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

Feb 12 , 2026

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

Blood on his boots. Fire in his eyes. Silence before the storm. Sgt. Major Daniel J. Daly stood alone, rifle in hand, facing a tide of enemy fighters more numerous than any sane man should. This was no ordinary fight. It was a last line—a stand that would echo through war’s unforgiving halls.

Blood and Faith Forged in Brooklyn

Daniel Joseph Daly was born into the grit and grind of Brooklyn on June 11, 1873. That city—raw, relentless, full of scorn and hope—shaped him as much as any drill instructor or battlefield ever would. Raised in a Catholic home, Daly’s faith was as real and tangible as the dirt caked under his boots.

He learned early that courage wasn’t a feeling. It was a choice. A code: defend the weak, never flinch, honor God through every sacrifice. His life would mirror that sacred code—a soldier’s loyalty, a man anchored by scripture, though the battlefield promised no mercy.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9

The Boxer Rebellion: “For Liberty and Country”

When the Boxer Rebellion tore through China in 1900, Daly was a young Marine, barely two years in. The siege of the foreign legations in Peking was hell flesh and bone could barely contain. Surrounded, outgunned, they fought like cornered wolves.

Daly’s moment came during the fierce street fighting, where every shadow held a sniper’s breath. Twice he went back into the fray under heavy fire to rescue wounded comrades—dragging them away from certain death while bullets chewed the air. His Medal of Honor citation reads:

“For distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy in battle with the Boxers near Tientsin, China, 13 July 1900.”[¹]

Not once did he hesitate. No plan in the world matters when a brother’s life hangs in the balance.

The Battle of Belleau Wood: “Come on, you sons of bitches!”

War doesn’t wait. A decade later, with Europe engulfed in the horrific carnage of World War I, Sgt. Major Daly found himself in the dense woods of Belleau, France. The war’s bloodiest crucible.

German machine guns sprayed death across tangled undergrowth. Marines faltered. Morale shattered. And then Daly did something that would become legend.

With a voice carved from steel and smoke, he rallied his men:

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

That cry wasn’t empty bravado. It was the spark that ignited the ferocity Marines are known for. Daly, though in his 40s and past his prime combat years, refused to yield. He led charges through bullets and bombs, his presence a beacon amid chaos.

This act earned him a second Medal of Honor, a rare and sacred distinction afforded only to the bravest few in U.S. military history.[²]

“At Belleau Wood, amid the greatest slaughter, he stood fearless—an anchor in a storm of death.” — Marine Corps Archives

Honors Etched in Valor

Daniel Daly remains one of only three American servicemen to receive two Medals of Honor for separate conflicts. His decorations don’t stop there—a Navy Cross, multiple campaign medals, and the respect of every soldier who ever heard his name.

Yet Daly never sought glory for himself. He believed valor was a shared burden, a chain linking every combat veteran through blood and sacrifice.

Major General Smedley Butler, himself a two-time Medal of Honor recipient, said of Daly:

“The bravest and most audacious Marine I ever knew.”[³]

His legacy isn’t in medals or stories told around barracks bonfires—it’s in the lives he saved, the courage he inspired, and the unyielding spirit he embodied.

The Lasting Echo of a Warrior’s Faith

Daly’s story demands more than admiration. It demands reckoning with what courage truly costs—and what redemption looks like in the face of hell. He fought wars that defy simple tales of good or evil but held fast to honor and faith as his true weapons.

To veterans clawing through their own battles, his tale whispers a hard truth: your scars are the map of your legacy. To civilians, it demands understanding—that freedom is purchased in blood, and that some sacrifices cannot be spoken without silence.

He died in 1937, a humble hero whose voice still rings in the rifle cracks of Belleau Wood and the gunfire-choked streets of Peking.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” — 2 Timothy 4:7

Dan Daly’s faith was tested on the world’s bloodiest stages. His courage? A fire that still burns in every Marine who answers the call. And in that light, his story is our unfinished fight.

Sources

1. Naval History and Heritage Command, Medal of Honor Citations, Daniel J. Daly 2. Marine Corps History Division, Sgt. Maj. Daniel J. Daly and the Battle of Belleau Wood 3. Smedley Butler, War is a Racket and official Marine Corps commendations