Daniel J. Daly Marine Who Earned Two Medals of Honor

Dec 08 , 2025

Daniel J. Daly Marine Who Earned Two Medals of Honor

Blood. Fire. Silence. The kind of silence where every boy becomes a man or fades into dust. Daniel Joseph Daly stood firm in those screams, twice wrapped in medals that no man should ever have to earn more than once. Two Medals of Honor. One man, two battles—Boxer Rebellion and the Great War—etched deep in the lines of his weathered face, his unbreakable spine.

From Brooklyn Streets to the Marine Corps

Born 1873 in the hard angles of Brooklyn, New York, Daly grew up rough, fists and grit shaping a warrior spirit. No silver spoon. No easy path. Faith ran with him like a shadow. A devout Catholic, the man carried something more than weapons—he carried a code written in sacrifice, humility, and a solemn respect for the lives he’d take and the brothers he’d hold.

He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1899. That choice carved his soul. He wasn’t just a soldier; Daly was a guardian on the front lines of America’s emerging battles abroad—each step soaked with hardship, test, and faith. God’s words his silent armor:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9

The Boxer Rebellion: A Testament of Defiance

Beijing, 1900. The world was chaos beneath fiery skies. Daly’s unit found itself pinned down amid a savage siege during the Boxer Rebellion. The enemy pressed—wave after wave—onto the legations’ compound where Marines and diplomats fought for their lives.

It was here that Daly’s first Medal of Honor was carved forever in history. On July 13, 1900, amid a relentless enemy assault, he “displayed extraordinary heroism” by rallying men under concentrated fire, personally repulsing the attackers with rifle and pistol. He stood his ground, a bulwark of steadfast courage. Accounts say Daly halted the enemy advance with nothing but grit and his squad’s fierce resolve[1].

This was no moment caught for glory—only survival, duty, and relentless leadership. He showed the iron will of a Marine who knew what sacrifice demanded.

Hero of Belleau Wood: The Legend in World War I

Fast forward to 1918. The roar of World War I thundered across the fields of France. The Battle of Belleau Wood shattered forests and hope alike. It was a nightmare, soaked with mud, blood, and death—yet Sergeant Major Daly marched through it like a man possessed.

During the bloody fight at Belleau Wood, Daly’s courage became legend. Amid heavy machine-gun fire, with his Marines pinned behind shattered trees, Daly reportedly shouted:

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

That line, raw and unyielding, rallied Marines to charge the enemy lines despite the carnage around them. His fearless leadership in those desperate hours saved countless lives and turned a potentially catastrophic delay into a decisive victory. This earned him a second Medal of Honor, a unique distinction shared by only 19 men in U.S. history[2].

Daly’s official citation praised his “extraordinary heroism and inspiring leadership.” But the war-weary sergeant major carried those accolades with quiet resolve. He fought for the lives crawling beside him, not medals.

Recognition Etched in Steel and Soul

Daniel Daly rose to the rank of Sergeant Major, the highest enlisted rank at the time. His battlefield valor made him a legend, a mentor to thousands of Marines who came after. Quiet, gruff, unassuming—he never slowed to boast, but his deeds resonated like the crack of rifle fire.

Marine General Smedley Butler called Daly "the greatest Marine who ever lived." That’s a rare truth, from a man who knew courage in its harshest form[3].

Two Medals of Honor. Countless lives saved. Stories passed down the corridors of the Corps. But beyond awards, Daly’s legacy was forged in the unspoken bond between brothers in arms—the kind only those who have stood in hell together understand.

Lessons from a Warrior’s Psalm

What does Daniel Daly teach a generation divorced from trenches and gunfire?

Valor isn’t born in comfort. It’s carved from relentless adversity, sacrifice, and the courage to stand when the world screams at you to fall. He embodied the fierce love of a warrior for his fellow men—and a faith that gave him strength when all seemed lost.

His life whispers a hard truth: courage is messy. Pain is inevitable. Redemption is found not in glory, but in purpose.

In his final years, Daly carried the scars unseen—mental battles, the weight of lives lost. Yet he remained steadfast, a living testament to Psalm 34:18:

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

The battlefield never forgets a man like Daniel J. Daly. A Marine who stood at the crossroads of history, bloodied but unbowed. His story is not just of medals, but of a heart forged in the crucible of war.

May his courage echo in every soldier's soul, every citizen’s conscience—that valor, duty, and faith endure beyond the smoke and scars.

Sources

1. U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Citation, Daniel J. Daly (Boxer Rebellion) 2. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Citation, Daniel J. Daly (World War I) 3. Smedley Butler, “War is a Racket”, personal accounts and Marine Corps archives