Daniel J. Daly, Two-Time Medal of Honor Marine from Brooklyn

Dec 23 , 2025

Daniel J. Daly, Two-Time Medal of Honor Marine from Brooklyn

Blood on his boots. Hands steady amid hell’s roar. Sgt. Major Daniel Joseph Daly stood where angels feared to whisper truth. Twice called by fate to face death—and twice he answered with rifle, grit, and guts. His valor etched in fire and iron.

From Brooklyn’s Streets to the Devil’s Playground

Daniel Joseph Daly wasn’t born under easy skies. A Brooklyn kid with fire in his belly and a heart forged by hard knocks. Raised among grit and grime, he learned early that life won’t hand you mercy. Faith anchored him. A gritty Roman Catholic, his belief in something beyond himself shaped his honor code: protect your brothers, stand tall in chaos, and never back down.

In every letter he wrote, every decisive order he gave, you catch a hint of Psalm 23:

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil...”

This wasn’t just faith—it was fuel.

The Boxer Rebellion: Courage Takes Form

In 1900, China burned as the Boxer Rebellion tore through the streets of Tientsin and Peking. Daly’s boots marched into hell. The 1st Marine Regiment found itself hemmed by fire. It was here, amid gunmetal and blood, that Daly earned the first Medal of Honor.

Under relentless enemy assault, Daly single-handedly charged a hostile barricade. Locked bayonet to bayonet with death itself, he pushed back the enemy, providing cover for his squad to regroup. Reports said his courage “set a standard for Marines who followed.” The citation spoke of “extraordinary heroism,” but that barely scratches the surface.

Daly was nobody’s spectator. He was the hand on the trigger, the voice in the chaos, the man who refused to let his Marines fall.

World War I: Old Scout, New Hell

Fourteen years later, the war to end all wars carved new scars into the earth of France. Sgt. Major Daly, a living legend, was there again, crossing the hellish grounds of Belleau Wood and Château-Thierry with the 5th Marine Regiment.

This was no parade. Machine guns spat death at every step. Artillery shattered trees and bones alike. But when the enemy pushed hard, Daly’s voice cut through the smoke: “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?”

That line—etched in Marine Corps lore—was more than bravado. It was a call to stand, a single defiant flame against the consuming darkness. He led fearless charges, rallied faltering ranks, and fought claw-to-claw to take and hold key positions.

His second Medal of Honor recognized his “most distinguished gallantry,” a rare honor shared by only a handful in American military history. The award was testament to an unbreakable spirit that refused to yield amid staggering carnage.

Recognition that Told a Legacy

Two Medals of Honor. Neither earned lightly. In the annals of military history, only 19 men have been decorated twice—Daly stands among giants.

Yet it wasn’t just medals on his chest that defined Daniel Daly. Comrades called him a “rock.” “The heart of the Corps.” His fierce leadership gave troops someone to hold onto when hell broke loose.

When asked about courage, Daly once said:

“Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?”

Simple words, heavy with intent—words that echo through Marine training, a timeless spark of defiance under fire.

A Legacy Written in Blood and Grace

Daly’s story is not about glory. It’s about sacrifice—the quiet sacrifice of every veteran who steps into fire, holding faith and brothers close. It’s about facing death not with fear, but with a steady heart.

His battlefield scars tell us something deeper: courage isn’t absence of fear, but the mastery of it. His life invites reflection on Psalm 27:1,

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?”

From Brooklyn’s dust to foreign battlefields, Daniel J. Daly lived and breathed the warrior’s creed: fight for the man beside you, bear your wounds with honor, and walk through fire to safeguard a better dawn.

His story is a blood-stained candle burning in history’s night—we remember, not to glorify war, but to honor the soul of sacrifice that still demands our reverence.

We owe them nothing less than our remembrance and our commitment—to carry forward the legacy of those who stared down the abyss and chose to stand.

Sources

1. U.S. Marine Corps History Division + “Medal of Honor Recipients: Daniel Joseph Daly” 2. West, Jerry. Marine Corps Legends (History Publishing, 2011) 3. Alexander, Joseph H. The Battle History of the Marines, Volume 1: The Pacific War (Marine Corps Association, 2003) 4. Congressional Medal of Honor Society + Official Award Citations