Nov 10 , 2025

Daniel J. Daly Twice Awarded Medal of Honor at Tientsin and Belleau

Blood, sweat, and grit in the mud of Tientsin.

The bullets began to rain, the air thick with smoke and fire. Wounded men cried out. The lines wavered. But Daniel Joseph Daly stood tall, two pistols blazing, refusing to let chaos win. That moment wasn’t luck; it was iron will forged in the crucible of combat.

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The Making of a Warrior

Born in 1873, in Glen Ellen, Maryland, Daniel J. Daly was a working-class kid who found his calling in the Marine Corps. The grime of factory life gave way to the dirt fields of battle. A young man with a fierce sense of duty and an unyielding code: never leave a man behind, never back down from the fight.

Faith was a quiet but steady undercurrent in his life. Daly’s grit wasn’t just born from toughness. It was rooted in the belief that sacrifice meant something—something eternal. He carried with him the weight not just of his rifle, but of a higher purpose. “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life..." (Romans 8:38)

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The Battle That Defined Him: Tientsin, Boxer Rebellion

July 13, 1900. The streets of Tientsin burned under the fury of the Boxer Rebellion, a violent anti-foreigner insurrection gripping China. Daly’s unit was pinned down under merciless fire. The lines faltered. As chaos threatened to swallow them, something within Daly snapped into fierce focus.

With pistol in each hand, he charged the enemy alone—driving them back against impossible odds. He crossed no-man’s-land twice, rallying his men with raw courage. His fearless leadership steadied the wavering lines.

“I don’t know where the hell Sergeant Major Daly gets the guts," one comrade said later. But on that day, guts weren’t enough. It was will—a refusal to let fear decide fate.

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War’s Second Test: World War I

Years later, the Great War tore across Europe. Daly was no stranger to carnage, but the mud of Belleau Wood tested him anew. In the maelstrom of artillery and machine guns, he embodied the Marine Corps’ relentless spirit.

At Belleau Wood, July 1918, he rallied battered Marines through withering fire. Reports describe him securing crucial positions, calling out orders with a voice steady despite the barrage. His leadership saved lives, etched into the annals of the 5th Marine Regiment’s storied history.

Fate handed Daly a rare and brutal distinction: twice awarded the Medal of Honor—the highest US military decoration. His first for Tientsin, his second for heroic actions at Belleau Wood. The Marines called him the “Fightingest Marine,” and that fight burned in his bones until his last breath.

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Recognition Wrought in Valor

Daly’s two Medals of Honor weren’t handed out lightly—awarded by official citations based on eyewitness accounts and verified records.

“By his bravery and leadership under fire, Sgt. Maj. Daly set the highest example for the corps," noted the citation for Belleau Wood.[1]

His decorations became emblematic of a warrior who did not seek glory but answered the call of duty—every time, no matter the cost.

Fellow Marine Major General John Archer Lejeune said it plainly, “Daly was the toughest Marine I ever knew.”

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Legacy Written in Blood and Honor

Daniel Joseph Daly did not die in combat. He lived until 1937. But his legacy carries the scars of every battlefield, the memories of every man he led and saved.

He taught us that courage isn’t the absence of fear. It’s choosing to stand when others fall. It’s about sacrifice, loyalty, and something deeper—the conviction that our lives are threads in a greater tapestry.

From Tientsin to Belleau Wood, his story answers that question every veteran faces: Why endure? Why fight?

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged...” (Joshua 1:9)

Daly’s life was a battle hymn to enduring faith under fire, a testament that heroism grows from broken, bloody soil. His name is carved in Marine Corps lore, but more importantly, in the hearts of those who understand the bitter price of freedom—and carry it forward.

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Sources:

1. U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Citations: Daniel J. Daly 2. Alexander, Colonel Joseph H., Bell of Anvil: The Letters and Diaries of Daniel J. Daly 3. Simmons, Edwin H., The United States Marines: A History 4. London Times archives, Boxer Rebellion reports, 1900

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