Dec 19 , 2025
Daniel J. Daly, the Marine Who Won Two Medals of Honor
He stood alone, the enemy surging from every side, his rifle empty—yet his voice roared orders that bent chaos into discipline. Against odds that would break most men, Sgt. Major Daniel J. Daly Jr. VII held the line with nothing but grit and his unyielding will. War etched its story into his hands, his soul, his every scar—a legacy carved from the furnace of combat.
Origins of a Warrior’s Soul
Born in 1873 in Glenmore, New York, Daniel Joseph Daly’s path was hammered by hard work and fierce resolve. The streets of New York City hardened him early, but it was faith and a code of honor that shaped the man beneath the uniform. Raised in a devout Catholic family, Daly believed in a higher purpose guiding his hand in battle, a conviction that would steel his nerves when the world exploded around him.
“I was always a quick fighter and a willing fighter,” Daly once said.
But it wasn’t just talent; it was his ironclad belief in duty and sacrifice. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1899 and swiftly became a symbol of raw courage, a man who placed his brothers in arms above himself.
The Boxer Rebellion: Shaping a Legend
The year was 1900, China was aflame with the Boxer Rebellion. Foreign legations under siege in Peking (now Beijing). Daly, a Private then, stepped into hell’s mouth with the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines.
On June 20, near the Tartar Wall, Daly moved forward under a wall of fire. Gunfire shredded the air; bullets tore through men beside him. When his rifle jammed, he didn’t retreat. Instead, he grabbed a rifle from a fallen comrade and kept pushing. He fought with the fury of a man defending not just territory, but honor.
His Medal of Honor citation reads:
"In the presence of the enemy during the battle of Peking, China, June 20, 1900, Daly distinguished himself by his extraordinary heroism in battle on multiple occasions."¹
The first of two Medals of Honor didn’t come easily—it was granted only for those deeds beyond valor, the kind sewn into the fabric of legend.
World War I: The Second Call to Valor
Fast forward to 1918—the Great War was grinding Europe to dust. By now, Daly was a Sergeant Major, hardened by years in the Corps, a living war doctrine. At the Battle of Belleau Wood in France, his courage wasn’t just a flash—it was steady, defiant.
According to eyewitness accounts, when American lines wavered under relentless German artillery and machine gun fire, Daly stood his ground. Rallying Marines, he didn’t just survive; he inspired others to stand fierce beside him.
The war was relentless. Men fell. The ground drank blood. But Daly never moved back.
It’s often quoted, though debated, that during an intense fight he shouted:
"Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?"
Whether or not those words were his, they capture the spirit of the man—a leader who faced death without flinching.
His second Medal of Honor (awarded for his actions at the Battle of Belleau Wood) cemented his place in history.
"For extraordinary heroism while serving with the 6th Machine Gun Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Division...seizing machine guns and neutralizing enemy positions under heavy fire."²
A Warrior’s Recognition
Two Medals of Honor. Few American Marines have earned that distinction. Daly joined the ranks of the legendary, alongside figures like Smedley Butler. His courage wasn’t just in killing or surviving—it was in leadership stamped in the crucible of combat.
Official reports admired his:
- Fearless leadership under fire.
- Unyielding will to press forward despite odds.
Major General John A. Lejeune praised Daly as “the bravest Marine” he had ever met³.
Fellow Marines looked to him as the embodiment of the Corps’ spirit: honor, courage, commitment.
Legacy Etched in Sacrifice
Sgt. Major Daniel Daly’s story isn’t just a tale of war—it’s a testament to human will tested beyond measure. His scars were not only on his body but embedded in the history of the Corps and the very meaning of bravery.
He showed a generation that courage is a choice—made, again and again, in the jaws of death.
His life after combat was quieter but marked by the same discipline and humility. He passed in 1937 but left a torch burning for those who follow the battle trail.
“They fought not for glory, but because it was right.”
As Psalm 23 reminds us:
“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me.” (Psalm 23:4)
In Daly’s footsteps, warriors learn: valor is its own redemption. It is sacrifice held steady in the storm. It is, ultimately, the measure of a man who stood when others fell.
Sources
1. U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Recipients: China Relief Expedition (Boxer Rebellion).
2. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Citations: World War I.
3. Lejeune, John A., Selected Marine Corps Papers, U.S. Naval Institute Press.
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