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

Feb 11 , 2026

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

Sgt. Major Daniel J. Daly stood alone at the gates of Tientsin, China, his rifle barking amid a storm of bullets. The enemy swarmed, ruthless and relentless. Men fell. Blood painted the earth crimson. But Daly? He did not flinch. He held the line with nothing but raw guts and cold steel. One man, against impossible odds, standing tall when chaos devoured courage around him.

The Boy Who Became a Warrior

Born in Glenmore, New York, in 1873, Daniel Jerome Daly came from rough, working-class stock. A kid who learned early the value of grit, hard work, and unshakable resolve. He enlisted in the Marines at 19, carrying street scars and a fierce, silent code.

Faith ran deep in the veins of his generation. He wasn’t a man of grand words, but his actions whispered the psalmist’s truth:

_“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

For Daly, honor was the religion of the battlefield. No hesitation. No retreat. Just the unyielding commitment to his brothers-in-arms.

Tientsin and the Boxer Rebellion: A Trial by Fire

In July 1900, the Boxer Rebellion engulfed China in savage violence with the Siege of the Legations. Daly and his Marines found themselves locked in a deadly struggle to protect foreign nationals.

But it was Daly’s actions at Tientsin on July 13, 1900, that earned him his first Medal of Honor. Under withering fire, he raced forward to single-handedly man a machine gun after its crew was cut down. His fury was a force of nature—countless enemy charged. Daly held the gun, cutting them down one by one.

_“During the attack on Tientsin, Sgt. Daly gallantly assisted in the defense of the position by manning the machine gun under heavy fire.”_ — Medal of Honor Citation[1]

The headlines called him a hero, but he only saw duty. Sacrifice was never a question, but an answer.

The Forgotten Hero of Belleau Wood

World War I smashed the world into pieces. By 1918, Daly had been promoted to Sgt. Major of the 4th Marine Regiment, the hardened core of the American Expeditionary Forces in France.

At Belleau Wood, a hellish forest outside Château-Thierry, the Marines faced an enemy determined to destroy the Allied advance. The woods became a nightmare of mud, blood, and death.

Daly’s second Medal of Honor came during this brutal battle. After his unit withstood grenade barrages and relentless assaults, Daly rallied men who had nearly broken. He led them in a counterattack, driving the enemy back through the shattered trees. When the line faltered, he was there. When the Marines needed a steel backbone, Daly was the man.

_“His leadership and personal courage served as an inspiration to his men.”_ — U.S. Marine Corps Medal of Honor Citation[2]

It was quiet heroism, marked not by fanfare but by returning men alive under his watch—a legacy measured not in medals but lives saved.

Medal of Honor Twice Over: Uncommon Valor

Daniel Daly is one of only three Marines ever to earn the Medal of Honor twice. That is a metric of distinction few will ever touch. His awards weren’t given for spectacle, but for cold, relentless acts against overwhelming danger.

Lieutenant Colonel Earl H. Ellis called him “the best and bravest marine I ever knew.” Tough praise from a man seasoned in battle.

Despite the accolades, Daly never chased glory. He carried the scars in silence. His valor remained a sacred burden—the mark of a man who stood in the hellfire so others wouldn’t have to.

Lessons Written in Blood

Daly’s story burns with timeless truths. Courage is not the absence of fear but the command over it. Leadership demands sacrifice without expectation of thanks. Faith can steady the soul when chaos surrounds the body.

He lived by the warrior’s creed—fighting blind, fighting fierce, never surrendering. His courage was a prayer answered on the field of battle.

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

Daniel J. Daly’s life is a testament that valor is not born in the grand halls but forged where pain and fear meet. Not every hero wears a cape, not every battle earns a headline, but every sacrifice carries a whisper of redemption.

In the mud and blood, beneath the roar of gunfire, there remains an unshakable truth: Some men stand so others may live.

Sources

[1] U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients – China Relief Expedition (Boxer Rebellion) [2] U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Citations: World War I