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

Nov 20 , 2025

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

He stood alone between a wall of enemy fire and the lives of his comrades, pistol blazing, unfaltering under a hailstorm of death. Sgt. Major Daniel J. Daly wasn’t just a Marine. He was a legend carved from the smoke of two wars, a warrior whose courage didn't flicker when faced with impossible odds—but burned brighter. Few men earn one Medal of Honor. Two? That’s a testament to a soul forged by hell.

The Battle That Forged a Warrior

Daniel Joseph Daly was born in Glen Cove, New York, 1873. A working-class kid with fists like a battleship. Enlisting in the Marine Corps in 1899, his grit was immediate. The sea-air hardened him, but the crucible of combat shaped his soul.

He first made history in China, 1900—during the Boxer Rebellion. Streets choked with chaos, Marines held the line in Peking’s Legation Quarter. When his unit was pinned down by overwhelming Boxer forces, Daly met the storm head-on. Armed only with his pistol, he charged the enemy barricades and shouted, “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” That thunderous challenge rallied his men to push back the insurgents, buying critical time to save the legations. His fearless leadership shattered fear.

It wouldn’t be his last act of legendary valor.

Faith in Duty, Anchored by Honor

Daly was a Catholic man, a fact that informed his sense of duty and honesty. His faith was never loud, but it was there—like a quiet fortress. He lived by a strict personal code: protect your fellow Marines, face the enemy without hesitation, and never stop fighting the good fight.

Sacrifice wasn’t a question; it was the mission. His scars told stories - not complaints. There was a reverence in his bearing for the weight of war, a respect for those who walked alongside him into death’s shadow.

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

The Inferno of Belleau Wood

If history demanded a second defining moment, June 1918 in WWI’s Battle of Belleau Wood delivered it brutal and merciless. The woods near the Marne River in France became a death trap. German forces were entrenched in shocking numbers, tightening a vise around the American Expeditionary Forces.

Daly, then a Gunnery Sergeant, led a Marines’ charge against a German machine-gun nest almost single-handedly. His unit was pinned down under withering fire. Without hesitation, Daly advanced through a hail of bullets, tossing grenades that shattered enemy positions and inspired his men to rally behind him.

A contemporary account recorded his steadfastness: "His calm and courageous example steadied the nerves of his comrades under the most trying conditions."

For this, he earned his second Medal of Honor—the rarest distinction, marking him as one of only 19 Americans to earn two in separate conflicts.

Honors of Blood and Bravery

Medal of Honor citations aren’t just words—they’re sacred. Daly’s first Medal citation reads:

“For extraordinary heroism in action at the battle of Peking, China, 20-22 July 1900. Sergeant Daly distinguished himself by his bravery in the presence of the enemy.”

His second Medal recognized:

“Gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty… near Bouresches, France… 6 June 1918.”

He also earned the Marine Corps Brevet Medal, Navy Cross, and a host of others—decorations that mapped a life spent in the crucible of combat.

"Dan Daly," one fellow Marine said, "was the baddest damn Marine to ever fight in the Corps." They fought alongside him, and few ever doubted the man who led by example.

Legacy Etched in Grit and Redemption

Daniel J. Daly didn’t just fight battles. He carried the scars—and the memories—into a nation grappling with the sacrifices of war. His story reminds us that courage isn’t born from glory, but from grit and relentless resolve.

He passed away in 1937, but the echo of his footsteps remains in every battlefield march, every soldier who faces fear head-on.

There is no greater lesson than the quiet strength of sacrifice: showing up when others flee, holding the line when all seems lost. That’s the heritage of Sgt. Major Daly—the warrior who stood tallest when the world imploded.

“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

In the fragmented silence after the guns fall quiet, vets remember Daniel J. Daly. Not because he was a hero carved in marble, but because his story bleeds raw truth—proof that valor is timeless, forged in the crucible of sacrifice, and redeemed by the lives it protects.

Sources

1. Marine Corps History Division, Two Medal of Honor Recipients: SgtMaj Daniel J. Daly, Official Marine Corps Records. 2. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War I. 3. Alexander, Joseph H., The Battle of Belleau Wood, Naval Institute Press, 1995. 4. Citation for Medal of Honor, SgtMaj Daniel J. Daly, National Archives. 5. Boxer Rebellion: The Legation Defense and the Siege of Peking, Douglas Kerr, Naval History Magazine.