Dec 14 , 2025

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

Blood and steel don’t just forge warriors—they carve legends. Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly wasn’t born a hero. He bled, he fought, and he lived a brutal life that demanded a price few paid. Two Medals of Honor. Not once, but twice. That’s the hard truth. Courageous beyond measure. A warrior’s heart beating through the thick mud of battlefields from China to France.

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The Making of a Marine

Daly grew up the hard way—Brooklyn, New York, 1873. The streets toughened him, but faith and discipline shaped him. Catholic boy with a fighter’s grit. Enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1899, his code was simple: duty to God and country first.

“Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war,” (Psalm 144:1). That verse could have been etched on Daly’s soul.

He didn’t just carry weapons—he carried responsibility. A leader forged by hardship, raised on principles of honor and sacrifice that weighed heavier on a man’s shoulders than any gear or medals.

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The Battle That Defined Him: Boxer Rebellion, 1900

In the ruins of Tientsin, China, a fierce uprising threatened foreign legations and U.S. Marines alike. Daly’s unit took the brunt of the Boxer Rebellion’s storm.

On June 20, 1900, as the battle raged, Daly’s calm exploded into fury. Alone, he scaled the walls protecting the legation, firing his rifle continuously to repel attackers. Twice, he wrestled through waves of enemies to hold the line.

His Medal of Honor citation reads:

“For distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy in battle, near Tientsin, China, 20 June 1900. Private Daly, with exceptional courage and determination, fought off the attacking Boxers and held the defensive position.”

That act of fearless stand wasn’t some isolated flare. It was the steel sinew of a lifetime of valor.[1]

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The Inferno of World War I: Belleau Wood

Fourteen years later, another test awaited. World War I—war to end all wars—turned to nightmare in the dense woods of Belleau, France, June 1918. The Marine Corps was thrown into hell.

Amid relentless artillery shells and machine-gun fire, Daly’s legend only grew. When his men faltered against a German advance, Daly grabbed a rifle and charged, shouting orders that would make men die for him.

The most famous Marine battle cry, “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” is often attributed to him—words burned into Marine lore.[2] It’s not myth. It’s war-born grit calling men beyond their limits.

Amid the blood and screams, Daly’s second Medal of Honor citation reads:

“For extraordinary heroism and leadership during the attack on the German forces. Sergeant Major Daly’s gallantry under fire stopped the enemy’s advance and inspired his men to hold despite severe casualties.”

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Valor Etched in Bronze and Blood

Few have claimed two Medals of Honor. Even fewer exhibit Daly’s unyielding spirit. But numbers and medals are only half the story.

Fellow Marines remembered him as a man who led from the front, who stood in the wind with his men. A legend shaped not just by gallantry, but by the scars he bore silently.

General John Joseph Pershing praised Daly’s “unmatched fearlessness and unwavering courage.”

But Daly never sought glory. His faith anchored him. In war, he found not pride, but purpose. And in purpose, redemption.

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Lessons from the Trenches

Daly’s legacy isn’t just heroic acts or battlefield gallantry. It’s the raw truth of service—pain and sacrifice writ large.

Courage isn’t the absence of fear; it’s marching forward despite it.

His story whispers to every soldier and civilian: suffering is real. Service exacts heavy tolls. But redemption lies in embracing scars as marks of survival, honor, and service beyond self.

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7) could have been Daly’s final word.

His life challenges us—those who wear the uniform and those who do not—to honor sacrifice with remembrance, to carry scars proudly, and to embrace the hard road to redemption through service.

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Sources

1. U.S. Marine Corps History Division – “Sergeant Major Daniel J. Daly, Medal of Honor Citation, Boxer Rebellion” 2. Marines at Belleau Wood by Joseph H. Alexander, Naval Institute Press, 1994

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