Nov 30 , 2025
Daniel J. Daly, Twice Medal of Honor Marine at Belleau Wood
Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly stood in the mud, under hurricane winds and machine-gun fire, a living wall between chaos and his men. Explosions tore the earth open. His voice—rough, unwavering—cut through the pounding rain and shrieks of mortal dread. “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” That question was more than defiance. It was a call to arms, a summons from a warrior who knew the price of fear.
Roots of Iron and Faith
Born in Glen Cove, New York, in 1873, Daly came up from nothing. An orphan by age 11, the streets weren’t kind, but they forged an unbreakable backbone. Joined the Marines at 20, not for glory but to belong—to something greater than himself.
His faith was quiet but steady, a compass amid the carnage. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want,” might have been whispered in the trenches when hope flickered thin. A man of simple morals: loyalty, honor, and the gritty resolve to hold the line. Daly lived by a code carved in blood and prayer—duty before self, men over medals.
The Boxer Rebellion: Valor Earning Its Name
In 1900, Daly faced hell in Tientsin, China. The Boxer Rebellion was no clean war, but a brutal siege where survival meant biting through the smoke and the screams. Amid chaotic assaults, Daly was the anchor of the American detachment.
The first Medal of Honor came for his fearless response during an ambush. Under blistering fire, he led several counterattacks, rallying disoriented Marines and allied forces alike. He braved open street combat, charging with pistol and rifle against insurgents hellbent on slaughter. His citations highlight not just courage, but relentless fight and steadfast leadership in the face of overwhelming enemy numbers.
The Great War: A Legend Forged in Fire
Fourteen years later, the mud-soaked trenches of World War I swallowed millions. Daly was no stranger to hardship, but nothing prepared him for the crucible of Belleau Wood, 1918. His second Medal of Honor sprang from exactly the kind of desperate valor that turns ordinary soldiers into legends.
Belleau Wood was a slaughterhouse. German artillery ripped through rows of Marines, machine guns chewed flesh and bone. Daly moved among his men, dragging the wounded, shouting orders, rallying fragmented squads. When a line began to fracture, his voice thundered over the din, punishing the doubt: “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?”
His leadership saved the day. An act not of bravado but unshakable will. Marines remember those words still—not because of their harshness, but because they carried hope, a refusal to back down in the face of death.
Medals, Honors, and Brothers in Arms
Only nineteen men have earned the Medal of Honor twice. Daly is one of three Marines to hold that distinction.
His first citation for Tientsin read, in part:
“For distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy, in battle, while serving with the relief expedition of the allied forces in China.”¹
The second, for leading assaults at Belleau Wood, carried words of fierce admiration:
“For extraordinary heroism in action near Bois-de-Belleau, France, June 6, 1918…”²
Fellow Marines revered Daly not because he boasted but because he embodied Marine Corps values, toughness, tenacity, and an iron will. His nickname, “Iron Mike,” was no accident—it was earned by countless acts of grit and sacrifice.
Commandant John A. Lejeune summarized Daly best:
“Daly was the finest example of the Marine Corps I ever saw. He was always ready to lead, always ready to fight, and his courage inspired the Marines who fought beside him.”³
Legacy Etched in Blood and Honor
Daly’s story is not about medals or words recorded in dusty archives. It is about what warfare extracts from men—loss, pain, hardship—and how some respond with undying courage. His legacy is a raw testament to the spirit that refuses to break, even when buried in mud and death.
“The righteous perish, and no man takes it to heart,” (Psalm 37:1) but Daly took heart. He fought so others wouldn’t have to, so freedom might endure beyond the bayonets and battlegrounds.
His challenge echoes to every generation, veteran and civilian alike: Courage isn’t the absence of fear. It’s the choice to stand anyway. To lead when the world shouts retreat.
Daniel Joseph Daly’s scarred hands and steady gaze remind us all—valor demands sacrifice. Redemption lives in every fallen comrade remembered and every promise kept to brothers in arms.
Sources
1. U.S. Marine Corps History Division — Medal of Honor Citations, Boxer Rebellion (1900) 2. U.S. Marine Corps History Division — Medal of Honor Citations, World War I (1918) 3. Lejeune, John A., Commandant’s Testimony on Sgt. Maj. Daniel J. Daly, USMC Archives
Related Posts
Marine Daniel Joseph Daly and His Two Medals of Honor
Jacklyn Harold Lucas, the Youngest Medal of Honor Recipient at 17
John Basilone’s One-Man Stand on Guadalcanal’s Frontline