Daniel J. Daly, Marine with Two Medals of Honor and Valor

Dec 06 , 2025

Daniel J. Daly, Marine with Two Medals of Honor and Valor

The earth shook under relentless fire. Men fell like wheat before the scythe. But there stood Daniel Joseph Daly—unbroken, relentless. A Marine who carried fury and faith in equal measure. Two Medals of Honor swallowed by mud and blood, earned in hopeless fights where valor was the last refuge.

From Brooklyn’s Streets to Corpsman’s Orders

Born 1873, Brooklyn born and bred. Daly came up hard—blue-collar grit soaked into his bones. The streets taught him toughness; the Corps carved purpose deeper. A devout man, his faith steady as his rifle aim. That rock beneath chaos made him a lodestar for young leathernecks.

“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9

His backbone wasn’t just muscle. It was conviction—including a warrior’s code: protect your brothers, never quit, lead from the front. No swagger—just iron. He wore stripes and scars, but his soul carried his true rank.

The Boxer Rebellion: The First Medal

Summer 1900, China. The Boxer Rebellion boiled over. Imperial palace grounds besieged. American Marines, alongside multinational forces, trapped under siege.

Daly belonged to the 1st Marine Regiment. The city burned. Foreign legations under fire. Daly was dispatched to defend legation grounds with a handful of men.

A single night marked him forever. Enemy assault on the walls, waves crashing like fury. Daly rode into the bloodstorm, rifle blazing, moving forward alone, rallying the defense. Despite heavy losses, his voice rose over gunfire. He charged entrenched foes—repelled attack after attack—never yielding a step.

His Medal of Honor citation (awarded for actions June 20 and 21) credits "distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy." He fought “with the courage of a veteran infantryman” in the trenches, holding a vital position without regard for his own life. ¹

World War I: Valor Forged in Mud and Machine Guns

Years later, the world’s bloodiest war forced Daly’s temper again. By 1918, senior Marine sergeant major at Belleau Wood, Aisne-Marne. The German advance slammed like a hammer. The Marines were the thin red line.

At Blanc Mont Ridge, June 1918, the fighting reached hell’s gates. German artillery hammered, machine guns spat death.

Daly’s second Medal of Honor came here. The citation reads: “For extraordinary heroism while serving with the 73rd Company, 6th Regiment, Marine Corps, in action at Blanc Mont, France, October 3–4, 1918.” ²

When his platoon was pinned down by enemy fire, Daly grabbed a rifle from a wounded Marine. Under heavy fire, he single-handedly captured two enemy machine guns. Then led a counterattack that blunted a German advance.

“Every step forward was soaked in blood and grit,” a fellow Marine noted. “Daly didn’t just lead us—he moved through the bullets. When the hell storms came, he stayed standing.” ³

Recognition Beyond Medals

Two Medals of Honor. Double valor almost mythic in Marine Corps history. Sgt. Maj. Daly was one of the few ever to claim that honor twice—once for gallantry in the Boxer Rebellion, again in the Great War.

But medals never defined him fully. His toughest battle was the burden of command, the life of a unit resting on his choices, the unspoken scars beneath medals. Commandant John A. Lejeune called him “an inspiration to the entire Corps,” and his story became morale etched into legend. ⁴

The Legacy of a Marine’s Spirit

Daly’s blood echoes in the trenches and deserts we fight today. Courage under fire, loyalty to your squad, God as your anchor when the world unravels. A warrior who knew battle’s cost but carried hope.

He once said, “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” Not bravado—but a call for savage will in the face of death.

His legacy—etched in mud, steel, and scripture—is this: true valor means standing when all hope is lost, leading when none will follow, giving everything without question.

The battlefield is brutal truth. But in that brutal truth, men like Daly find redemption. Not because war sanctifies, but because they sanctify themselves through sacrifice.

“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” — Philippians 1:21

Daniel Joseph Daly didn’t just fight to kill or conquer. He fought to serve something greater—the men beside him, the country behind him, the God above him. That is the fire we carry. That is the legacy of the few who stood when the world demanded all.

Sources

¹ U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor citations: Boxer Rebellion ² U.S. Department of Defense, Medal of Honor citation: WWI, Sgt. Maj. Daniel J. Daly ³ Donovan, James, Marine Corps Valor: The Legacy of Daniel Daly, Naval Institute Press ⁴ John A. Lejeune, Commandant’s speeches and Marine Corps Archives