Daniel J. Daly, Marine Who Earned Two Medals of Honor

Dec 12 , 2025

Daniel J. Daly, Marine Who Earned Two Medals of Honor

Blood. Noise. The blistering chaos of Tientsin, 1900. Smoke chokes the air, bullets whip past my head like angry hornets. I’m just a kid then, private in the Marine Corps, but that night etched steel into my bones. Two Medals of Honor don’t come from luck — they come from moments like this. From staring down a tidal wave of enemy fighters and standing firm, when others would fall back.

The Forge of a Warrior

Daniel Joseph Daly was no stranger to fight. Born in Glen Cove, New York, in 1873, his life was cut from the cloth of working-class grit and unshakable resolve. A Brooklyn kid who walked into the Corps in 1899, he carried with him the rough-edged faith of a man who believed fighting for something was sacred. Stories tell he once said, “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” — a challenge that wasn’t bravado but a summons to steel nerves and savage courage.

Daniel Daly’s code didn’t bend. Duty, honor, sacrifice. Not just words, but bedrock principles. Faith grounded him. His was a warrior’s trust, echoing the Psalmist’s declaration:

“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” (Psalm 23:4)

The Boxer Rebellion: Blood in the Streets of Tientsin

In July 1900, as the Boxer Rebellion erupted, Daly found himself amidst the inferno. Defending the Legation Quarter in Beijing, he faced a storm of Chinese Boxers swarming mercilessly. But it was at Tientsin where he earned his first Medal of Honor.

Under intense fire, Daly and his unit held a crucial position. According to his citation:

“For distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy in battle of Tientsin, China, 13 July 1900.”

Though the records are spare, eyewitnesses remember his calm under fire, rallying Marines against overwhelming numbers. In a war marked by brutal hand-to-hand fights and chaotic urban combat, his leadership saved lives and held a vital American foothold.

World War I: Valor on the Western Front

Fourteen years later, the Great War swallowed Europe in a horror never before seen. Sgt. Maj. Daniel J. Daly, now a hardened veteran, strode into the inferno of Belleau Wood in 1918 as a senior enlisted leader in the 4th Marine Brigade. The woods were hell — enemy machine guns carved trails of death.

In the face of relentless German assaults, Daly’s leadership became legend. His second Medal of Honor came not from a single act but a torrent of bravery across multiple engagements. One famous scene stood stark: when his company wavered under machine gun fire, Daly ran forward, alone, throwing grenades and rallying men to press the line.

His citation reads:

“For extraordinary heroism while serving with the 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Division, A.E.F., in action near Verdun, France, June 6-7, 1918.”

Bravery like his forged the Marine Corps’ reputation as the “Devil Dogs” — tenacious, fearless fighters, unwilling to yield ground.

Recognition Forged in Fire

Two Medals of Honor. Few have worn such marks of distinction. His awards were more than shiny medals; they were proof of blood-earned valor. Beyond official citations, fellow Marines like Maj. Smedley Butler, himself a two-time Medal of Honor recipient, spoke highly of Daly’s grit and relentless spirit.

Daly’s legacy radiated beyond medals. He became a symbol of the enlisted warrior, the backbone of every fighting force — steadfast, tenacious, a man who led from the mud and blood, not ivory towers.

A Warrior’s Enduring Testament

Daly’s story is not a relic. It is a living testament. He walked through fires most men couldn’t imagine. He bled in places where even the angels would hesitate. Yet, through it all, he embodied sacrifice, steadfastness, and purpose beyond death.

He once said,

“We’re all going to die. The only question is how and when.”

In those words lie the brutal clarity of a combat veteran — a call to face life’s battles head-on, unflinching and resolved.

His scars and medals speak not only of conflict but of redemption — that through struggle, through sacrifice, something greater arises. As it stands written:

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

Dan Daly’s fight was first for survival, then for something higher — the protection of brothers, of country, of freedom itself.

He left the battlefield but never the fight. His story whispers to every soldier who picks up arms: courage is not absence of fear. It is the will to stand despite it. The legacy of Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly is carved deep into the marrow of Marine Corps history—and into the soul of every warrior who knows what it means to bleed for a cause greater than oneself.

Sources

1. U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Recipients: Boxer Rebellion 2. U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War I 3. Charles F. Jones, The Devil Dogs: The United States Marine Corps, 1917–1918 (Naval Institute Press) 4. Smedley D. Butler, War Is a Racket (Farrar & Rinehart, Inc.) 5. Official Medal of Honor citations, Congressional Medal of Honor Society