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

Dec 30 , 2025

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

Sgt. Major Daniel Joseph Daly Jr. stood in a firestorm where death carved names into the earth—and he stared it down twice. Bloodied but unbroken. Fierce but carrying the weight of every fallen man. His story is not one of myths. It’s raw. It’s brutal. And it’s anchored deep in sacrifice.

Raised by Iron and Faith

Born 1873 in Glen Cove, New York, Daly came from humble stock. The working-class grit forged his backbone before the Corps took him in. A devout Catholic, he held tightly to his faith through hellholes of combat. It guided his every step and steel in his convictions. “Blessed are the peacemakers,” yes, but sometimes peace comes wrapped in smoke and fire.

His code was simple: stand firm, protect your brothers, and never back down from the fight. No glory sought. Just duty and honor.

The Boxer Rebellion: Fire in Tientsin

In 1900, when the Boxer Rebellion ignited fury in China, Daly was a Private. The Battle of Tientsin tore the city apart in brutal house-to-house fighting.

Amidst the chaos, he performed the deed that would earn his first Medal of Honor. Under relentless fire, he single-handedly carried a wounded comrade to safety—twice. It took nerve like shaking hands in the jaws of a lion.

“For extraordinary heroism in the presence of the enemy while serving with the Marine Corps during the battle of Tientsin, China, July 13, 1900.”[1]

World War I: The Barrage at Belleau Wood

Seventeen years later, the war to end all wars gripped France. Daly, now a seasoned Gunnery Sergeant, came face to face with hell on the Western Front. The stakes were the highest yet—the American Expeditionary Forces had been thrown into brutal trench warfare.

At Belleau Wood in June 1918, the Germans launched deadly counterattacks meant to smash the Marine line. Leaders faltered. Morale waned. Then Daly stepped forward—the unyielding bulwark.

Legend holds he shouted: “Come on, you sons of bitches! Do you want to live forever?”

That cry rebuilt shattered courage and drove Marines to fight on until the line held. When the smoke cleared, the Marines had stopped the German advance.

His second Medal of Honor was for seizing command under fire, rallying his men amidst the storm of bullets, and holding the line at all costs.[2]

Valor Etched in Bronze and Words

Two Medals of Honor. Few have earned the nation’s highest military decoration twice. And for good reason.

His awards tell the story, but the words of comrades tell more.

Capt. Lloyd W. Williams called Daly:

“The one man I would follow into the jaws of hell.”

A captain’s honor, a private’s grit—Daly blended them into a call to arms forged by steel and spirit.

Legacy Beyond the Battlefield

Daly’s legacy is carved into the very soul of the Marine Corps. He was the living testament to raw courage, proven leadership, and unwavering brotherhood. Not once did he seek fame. He fought for something greater: the men beside him and the country behind them.

He embodied sacrifice—the scars unseen, the memories carried long after silence falls. His life reminds every soldier that valor is not reckless bravado but steadfast resolve.

And in that grit lies redemption.

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” —John 15:13

Daly laid down pieces of himself in two brutal chapters of history. His story is not just about medals or battles. It is about the fierce, faithful heart of a warrior who made every breath count.

To remember Daniel Daly is to remember what it means to stand, to fight, and to endure—for those who cannot, and for those who will follow. The furnace of combat doesn’t just burn flesh and bone. It melts men into legends.

Sources

1. Marine Corps History Division, “Medal of Honor Recipients: China Relief Expedition (Boxer Rebellion),” 1900 2. U.S. Army Center of Military History, “Medal of Honor Recipients: World War I, Daniel J. Daly,” 1918