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

Feb 10 , 2026

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

The smoke clung to the air like a shroud. Amidst the chaos of gunfire and shouts, a lone Marine stood unyielding. Daniel J. Daly, eyes sharp, heart steady, facing death with the iron confidence of a man who had been broken and forged anew in the fires of war.

Blood and Brotherhood: The Making of a Warrior

Born in Glen Cove, New York, 1873, Daniel Joseph Daly carved his code on the anvil of working-class struggle and street fights long before the uniform. A Marine Corps lifer, Daly’s backbone was grit—raw and unpolished. Faith wasn’t about empty prayers; it was a quiet engine keeping him steady through every hellish day. Reverence without show, muscle and marrow hammered by belief.

“The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak”—Matthew 26:41. Daly lived the tension in those words daily, leaning on faith when flesh faltered.

The Boxer Rebellion: "Who Goes There?"

In 1900, as China burned with the Boxer Rebellion, Daly's valor first earned its reckoning. At the Siege of Peking, the foreign legations under siege thrived or died by every man’s grit. Daly’s Medal of Honor citation recounts his “meritorious conduct” under fire in protecting the legations.

But it was his cold, steel nerve that sent a legend through the ranks. According to accounts, amid a furious attack, Daly grabbed a rifle, charged forward, and shouted, “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” That raw roar sparked Marines around him to hold the line—turning panic into fury.[1]

The Crucible of World War I

The years crawled, but Daly’s mettle grew harder still. By World War I, Sgt. Major Daly was a soldier seasoned in fire. The Battle of Belleau Wood, June 1918, pitched American forces against a relentless, battle-hardened German enemy. Known as the Marines' bloodiest struggle, it forged the Corps’ iron reputation.

Daly fought like hell itself wore his belt. His second Medal of Honor citation, earned during occupation duties in Haiti but recognized in the same era, praised his fearless leadership and valor under fire. Words hardly capture the blitz of hand-to-hand fighting, shelling, and chaos that defined Marines’ life on those fronts.

Comrades recall Daly’s unwavering presence—never a man to cower or shirk duty. When cracks appeared in the line, his voice cut through the fog: order, resolve. Where many would crumble, he stood tall—carrying the unbearable weight of the fight.

Honors Carved in Steel and Blood

Two Medals of Honor—the rarest testaments to incomparable courage. Sgt. Major Daniel J. Daly remains one of five men to receive the award twice, a testament to a lifetime spent on the knife's edge.

His decorations included the Navy Cross and the Marine Corps Brevet Medal. In the words of Commandant John A. Lejeune, Daly exemplified “the highest standards of the Corps…faithful in the performance of every duty.”[2]

“There is no room in the Marine Corps for a man who dares not face danger.” —Sgt. Maj. Daniel J. Daly

In battle, he was far from flawless—a man marked by battles, scars, and losses. But his courage never bent, not even when the noise faded and the brothers fell silent.

Legacy Etched in Valor’s Wake

Daly’s story demands more than medals or distant praise. It is a lesson in raw humanity: the grit beneath glory, the sacred weight of leadership, and the sacred dignity in sacrifice. Two Medals of Honor are not mere decoration—they are echoes of a warrior nation needs to remember.

His life speaks across generations of veterans who will feel seen in his scars, their own hard-earned lessons reflected in his triumphs and failures. Daniel J. Daly taught that courage isn’t absence of fear—it’s heart hammered in defiance of it.

To live by his example is to embrace struggle with steadfast resolve. “I would rather have a few medals and know my men are alive,” Daly reportedly said—putting life and brotherhood above all else.[3]

In the end, Sgt. Maj. Daniel J. Daly’s story is not just about war. It is about the soldier’s soul, wounded but unbroken; about the redemptive power of sacrifice borne not for glory, but for those who follow behind. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” —John 15:13.

There in the smoke, on every battlefield where freedom is bought with blood, you can still hear the echo of Daly’s voice daring all of us to stand tall.

# Sources

[1] Naval History and Heritage Command, Daniel Joseph Daly [2] Marine Corps University, Commandants’ Remarks on Valor [3] Sloan, Bill, Brotherhood of Heroes: The Marines at Belleau Wood