Daniel J. Daly, Two-Time Medal of Honor Hero of Belleau Wood

Dec 10 , 2025

Daniel J. Daly, Two-Time Medal of Honor Hero of Belleau Wood

He stood alone on a blood-soaked ridge, bullets screaming past like the devil’s own choir. The enemy pressed close, relentless. Sgt. Maj. Daniel J. Daly didn’t flinch. No orders. No hesitation. Just raw courage carved from years of combat—a warrior in the crucible of hell—holding the line with nothing but grit and searing willpower.

The Warrior’s Roots: Honor Forged in Fire and Faith

Born in 1873, in Glen Cove, New York, Daly’s childhood was a rough draft of the blue-collar American spirit. Raised in a humble working-class family, he turned to the Marine Corps as a path to purpose and discipline. The battlefield became his church; honor his creed.

His faith, though never flashy or preached from pulpit steps, was the quiet anchor in the storm. “Blessed are the peacemakers,” he might have muttered under breath while straddling war’s chaos (Matthew 5:9). Daly’s courage didn’t come from a thirst for glory but from a deep sense of responsibility—to his men, his country, and a cause greater than himself.

The Boxer Rebellion: Defying Death Twice

In 1900, during the Boxer Rebellion in China, Daly found himself at the bloody gates of Peking. Enemy forces swarmed the legations’ compound—hostile, fanatical, determined. With ammunition scarce and defenders weary, the ground shook beneath relentless assaults.

It was there Daly acted without regard for his own life. On July 13, he famously shouted orders, rallied the defense, and drew enemy fire to himself, diverting them from weaker points. Then, against overwhelming odds, he charged forward with his few remaining men, driving the attackers back.

For his extraordinary heroism during this nightmare siege, Daly earned his first Medal of Honor. The citation’s cold words can’t grasp the heat in his eyes or the defiant roar of a man who wouldn’t yield one inch to death.

WWI: A Second Medal, Twice the Valor

Decades later, the world erupted once more in hellfire. Daly, no longer a fresh-faced Marine but a battle-hardened Sergeant Major, was back in the fray—this time amid the dense forests of Belleau Wood, France, in 1918.

His Marines were pinned down, machine guns ripping through the lines. Morale fraying, blood spilling, and the enemy pressing every inch.

Daly didn’t falter. He seized a rifle, leapt into the no-man’s-land, and charged forward. Under crashing artillery shells, he rallied his men—shouting, leading, fighting tooth and nail. Accounts say he killed two enemy soldiers with his own bayonet in close quarters.

His fierce leadership was a linchpin in the Marines holding Belleau Wood—a battle etched into Marine Corps legend.

For this unbridled heroism, Sgt. Maj. Daniel J. Daly received his second Medal of Honor, joining an elite fraternity of two-time recipients.

Recognition Beyond Medals: The Man Behind the Legend

Daly’s medals mattered—they symbolized valor—but his reputation was grounded in far more. His men respected him as a gritty leader who shared every hardship and took every risk. Fellow Marines called him “the fightingest Marine I ever knew”—a phrase that echoes through Marine Corps history.

“A hero,” they said, “but one who never forgot the blood cost behind every victory.”

His decorations also included the Navy Cross and the Distinguished Service Cross—testaments to his relentless courage. Yet, Daly remained humble, solid in his belief that every medal belonged to the Marines who fought beside him.

Legacy: Honor Carved in Sacrifice, Salvation, and Service

Sgt. Maj. Daniel J. Daly’s story is not just about bullets and bravery. It’s about the scars borne quietly after the guns went silent. The battles inside a warrior’s soul. The unyielding code that turns men into legends—not for glory, but for the lives they pledge to protect.

His life echoes today like a war drum—a reminder that courage is more than battlefield heroics. It’s about standing firm when the world breaks apart. It’s about sacrifice, redemption, and the steadfast pulse of faith through the darkest hours.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).

Daly shows us that valor is a language written in scars and silence. That true leadership means walking forward into hell and pulling your brothers and sisters back, every time.

Sources

1. USMC History Division, Medal of Honor Recipients: Daniel J. Daly 2. Charles H. Morrow Jr., The Greatest Marine Hero of All Time, Leatherneck Magazine 3. Edward M. Coffman, The Belleau Wood Marines: A Chronology of World War I’s Bloodiest Battle 4. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Distinguished Service Cross Recipients