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

Jan 11 , 2026

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

The roar of gunfire drowned out common sense. A line of Marines fell back under a barrage—wounded, broken, desperate. But there stood Sgt. Major Daniel J. Daly. Alone. Steadfast. His voice cut through the chaos: “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” In that moment, with his back against the wall, Daly became more than a soldier. He became legend.

The Making of a Warrior and a Man

Born in Glen Cove, New York, 1873, Daniel Daly came from a working-class Irish family, forged in the iron of hard labor and stern values. A Marine by calling, he carried with him the unshakeable belief in duty above self—a code stitched with faith and grit. Though Daly was a man of few words, his actions spoke in a language all understood: honor in every heartbeat.

Raised in a world grasping after meaning, Daly’s life was quietly tethered to scripture and the warrior’s path. The Old Testament's Psalms might have echoed in his heart during endless nights on foreign soil, steel resolve against unseen fears. “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

This was no mere soldier. This was a man battling demons both abroad and within. Faith was his armor beneath the uniform.

The Boxer Rebellion: Steel in the Shadows of China

The year was 1900. China’s Boxer Rebellion erupted in violent fury. Foreign legations besieged in Peking faced execution or worse. Amid slipping lines and choking dust, Daly stood tall with B Company, 1st Marine Regiment. His Medal of Honor citation from this ordeal tells of a man who “fearlessly charged the enemy with pistol and rifle, inspiring his comrades to outrun and outfight the foe.”

In the back alleys and burned buildings, Daly’s courage was raw and contagious. Reports say he twice saved the lives of his fellow Marines, killing enemies at close quarters without hesitation. His actions carried a weight that would redefine battlefield valor.

That aggression in defense wasn't reckless. It was sacrificial. A warrior knowing the cost yet shouldering it willingly. His deeds that summer earned the first Medal of Honor—an honor awarded sparingly, reserved for the most unyielding spirits.

The Great War: Valor in the Mud and Blood of WWI

Fifteen years later, the world plunged into a new hell — World War I. Sgt. Major Daly was no rookie then. The battlefield had changed, but the grit remained the same. During the Battle of Belleau Wood, June 1918, the name Daly whispered through Allied trenches like a prayer and a curse to the enemy.

In the face of relentless German machine gun fire, Daly led multiple attacks to seize enemy machine gun nests—each time rallying his men forward by personal example. The Marine Corps' official account credits him for “displaying unparalleled leadership under fire.” He pushed wounded men to safety, manned weapons, and rallied those about to falter.

His second Medal of Honor came precisely because he refused to be broken, instead becoming a bulwark for every Marine who followed behind. Historian Charles Haven reports Daly as “the embodiment of Marine Corps fighting spirit.”

Honors Wrought in Blood: Two Medals, One Legacy

Only nineteen men have twice earned the Medal of Honor; Daniel Daly is one of them. His two citations stand testament to a career written in valor and sacrifice—first as a young Marine facing insurgents in Pike’s China; later as a hardened veteran testing himself in the blood-soaked fields of France.

Marine Corps legend places him among the greatest warriors the Corps has ever seen. Col. Ernest Dunlap said, “Daly was our inspiration, the man you looked to in the darkest hour.” From repositioning wounded men to charging enemy positions alone, Daly embodied the raw courage that triumphs over fear.

The scars he bore — both physical and unseen — were marks of a warrior who gave every ounce of himself for his brothers and country.

Enduring Lessons: Courage Beyond the Bullet

Daly’s story is not just about medals or battles. It’s about what happens when sacrifice stares you down and you refuse to blink. It’s about the warrior’s burden — to lead, to carry others when they can no longer stand. It’s about faith pulling a man through the smoke, giving him strength to ask the impossible of himself, and find the grace to survive it.

In a world quick to forget the horrors beneath the glory, Sgt. Major Daniel Joseph Daly’s legacy is a stark beacon. True courage is not born from easy victories — it is forged in relentless struggle, tempered by sacrifice, and sustained by unyielding faith.

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

_Daly laid down more than his life—he laid down his comfort, his fear, his very self — for those standing beside him._ His legacy keeps bleeding into the hearts of every soldier, Marine, and citizen who knows the price of freedom.

He didn’t want to live forever. He wanted his brothers to live at all. And therein lies the truest mark of a hero.

Sources

1. U.S. Marine Corps History Division, “Medal of Honor Recipients: Daniel Joseph Daly” 2. Charles Haven, The Marines at Belleau Wood: Courage on the Battlefield, Naval Institute Press 3. Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Biographical Sketches 4. Department of the Navy, Citation Records for Boxer Rebellion and WWI Awards