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

Dec 13 , 2025

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

Blood on my hands, fire in my eyes, whispers of a dozen souls lost beneath the same smoke. Daniel J. Daly stood in the chaos like a mountain—unyielding, relentless. Twice he faced death head-on and stared it down with nothing but grit and raw courage. Few have earned the Medal of Honor once. He earned it twice.

The Making of a Fighter

Born February 1895 in New York City, Daly’s roots were humble but hard. A working-class kid forged in the fires of the streets, he found purpose in discipline and faith. Raised with a fierce belief in right and wrong, his moral compass was molded by Catholic teachings and a no-nonsense merchant marine upbringing before he crossed into the ranks of the Marine Corps.

He was a man sworn by duty and salvation—the idea that honor earned in battle was a testimony not to glory, but to sacrifice. In the words that would come to both inspire and haunt him, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

The Boxer Rebellion: A Furnace of Fire

China, 1900. The streets of Tientsin burned with rebellion. Troops pinned down at the Battle of Tientsin felt the chaos of insurgents, gunfire ripping through stone and flesh. Into that fray stepped then-Corporal Daly—a one-man shield against the storm.

When U.S. and allied forces were barricaded behind enemy lines, Daly moved from trench to trench, rallying Marines and breaking enemy assaults. His courage wasn’t just a bulwark—it was an offensive weapon. At one point, facing an overwhelming enemy charge, he threw himself into the breach with nothing but a rifle and fury. That fight earned him his first Medal of Honor.

The World War That Shaped a Legend

Fast forward to 1918, the brutal fields of Belleau Wood, France. The war that tore the world apart found Daly now a Sergeant Major, carrying scars from his previous battles. The woods were a hellscape of mud, machine guns, and shattered bodies.

The Marines faced German forces entrenched and ready. According to the Medal of Honor citation, Daly led a small group of men through merciless machine-gun fire to reclaim a strategic point critical for breaking the enemy’s line. At one crucial moment, despite wounds and exhaustion, Daly stood in the open, firing his rifle until it was useless, then resorting to a pistol and finally throwing rocks when ammunition was gone. His relentless spirit was a catalyst that pushed his comrades into victory.

Valor Etched in Bronze and Words

Two Medals of Honor. Few names carry that weight—and fewer still with the battles he fought. His first citation:

“For extraordinary heroism in action near Tientsin, China, July 13, 1900, in which he distinguished himself by single-handedly defending the breached line.”

His second:

“For heroism in action near Belleau Wood, France, June 6–7, 1918, where he led repeated charges against enemy positions under heavy fire.”

Lieutenant General John A. Lejeune called him “the fightingest marine I ever knew.”

But Daly never sought the spotlight. His letters and memoirs reveal a man haunted by the cost—“the faces of fallen friends linger, sharper than any medal’s glare.”

The Legacy of a Warrior-Poet

Sgt. Major Daniel J. Daly’s story is a testament to the raw, unvarnished reality of combat and the faith that propels men through hell. His legacy is not just medals on a ribbon bar—it’s a reminder that courage thrives in the darkest moments.

He embodied a warrior’s paradox: fierce in battle, humble in victory, haunted but hopeful in peace. His life whispers to every soldier facing the abyss, “Stand firm. Fight with honor. Trust that something beyond the gunfire holds you steady.”

In a world too often dulled by convenience and comfort, Daly’s scars scream this truth: Valor demands sacrifice, and sacrifice demands redemption.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” — Deuteronomy 31:6

His footsteps march still—etched deep in the soil of sacrifice, guiding those who dare to step beyond fear, into the legacy of warriors who never quit.