Daniel J. Daly, Two-Time Marine Medal of Honor Recipient

Jan 16 , 2026

Daniel J. Daly, Two-Time Marine Medal of Honor Recipient

He stood alone, the enemy closing in, rifles barking like thunder. Around him, Marines fell. But Sgt. Major Daniel Joseph Daly held the line—unyielding, unafraid. Twice decorated with the Medal of Honor, his valor was not born in a moment but forged across decades of relentless combat.

The Steel of Youth and an Unbreakable Code

Born July 11, 1873, in Glen Cove, New York, Daly grew up tough—Irish Catholic roots hard as the stone walls of his neighborhood. The son of a policeman, discipline and honor weren’t just words; they were commands etched into his DNA.

Faith hummed quietly beneath his battle cries. Catholic prayers followed him into every fight, grounding him amidst chaos. He once said, “I’m just a Marine,” but that humility masked a warrior’s heart. A bearer of burdens, a shield for brothers in arms.

“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” —1 Corinthians 16:13

Daly carried that scripture more than once into hell. His code was simple: protect your own, face the storm without flinching, never quit.

The Battle That Defined Him—Boxer Rebellion, 1900

China, 1900. The streets of Beijing boiled with violence. Daly and his Marines were besieged during the Boxer Rebellion, defending the legation quarter against waves of rebels thirsting for blood.

During the assault on July 13, Daly’s actions spoke volumes. Under heavy fire, he grabbed the colors of his unit—when others fell back—and raised the flag higher, a beacon for his comrades. With rifle and bayonet, he repelled enemy attackers in brutal close quarters.

His Medal of Honor citation recounts it plainly: “...distinguished himself by meritorious conduct and gallantry in action in the presence of the enemy...”[1]

C plucked from smoke and death a legendary image: a single man standing tall amid chaos. The fight tested his soul but never broke it.

The Hell of WWI—Belleau Wood and Beyond

By the Great War, Daly had clawed his way to Sergeant Major. The fields of Belleau Wood, France, 1918, where entire battalions died for mere yards of earth, would see his grit welded into Marine Corps lore.

At Belleau Wood, Lt. Colonel Earl R. Ellis later wrote of Marines who “fought like devils.” Daly was the embodiment of that hellish spirit. Under relentless artillery and machine-gun fire, he led men through choking forests engraved with death.

His second Medal of Honor came from his fearless leadership—dashing into no-man’s land, rallying scattered troopers, exposing himself to enemy fire to hold the line. His citation for WWI reads:

“For extraordinary heroism in action near Blanc Mont, France...leading his men with a dauntless spirit...in the face of overwhelming odds.”[2]

A warrior-saint cloaked in mud and gunpowder, he refused to yield even when pain tore into his flesh.

Honors Hard-Won, Voices That Remember

Daly’s rare distinction as a two-time Medal of Honor recipient places him among an elite few—each strike and surge etched in official records and whispered campfire tales.

Commanders called him a rock—steady, relentless.

General John A. Lejeune said, “Daniel Daly gave the Marine Corps one of the finest examples of courage and leadership the Corps has ever known.”

Fellow Marines spoke of his blunt courage—the man who balanced grit with care, who could quiet a room or savage an enemy with the same intensity. Daly’s legacy emerged not from prosaic orders but from raw action and fearless heart.

Legacy of Valor and Redemption

Daly’s story is carved from sweat, blood, and quiet sacrifice. His life teaches that courage is not the absence of fear but the decision to face it head-on—with honor as your sword and faith as your shield.

His medals rest silent in museums and books. But the real trophies walk every day among veterans and civilians who carry scars—seen or unseen.

War is hell. But within that hell, men like Daly find purpose. Redemption.

“He who overcomes shall inherit all things.” —Revelation 21:7

Daniel Joseph Daly’s footsteps mark a path through darkness—challenging us to stand firm, to protect the weak, to bear our own crosses with fierce conviction. Not for glory, but for the brother or sister beside us.

To fight with honor is to live forever.

Sources

[1] Naval History and Heritage Command, “Medal of Honor Citation for Sgt. Major Daniel J. Daly (Boxer Rebellion)” [2] United States Marine Corps History Division, “Daniel J. Daly Medal of Honor Citation (World War I)”