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

Dec 30 , 2025

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

Blood on his hands. Not shame—but proof. Sgt. Maj. Daniel J. Daly stood at the edge of a trench in China’s Boxer Rebellion, his rifle jammed, enemies closing fast. No reinforcements. No orders but to hold. Around him, Marines faltered, fear clawed at worn souls. Daly roared, not for glory—but to save the men beside him. He lifted a fallen comrade’s rifle and fired with cold fury that would echo through wars yet to come.

From a Working-Class Cornerstone to Warrior’s Spirit

Born in County Wexford, Ireland, then raised in Glen Cove, New York—Daly was forged in the fires of blue-collar grit and rough streets. His family’s faith rested on simple truths, the kind born in church pews and hard labor.

“Blessed are the meek,” a verse he carried silently, not as weakness, but as strength waiting to choose the right moment.

Daly’s unshakable resolve was a testament to a personal code: protect, endure, never quit. He enlisted in 1899, joining the Marines with no illusions—just a burning sense of duty and a raw promise never to let his men down.

The Boxer Rebellion: A Birthplace of Legends

The Boxer Rebellion stands as the brutal proving ground for Daly’s first Medal of Honor. In June 1900, Marine forces faced a relentless siege in Peking (Beijing). The Boxers—fanatical insurgents fueled by hatred for foreign presence—threw themselves against rhythm and gunfire with terrifying abandon.

Sgt. Daly’s citation tells the story with brutal brevity: he “displayed extraordinary heroism” by single-handedly holding the line with only a rifle and pistol, rallying Marines as they faced waves of enemies. The official record notes that at the battle for Coburn Hill, he stood “without cover and[s] fired into the ranks of the enemy, checking their advance... thus enabling the men to reorganize.”

That moment burned the fire of a leader who doesn’t flinch.

“I’d rather take my chances with him than any other man,” fellow Marine Lieutenant Victor Bleasdale said later.

World War I: Valor Twice Tested, Twice Rewarded

Daly’s battlefield baptism did not end in China. By the Great War, he was a hardened stalwart—Sgt. Major of the 4th Marine Regiment, a unit that would carve its name into history at Belleau Wood in 1918. The battle was hell on earth, flamethrowers, machine guns, artillery shells raining without mercy.

Two Medal of Honor citations from different wars—rare enough to mark a legend. His second came from this hellscape.

On June 6, 1918, while leading a counterattack against entrenched German positions near Blanc Mont Ridge, Daly personally led a charge that extracted his men from lethal enclosure. Major General John A. Lejeune penned the citation:

“By his fearless leadership and disregard of personal danger, he inspired his men to aggressive effort and successful accomplishment of the mission.”

Daly didn’t ask for medals or parades. He earned them in blood—holding positions amidst gas and mud, yelling an old, unbreakable battle cry: “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?”

In the bitter grind of trench warfare, Daly’s voice was a beacon of grit and unyielding will.

Scarred, Honored, Unbroken

Daly’s two Medals of Honor place him among the handful of Americans—and one of the few Marines—to earn the nation’s highest award twice. Not as trophies, but as reminders of the cost of bravery and leadership.

He carried other honors too: the Navy Cross, Distinguished Service Cross, and countless commendations reflecting every battle that carved his soul.

His men trusted him because he bore the same scars they did—hidden wounds and battle-weary eyes.

Commandant Wendell C. Neville summed it best: “Daly was the embodiment of the Marine Corps spirit—tough, loyal, fearless.”

Legacy: The Warrior Priest

Daly’s story does not end with medals and military history books. His legacy is the blueprint for combat veterans balancing warrior and human, honor and humility.

His faith, tempered in childhood, was a quiet backbone—the hope that beyond the war and violence lies redemption.

“I’d give my medals for one day of peace,” he reportedly said, understanding war’s cruelty but embracing duty’s call.

This is the truth etched in the dirt beneath boots and blood-soaked bandages: courage is not the absence of fear, but the choice to stand firm anyway. Sacrifice is not just dying, but living in ways that honor those who fell beside you.

His life reminds every generation of fighters: there is grace even in the deepest trenches.

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

Sgt. Maj. Daniel J. Daly’s story is a beacon—etched in steel and sacrifice, forever calling veterans and civilians alike to remember what it means to fight not for glory, but for each other.