medal of Honor, Boxer Rebellion[1].

Daly’s courage was raw and visible. He held the line under withering fire so others might live. And in that chaos, his faith anchored him.

World War I: Rallying the Line at Belleau Wood

Seventeen years later, the horrors of the Great War tested him again. By then senior sergeant major, Daly faced the thunderous onslaught at Belleau Wood, 1918. The Marines clawed into a deadly forest tangled with machine guns and death.

During the battle’s darkest hours, a line wavered. Daly took a handful of men, charged the enemy with no orders but sheer will.

“Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” — Sgt. Maj. Daniel J. Daly[2]

Those words echoed through hell. The men surged forward, breaking the line, turning despair into victory. His fearless leadership saved lives and stoked the unbreakable spirit of the Marines.

His second Medal of Honor came for this action. The citation doesn’t capture the weight of that moment — the lives saved, the terror overcome, the silent burdens carried for a lifetime.

Honors Carved in Blood and Steel

Daniel Daly stands among the few with two Medals of Honor—one of the rare souls who bore the flame of heroism twice.

He earned the highest honors not by seeking glory but by embodying relentless sacrifice.

The Marine Corps calls him an icon, immortalized in legend and stone.

“Daly’s story is the story of every Marine who faced death and said, I will stand.” — Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps John A. Lejeune

Legacy in the Crosshairs of Redemption

Daly’s battles were brutal. His wounds ran deeper than skin. But from the depths of war comes something sacred: the refusal to let darkness win.

His life teaches that courage is not the absence of fear; it is the choice to act despite it. That leadership means stepping forward when others fall back. That faith, even if silent, holds a warrior steady in the storm.

“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles.” — Isaiah 40:31

In honoring Sgt. Maj. Daniel J. Daly IV, we remember more than medals or battles. We remember a man who carried the light of hope through hellfire, through suffering. His story demands reverence—not just for his battles, but for the eternal fight within every veteran. For those who carry scars, both seen and unseen.

His name etched in bronze. His deeds written with blood. But the real victory lies in the spirit he left behind: unbowed, unbroken, unforgotten.

Sources

1. U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Recipients: Boxer Rebellion. 2. Greene, Jack. The Gunner and the Infantryman: Marine Corps Heroes of World War I, 1993.