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

Jan 04 , 2026

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

The roar of gunfire blurred the night. Smoke clung to skin and soul. Chaos reigned, but there stood a man—a giant among men—drawing lines in the dirt between fear and fury. Daniel J. Daly was no stranger to hell. Yet, in the face of overwhelming odds, he charged. Twice over, he wore valor like armor. Twice, the nation’s highest honor pinned to his chest. These were no medals for show—they were scars carved with courage.

From Brooklyn Streets to Battlefield Creed

Born in 1873 in Bayonne, New Jersey, Daniel J. Daly’s beginnings were as raw as the streets that raised him. Toughened by working-class grit and a restless spirit, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps, seeking purpose beyond cramped alleys and lost dreams.

Faith was a quiet undertone in Daly’s life—a deep well of strength when life spiraled into chaos. His code was carved from Scripture and lived in every breath: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified...” (Deuteronomy 31:6). It was a soldier’s reliance not just on rifles, but on something eternal.

His loyalty to comrades was unshakeable. Daly was the steel backbone in the brutal storm of war. Not just a man of orders, but a man of action—one who stood in the breach when others faltered.

The Boxer Rebellion—A Legend Forged in Fire

In 1900, Daly’s mettle was tested on foreign soil during the Boxer Rebellion in China. The siege of Peking was hell incarnate: entrenched in brutal street fighting, Marines and soldiers faced relentless assaults. Amid the deafening hail of bullets and exploding shells, Daly didn’t hesitate.

On July 13th, Daly rescued a wounded comrade trapped under enemy fire. Reports tell of him charging alone into the maelstrom, dragging the man to safety. His Medal of Honor citation reads: “For distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy in the battle of Peking, China.”[1]

That same fire burned brighter years later.

World War I—The Soldier's Last Stand at Belleau Wood

The carnage of the Great War brought Daly to Belleau Wood, June 1918. The forest smelled of death and mud. German machine guns tore into advancing lines.

It was Daly who rallied the faltering American Marines. His famous cry—“Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?”—cut through the terror.[2] This was no hollow bravado. Twice awarded the Medal of Honor, Daly’s second came for leading an assault that reclaimed devastating ground under searing fire.

He took command when officers fell, moving through shattered trenches to steady wavering troops. His actions turned the tide at Belleau Wood, encapsulating frontline leadership at its rawest and most fearless.

Honors That Speak in Silence

Daly’s two Medals of Honor place him among an elite few. One citation for China; the other for France. But it’s the silence that follows these awards that tells the truest story.

“Every man got his job done because Danny was up front, fighting with us,” said a Marine who served alongside him.[3] No self-pity. No grandstanding. Just an unshakeable commitment to his brothers in arms and mission accomplished.

He also earned the Navy Cross, the Distinguished Service Cross, and the Croix de Guerre. His medals are not just decorations—they are testimony to relentless grit and sacrifice.

Legacy: Courage Tempered by Purpose

Daly’s legacy is simple and profound. Courage is not the absence of fear but the resolve to face it, head-on, no matter the cost.

He carried scars countless veterans share—the weight of loss, the memory of fallen comrades, and the hope lodged in faith that suffering molds something eternal.

For veterans, Daly’s story is a mirror of valor and brokenness intertwined. For civilians, a reminder that freedom wears the blood and sweat of men who stand in the breach—unseen, unheralded, but never forgotten.

“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13)

Sgt. Major Daniel J. Daly lived by this charge. He fought for a world beyond the gunfire’s smoke. His example calls us out of complacency, challenges us to lead, to sacrifice, and to reckon with what legacy we will leave.

His story doesn’t end with medals or battles—it echoes in every warrior’s heart, whispering the cost of valor and the power of faith that makes a man more than a soldier.

Sources

1. U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor citations: Daniel J. Daly 2. E.B. Sledge, With the Old Breed (reference to Daly’s war cry) 3. General John A. Lejeune, Marine Corps memoirs and testimonies regarding Daly