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

Jan 19 , 2026

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

Born into the brutal roar of combat, Daniel J. Daly stood alone on the blood-soaked streets of Tientsin in 1900. Surrounded by enemy fire, ammo low and comrades fallen, he raised his rifle and didn’t flinch. Two enemy assaults. Two medals worthy of American steel. One man’s indelible mark on the chaos of war.

Blood and Duty: The Making of a Warrior

Daniel James Daly emerged from the gritty corners of Glenwillie, New York. Raised by Irish immigrants, hard work carved his backbone. Faith was not just a Sunday thing, but a compass through trenches and terror. His code was simple: honor in every breath, brotherhood until death, God’s grace the last refuge when mortal strength failed.

Enlisting in the Marines in 1899, he was steeped in the Corps’ unforgiving discipline and brotherhood. Daly's spirit was forged in the crucible of relentless service—China’s Boxer Rebellion, Philippine jungles, and finally, the mud and blood of the Western Front.

He carried a Bible pocketed close, finding solace in verses like:

“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

It was this faith, this grit, that set him apart from the men who simply followed orders.

The Battle That Defined Him: The Boxer Rebellion, 1900

Tientsin was a furnace of gunfire and desperation. The Boxer Rebellion had torn through China, and Western forces huddled defensively, outnumbered, outgunned.

Daly, a sergeant then, saw the enemy move like shadows across the battlements. Twice, the Chinese hordes surged. Twice, he faced death head-on.

His citation reads bluntly:

“For extraordinary heroism in battle near Tientsin, China, June 20, 1900, where Sgt. Daly fought off the enemy to the last round of ammunition. He was one of the last men to leave the walls after having repulsed the enemy’s attack.”

He stood, rifle empty. Not retreating. Not breaking. Holding the line alone in the face of annihilation.

Valor Refined in the Forge of World War I

Fast forward to 1918, the relentless mud of Belleau Wood. Battles that ground men into dust and desperation.

Daly, now Sgt. Major, faced a new kind of hell on the Marne River’s outskirts. With a handful of Marines, he charged enemy machine gun nests that butchered his unit.

His second Medal of Honor citation is stark and resounding:

“In the Bois-de-Belleau, one of the most desperate engagements of the war, Sgt. Maj. Daniel J. Daly charged three enemy machine gun positions, silenced them, and enabled his comrades to advance.”

One man. Three nests. The roar of machine guns bulling in on every side. That’s not luck—that’s valor born from a lifetime of sacrifice and the cold understanding of war’s demands.

Gunnery Sergeant Dan Daly’s example thundered through the ranks. “A born leader with a heart of fire,” fellow Marine Maj. General John A. Lejeune said. “He was the embodiment of courage and relentless fighting spirit.”

Recognition Beyond Medal Ribbons

Daly remains one of the few Americans to be awarded the Medal of Honor twice—once for hand-to-hand bravery in China, again for daring gallantry in WWI.

He declined further accolades, choosing the quiet respect of those who bled beside him over the applause of crowds. To his men, he was “an unbreakable nerve,” a father figure in the pit of war.

His scars—both physical and spiritual—tell a story of the battlefield’s true cost. But also of redemption found in service and sacrifice.

A Legacy Etched in Iron and Faith

Daly’s story is not about glory. It’s about the grim choice to stand, no matter the price.

He taught a generation of warriors how to face terror with grit and grace, how to lead when the world collapses around you, and how to hold on to faith when all seems lost.

He once said,

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

This was no bravado. It was a challenge to the cowardice that war breeds, an invitation to embrace the terrifying beauty of courage.

The fight Daniel Daly lived was brutal, unyielding, and devastating—but it was also deeply human. His medals mark him in history, but his spirit breathes in every veteran who ever stared down fear and fought for something greater than themselves.

In the scars he left behind lies a reminder for us all: courage is forged in the darkest fires—but redemption blazes brightest in the hearts that refuse to surrender.