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

Oct 30 , 2025

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

Sgt. Maj. Daniel J. Daly stood at the front line, bullets whizzing past, hand grenade in one hand, rifle in the other. Around him, chaos screamed—a living nightmare of fire and smoke. The enemy surged, but Daly didn’t flinch. He snarled, threw that grenade deeper into the fray. Two times Medal of Honor. Twice fire tested and iron forged. Few Marines earned that—fewer still deserved it. This was a man whose scars weren't just skin deep; they were carved into history.

Background & Faith

Born in Philadelphia in 1873, Daniel Joseph Daly was a working-class kid, no stranger to hard knocks and harsh streets. But what shaped the man beyond the grit was a fierce sense of duty and honor. The Marine Corps was his crucible, warfare his baptism. Some say he carried the Bible in his pocket—an anchor in a sea of madness.

“I sure as hell didn’t go to war to die; I went to fight,” Daly once said. His faith wasn’t gospel in sermons—it was wrought in the dirt, sweat, and blood of battle.

A quiet man off the field, Daly lived by a personal code: loyalty to his brothers in arms, courage in the face of hopelessness. That code made him a rock—unyielding, relentless.

The Battle That Defined Him

The Boxer Rebellion, 1900. China. The siege of the foreign legations in Peking. Bullets tore through the air, but it was the call to defend that cage of embattled diplomats and civilians that sealed Daly’s first moment of legend.

On July 13, 1900, Daly braved near-suicidal fire to rescue wounded comrades under the enemy’s gaze. His Medal of Honor citation^1 notes “distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in battle.” They say he made crossing that open courtyard like hell itself had come alive—and he’d stare it down without blink.

The War to End All Wars

Then came the First World War. By now, Daly was senior enlisted—a Sergeant Major recognized across the Corps. At the Battle of Belleau Wood in 1918, American forces faced a relentless German onslaught. "We fought like devils," one Marine recalled. But Daly was more than a fighter—he was a symbol.

During the fighting near Vierzy, Daly reportedly led his Marines through stalled lines, rallying them by voice and example as shells exploded. He refused to surrender ground, often exposing himself to enemy fire. The second Medal of Honor, awarded for his “extraordinary heroism” at Belleau Wood^2, commemorated a man who never boxed fears or dangers but met them face to face.

His peers called him “the fightingest Marine I ever knew,”—a phrase that captures raw respect born in the mud and blood.

Recognition Beyond Medals

Two Medals of Honor. The Navy and Marine Corps Medal. Countless citations and honors. Yet Daly remained tethered to humility. When asked about his heroics, he deflected praise to the men beside him.

“One man’s glory is the whole squad’s survival.”

Such words echoed through generations of Marines, and still do.

His story was immortalized in memoirs, histories, and the Marine Corps lore. Yet, Daly never sought fame. The battles claimed friends, left open wounds. His true recognition lay in the creed he embodied—Semper Fidelis—Always Faithful.

Legacy & Lessons

Daniel J. Daly’s life is a testament to what it means to stand firm when the world falls to pieces. Courage isn’t the absence of fear—it is moving forward despite it. Leadership isn’t about orders shouted from afar—it’s fighting shoulder to shoulder, staring death in the eye and not flinching.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13

His story reminds every veteran and civilian that valor and sacrifice are often quiet, borne by those who carry wounds invisible to the world but seared forever into their souls.

In every thunderous blast and silent night after battle, Daly's spirit endures—not as myth, but as the pulse of honor and the measure of what it costs to stand for something beyond oneself.

Sources

1. Naval History and Heritage Command, "Medal of Honor Recipients: Boxer Rebellion," Navy.mil 2. U.S. Marine Corps History Division, "Medal of Honor Citations: WWI," Marines.mil