Daniel J. Daly Two-Time Medal of Honor Marine Remembered for Valor

Nov 30 , 2025

Daniel J. Daly Two-Time Medal of Honor Marine Remembered for Valor

Blood on his hands, but so was mercy. Daniel Joseph Daly stood alone between death and despair, famously bellowing orders that echoed over the chaos of battle—undaunted, unyielding. He was infantry forged in grit, his scars inked deep by wars nobody else would dare face twice.

The Forge of Faith and Fighting

Born January 11, 1873, in Glen Cove, New York, Daly was no stranger to the hard edges of life. Raised Catholic, his faith was a quiet backbone, not flashy but firm—something steady to lean on when the world fractured beneath artillery and fire.

“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow men. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self,” he once reflected, echoing a warrior’s code richer than medals.

Joining the Marines in 1899, he stepped with purpose into a brotherhood where honor was currency and courage, the only guarantee. It was not just about fighting but about holding the line when every fiber screams to break.

The Boxer Rebellion: Valor Carved in Fire

In 1900, amidst the Boxer Rebellion’s savage siege at Peking, Daly earned his first Medal of Honor. The invaders wrapped the city in flames and death. This young Marine did not flinch as bullets tore the air. Weeks of relentless street fighting pushed men to the edge.

Daly’s citation speaks plainly: he “distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in the presence of the enemy, in the action of 20 July 1900.” Leading a charge that turned the tide, he embodied that hard truth—lead from the front.

“Marines don’t die, they attack.” The phrase often attributed to him rings louder in those streets soaked with foreign blood and resolve.

World War I: The Storm Before the Calm

Fourteen years later, the Great War set new standards for hell. By then, Daly was a hardened sergeant major—battle-tested, iron-willed. At the Battle of Belleau Wood in June 1918, American doughboys and Marines faced relentless German machine guns and artillery barrages.

The cost was steep. Yet, under Daly’s steady hand, Marines pushed forward. On June 6, he earned a second Medal of Honor—not just for courage but for the kind of leadership that breathes life into exhausted men.

His citation notes, “In the advance, Sgt. Maj. Daly demonstrated conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity and for two days and nights kept his battalion in position, inspiring his men.”

There, amid the choking mud and ceaseless fire, he became the backbone. Not because he was invincible, but because he refused to break.

Recognized by Medal, Remembered by Men

Two Medals of Honor. Few repeat that honor, fewer embody its weight. His first in 1900, his second in 1918—they bookend a career defined by raw valor and relentless spirit.

Fellow Marines remember a man who spoke less and did more—leading charges, hauling wounded to safety, standing when others fell. “Daly was the Marine you wanted by your side,” a comrade recalled in the Marine Corps Gazette.

His legacy was not only medals but an example etched into Marine Corps lore—bullet-riddled but unbowed, a living testament that courage persists beyond scars.

Legacy: Courage, Sacrifice, Redemption

Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly’s life was a message carved out of blood and faith. He fought wars with enemies without and enemies within himself—the doubt, the exhaustion, the hunger for more than survival.

He reminds us that true heroism is not the absence of fear. It is standing firm despite it—knowing the pain, knowing the cost, and choosing to press on.

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

In a modern world quick to forget the depths of sacrifice, Daly’s story is an iron anchor. He shows the cost of peace. The price paid twice over. But also redemption—proof that even amid ruin, a man’s stand can shine like a beacon for generations.

This is why we fight. This is why we remember.

Sources

1. United States Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Citations. 2. Simmons, Edwin H., The United States Marines: A History, Naval Institute Press, 2003. 3. Marine Corps Gazette, “SgtMaj Daniel J. Daly: Twice Medal of Honor Recipient,” 1994.