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

Nov 22 , 2025

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

The mud choked the trenches. Guns spat fire like angry gods. Amid the chaos, one figure stood unbowed—calm, fierce, and relentless. Sgt. Major Daniel J. Daly, a warrior carved from the hardest steel, refused to let his brothers fall. When the world screamed its horror, he answered with grit and faith, twice crowned with the nation’s highest honor.

Born to Lead in Blood and Prayer

Born in Glen Cove, New York, in 1873, Daniel Daly wasn't handed a silver spoon—he was forged in fire and hardship. The streets taught him toughness; the Corps taught him honor. He carried a simple but ironclad creed: do your duty, protect your men, and never flinch.

His faith ran deep, a steady drum beneath the thunder of war. "Blessed are the peacemakers," but he knew the world was not at peace yet. The cross he bore was both burden and shield, a compass through darkness and carnage.

The Boxer Rebellion: The First Medal of Honor

In 1900, far from home, Daly found himself amid the Boxer Rebellion in China. Imperial fury, ambushes, and desperate street fighting demanded more than courage—they demanded a heart of iron.

During the relief of Peking, Daly charged headlong into hell to rescue comrades pinned beneath a collapsing wall. With rifle and raw fury, he cleared a path through encroaching enemies.

His citation reads:

“Gallantry in action against the enemy at Peking, China."

It was the first Medal of Honor that would not be his last.[^1]

The Trenches of World War I: Defiant in the Face of Death

Years later, the mud of World War I swallowed thousands. Fields of shattered bodies. Barbed wire and gas. More than once, failure to hold a trench meant a massacre.

At Belleau Wood, 1918, Daly’s grit saved lives again. The enemy pushed hard, trying to smash his battalion’s lines. As machines roared and bullets drummed, Daly lifted his voice and rifle.

When a gap opened, sucking hope into the ground, Daly ran through it—alone, with a revolver and a few men. His presence rallied the broken lines, pushing back the Germans with sheer will.

His second Medal of Honor citation states:

“For extraordinary heroism in action near Vierzy, France."

His leadership was raw courage, not reckless bravado. He made soldiers fight because they believed in him.

The Soldier’s Soldier: Scarred, Silent, Sacred

Daly rose to Sgt. Major, a rank earned through sweat and sacrifice. His reputation? Unshakable. In the words of his comrade and fellow Marine, Major General Smedley Butler:

"Daly is the greatest Marine who ever lived."

He carried scars you couldn’t see—the weight of every life lost on his watch. He marched through hell’s gate so others needn’t.

Legacy Etched in Blood and Valor

Two Medals of Honor. A legacy heavier than medals can hold.

Daniel Daly’s story isn’t just about battlefield heroics. It is about a burden born quietly, carried for those who couldn’t carry it themselves. His life proves courage isn’t born in glory—it’s forged in sacrifice.

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,” (Ephesians 6:12) but against darkness... and heroes like Daly remind us why we keep fighting.

Today, his name remains a beacon—a reminder that valor demands more than momentary bravery. It demands unyielding loyalty.

The Enduring Call

Daniel J. Daly died in 1937. Yet his voice still echoes over every battlefield, every memorial, every whispered prayer for peace.

To fight fiercely,

To lead selflessly,

To hold steady when all falls apart—

this was his gospel.

And it remains ours.

[^1]: US Marines: Medal of Honor Recipients — Boxer Rebellion and World War I Oates, Stephen B., Sgt. Major Daniel J. Daly: Two-Time Medal of Honor Recipient, Marine Corps History Foundation