Daniel J. Daly, twice-decorated Marine of Boxer Rebellion and WWI

Feb 14 , 2026

Daniel J. Daly, twice-decorated Marine of Boxer Rebellion and WWI

Bloodied hands and shaking fire—they called to Daly in the darkness. Under a foreign sky in Tientsin, bullets slicing the night, a lone lance corporal refused to bow or break. That grit etched the name Daniel Joseph Daly into the annals of valor—the rarest breed of Marine: twice wounded, twice decorated with the Medal of Honor, and forever the iron backbone of Corps tradition.

The Roots of Grit: New York to the Leatherneck Code

Born November 11, 1873, in Glen Cove, New York, Daniel Daly didn't grow up with privilege—he found his baptism of fire in the streets and docks of Brooklyn. The child of Irish immigrants, Daly's grit was forged by hard labor and tougher streets. Faith was his compass. Though a man of few public words on worship, he lived the warrior’s creed deeply grounded in humility and sacrifice. The words of Psalm 23 echoed in his soul:

“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.”

That ancient promise steeled him for what war would demand: unyielding courage when others faltered.

The Boxer Rebellion: Staving Off Annihilation

Daly's first Medal of Honor came on July 13, 1900, during the Boxer Rebellion in China. The Siege of Peking—the city aflame, allies on edge, and hundreds of Chinese rebels armed to the teeth gathered in the night to slaughter the defenders.

The 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, was outnumbered, exhausted, and low on ammo. Daly, then a sergeant, rallied his comrades with fierce tenacity. According to the citation, he “in the presence of the enemy, distinguished himself by gallantry.” Twice wounded, he kept fighting, charging the hostile positions to keep the enemy at bay. The line held because he refused to break.

This was not luck or bravado—it was steel forged in the furnace of brotherhood and duty. No man leads harder than the one who stands shoulder to shoulder against the worst hell fire.

The Great War: Valor on the Verdun Plateau

Fast forward two decades. World War I—Europe bleeding rivers of mud and blood. Daly, now a gunnery sergeant known as “Iron Mike,” faced the nightmare of trench warfare.

During the Battle of Belleau Wood in June 1918, one of the fiercest fights for the Marines, Daly performed an act that would become legend. Enemy lines were breaking; the Marines’ position was in crisis. Facing a charge by German soldiers, Daly reportedly yelled to his men,

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

With his rifle and sheer resolve, he charged, cutting down attackers and inspiring the unit to hold. The tenacity under deadly fire earned him his second Medal of Honor.

Two Medals of Honor. No one else in the Marines has earned that.

Honors Forged in Battle and Brotherly Respect

The double Medal of Honor alone seals Daly in the pantheon of American warriors, but it’s the respect from his peers that echoes loudest. He was not just brave—he was legendary for leadership that breathed life into exhausted Marines.

Gen. John A. Lejeune, Commandant of the Marine Corps, called Daly the “epitome of the fighting Marine.” These words were earned, not given.

Daly’s decorations also include the Navy Cross and several campaign medals confirming a career steeped in frontline sacrifice.

“Few men in our Corps can measure streaks of valor like Iron Mike Daly,” a fellow Marine once wrote.

Legacy: The Quiet Warrior’s Enduring Lesson

Daly died on April 27, 1937. No grand monuments mark his grave—just a simple headstone, bearing his rank and honors.

Yet his story slices through the noise of history: courage isn’t about medals. It’s about putting your life down for the man beside you. It’s sweating through fear, pain, and exhaustion to stand unbroken.

His life hollers this truth: Valor lies in action, not accolades. His warrior’s path was not for glory but duty—an offering made daily on battlefields far from home.

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

That scripture isn’t just comfort. It’s a call to arms for every Marine, soldier, or civilian who understands sacrifice.

There’s a fierce beauty in Daniel Joseph Daly’s story—it’s nothing short of redemption writ large. To honor his legacy is to remember the cost of freedom, the scars carried quietly, and the unyielding spirit forged on brutal battlefields.

He walked death’s dark valley again and again—and did not break.

That is the warrior’s true victory.

Sources

1. Naval History and Heritage Command, “Daniel J. Daly” 2. U.S. Marine Corps, “Medal of Honor Recipients: Boxer Rebellion and World War I” 3. Millett, Allan R., Semper Fidelis: The History of the United States Marine Corps 4. Simmons, Edwin H., The United States Marines: A History