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

Jan 17 , 2026

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

There is a moment in war when a man stands alone—surrounded by death—but rises louder than the chaos, fearless in the teeth of hell. Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly was that man. Twice honored with the Medal of Honor, his name is carved into the granite of warrior legend, not once but twice, when most never earn it once.

Born From Grit and Gospel

Daly came from a blue-collar, Irish-American family in Glen Cove, New York. Life forged him early—the sweat of hard labor, the calluses of the working man. No silver spoon, no charity. Just an unflinching code: do your duty.

Faith was more than Sunday rituals. It was his backbone. “My soldiers must trust me, and I must trust God,” Daly reportedly said. In the mud and blood of combat, that trust became his armor. The scriptures weren’t just words—they were a command, a promise. “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: Stand or Fall

In 1900, China burned in rebellion. Foreign legations trapped, lines cut off by Boxers. Daly, then a young corporal in the U.S. Marines, found himself in Tianjin. The siege was relentless. They were outnumbered, isolated.

Reports say this: When the Marines ran short on ammo, Daly did something brutal and honest. He grabbed a fallen comrade’s rifle and single-handedly defended the barricade. His ferocity earned one Medal of Honor—“for distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy”—a rarity then for such raw, individual valor¹.

A leader by instinct, not rank. His grit inspired men, turning panic into resistance. No swagger, no boast—just teeth clenched, eyes steady.

World War I: Devil Dogs at Belleau Wood

Fast forward to 1918. The Great War had dragged on in muddy trenches, grinding men and morals. The Marines were the shock troops of the Allies, facing the dreaded Hindenburg Line.

At Belleau Wood, June 1918, Daly was battlefield legend. Nearly 40 years old, the “Old Man” among younger troops. Enemy fire shredded fields, but his voice cut through like a razor. When a German machine gun ripped into his unit, leaving men dead or wounded, Daly rallied the Marines with one of the war’s most famous lines:

“Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?”

This raw challenge drove men over the top, through barbed wire, toward the enemy guns².

His second Medal of Honor followed, this time with a citation for extraordinary heroism in battle—leading attacks, maintaining position under heavy fire, never faltering despite wounds and exhaustion. The U.S. Army commander described Daly as someone who “single-handedly turned the tide.”

The Man Behind The Medals

Daly's heroism wasn’t an accident of combat—it was a lifestyle of fierce integrity. He climbed the ranks, eventually becoming Sergeant Major, the highest enlisted rank in the Marines. But his bravest acts were not just in killing enemies, but in carrying the wounded, steadying terrified boys, standing on the thin line between survival and death.

Fellow Marines revered him. Upon his death in 1937, official honors celebrated a warrior who lived by “courage, selflessness, and an iron will.”

Legacy: The Warrior’s Gospel

Daly's story is brutal truth: War is hell but honor survives. His double Medal of Honor speaks to the rarest kind of valor—quiet, relentless, self-sacrificing. Not every hero wears a medal. Not every story is told. But Daly’s legend bleeds into every Marine’s creed:

“Nobody ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country.” — Gen. George S. Patton, paraphrasing a truth Daly embodied.

Daly understood this not as cynicism, but as a warrior’s pact—to willingly step into hell so others might live. His faith intertwined with battle, grounding every charge and every prayer for strength.

He reminds us all: scars mark survival. They tell of sacrifice. And from the blood of war grows the stubborn seed of redemption.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9)

Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly lived that paradox. A peacemaker forged in fire, his legacy demands we never forget the cost of courage. For those who’ve worn the uniform—and those who stand beside them—this is the battle hymn of the warrior's soul.

Sources

1. U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor citations, Boxer Rebellion 2. U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Belleau Wood actions, Medal of Honor citation for Sgt. Maj. Daniel J. Daly, 1918 3. Sergeant Major Daniel J. Daly: Twice a Medal of Honor Recipient, Marine Corps Association & Foundation