Daniel J. Daly Two-Time Medal of Honor Hero in Boxer Rebellion and WWI

Jan 07 , 2026

Daniel J. Daly Two-Time Medal of Honor Hero in Boxer Rebellion and WWI

Blood and fire do not speak quietly. In the chaos of the Boxer Rebellion, under a rain of bullets and shrapnel, Sergeant Major Daniel J. Daly stood alone on that perilous wall. The enemy had surged forward—fast, fierce, relentless. He lifted his rifle and shouted orders that cut like a blade through panic. Men will follow courage, even to death. That day, he didn’t just fight to survive. He fought to hold ground no man dared to lose.

From Brooklyn Streets to Battlefield Creed

Born in 1873 in Glen Cove, New York, Daniel Joseph Daly grew into a man shaped by tough city grit and an unwavering code of honor. A sailor first, then a Marine, he carried the blue-collar fire of America’s working class into every fight. His faith wasn’t flashy, but ironclad—a quiet trust in higher justice and duty, forged at the anvil of hardship.

Daly once said, “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” That wasn’t bragging. It was a gospel of grit, a challenge laid bare to his men when death was creeping close.

He believed warfare was a test—not just of muscle or skill, but of spirit. “Greater love hath no man than this,” he might have mused, as he placed himself between his comrades and slaughter.

Boxer Rebellion: The First Medal of Honor

In 1900, the world turned violent in Peking, China. The Boxer Rebellion engulfed the International Legation Quarter—a tinderbox of clashing empires and native fury. Daly, assigned to the 1st Marine Regiment, found himself in the hellfire of siege and street fighting.

On July 13, 1900, under withering fire, Daly reportedly scaled the walls defending the legations. Alone or nearly so, he repelled enemy attacks, rallying defenders where others wavered. His rifle cracked like thunder. Against waves of Boxers, his stand bought precious minutes and preserved lives.

The Medal of Honor citation reads simply: “In the presence of the enemy during the battle of Peking, China, July 13, 1900, [Daly] distinguished himself by his conduct.” It was his first step into legend¹.

World War I: Valor in the Meuse-Argonne

Fourteen years later, the Great War thundered across Europe. Daly, now a Sergeant Major, was back in the mud, blood, and gunfire of battle. In October 1918, amid the Meuse-Argonne Offensive—the bloodiest American campaign of WWI—he again displayed unyielding bravery.

At Belleau Wood and later at the Argonne Forest, Daly’s presence was electric. During a German counterattack, he reportedly manned a machine gun, rallying Marines to hold broken lines against overwhelming odds. His leadership under fire wasn’t just tactical genius, but raw, noisy courage.

His second Medal of Honor came for “extraordinary heroism in action,” cited specifically for his fearless engagement near Hatchet House in October 1918². He was the rare warrior honored twice—a testament to his consistent valor across two continents and two wars.

The Man Behind the Medals

Daly didn’t fight for medals. He fought because a man’s word, his honor, and his brothers in arms depended on it.

Fellow Marines called him the embodiment of Marine Corps toughness. Brigadier General Smedley D. Butler, himself a two-time Medal of Honor recipient, reportedly called Daly “the idol of the Corps.” They spoke of a man who did not hesitate, who did not flinch.

Behind the hardened warfighter was a man of humility, faith, and deep loyalty. His story reminds us that true courage carries scars—visible and invisible. It’s told not in glory days but in raw moments of self-sacrifice.

Legacy Written in Sweat and Sacrifice

Daly’s life ended in 1937, but his story roars still. He taught every generation after that courage isn’t optional. It is the currency that buys survival and brotherhood in combat. He showed how faith in purpose and raw grit turn fear into action.

His legacy is etched in the walls he defended, the lives he saved, and the whispered words that inspire Marines still: “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?”

“I have fought, and more than once, and I would do it again without a moment’s hesitation.” — Sgt. Maj. Daniel J. Daly

Every scar tells a story. Every battle ends in loss, but men like Daly remind us that sacrifice births something holy—a legacy of courage that no war can erase. The warrior’s path is brutal, lonely, and raw. But it’s also sacred.

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His faithful servants.” — Psalm 116:15

In honoring Daniel J. Daly, we honor the relentless heartbeat of valor and the eternal promise that no sacrifice goes unnoticed.

Sources

1. U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Recipients - Boxer Rebellion 2. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Citations: World War I