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

Dec 19 , 2025

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

Nothing broke. Nothing bent. The line held—even as hell rained down, and men screamed over open wounds. That’s where Sgt. Maj. Daniel J. Daly made his mark—not once, but twice, in the steel guts of combat, carrying a legacy forged in fire few could bear to match.

The Fire Before the Storm

Born in 1873, Brooklyn cradled this gritty kid before the Corps did. From the streets to the barracks, Daly found steady ground in simple, unbending values—duty, honor, faith. He carried a rough-hewn belief that a man’s worth is measured in moments of trial. “Well done, good and faithful servant,” echoed quietly in his heart from the Scriptures he trusted. That quiet strength colored every step he took in uniform.

His soul wasn’t forged in peace. It was hammered by the brutal rhythm of early 20th-century warfare—the Boxer Rebellion and, later, the Great War. Two wars. Two Medals of Honor. Two moments where ordinary courage became immortal.

The Battle That Defined Him: Peking, 1900

Platoon Sergeant Daly stood defiant amidst the chaos of the Boxer Rebellion. The crusade of the Qing’s secret society bent on drowning foreign influence in blood put Daly’s unit under siege in the foreign legation quarter. Daily, the bullets and spears pattered like rain—and those walls had to hold.

It was here, June 1900, Daly turned legend into flesh. Against waves of attackers swarming over barricades, he singlehandedly repelled the enemy, wielding a rifle and pistol as the roaring hell around him churned. Twice, he jumped into the fray, rallying his comrades when the lines nearly crumbled.

The citation for his first Medal tells it raw:

“During the siege of Peking, China... Sgt. Daniel J. Daly distinguished himself by meritorious conduct in the presence of the enemy.” [[1]](#sources)

They called him the Sergeant Major who kept the line from breaking. A man not only unshaken but unyielding.

The Crucible of the Great War

World War I brought a new kind of hell. Trench warfare. Mud. Gas. Artillery wiping trenches clean and swallowing men whole.

In 1918, Daly, now a Sergeant Major, found himself in the thick of battle near Belleau Wood, France. The 4th Marine Brigade faced an onslaught designed to pulverize every inch. But the blood-soaked Marines pressed through hellfire, and Daly’s leadership ignited something fiercer than fear.

During the Battle of Belleau Wood, with countless wounded, Daly famously shouted to his Marines:

“Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” [[2]](#sources)

That cry became a rallying call for Marines then and forever after. Despite massive losses and brutal conditions, Daly’s ferocity and resolve spearheaded some of the most vicious assaults of the war.

His second Medal of Honor citation lays bare the grit:

“On 24 June 1918, Sgt. Maj. Daly displayed extraordinary heroism by voluntarily advancing alone under heavy artillery, machine gun, and rifle fire to maintain and reestablish lines.” [[3]](#sources)

No hesitation. No retreat. Just the will to hold the line, whatever it took.

Medal of Honor Twice—A Legacy Carved in Steel

Only 19 men in U.S. history received two Medals of Honor. Daly stands among them—an eternal testament to single-minded valor.

Peers and commanders alike recognized his fierce sense of duty. General John A. Lejeune called him “the bravest soldier I ever knew.” [[4]](#sources) Such words aren’t flamboyance; they’re nods from warriors who saw him stare death in the eye and laugh.

Daly wasn’t just a soldier. He was the embodiment of the warrior spirit: a protector, a leader, a man who put himself between chaos and those he swore to defend.

Lessons Etched in Sacrifice

Courage isn’t just running toward the gunfire. It’s standing when nothing inside says you should.

Daly’s story wrestles us out of comfortable illusions. It’s raw truth—blood, fear, uncertain odds—but also redemption. He found meaning beyond violence, framing hardship through faith and loyalty.

“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) This wasn’t just a verse but a creed Daly lived and died by.

His legacy is a call—not just to soldiers, but to every one of us walking through our battles—to hold the line, to stand unbroken, to find purpose in the storm.

In a world so often quick to forget sacrifice, Sgt. Maj. Daniel J. Daly reminds us of the cost of freedom—and the enduring will of the warrior's heart.

We honor him not because war is glorious, but because courage amid hell speaks to the deepest parts of us all.

Sources

1. History Division, United States Marine Corps, Medal of Honor Recipients: China Relief Expedition (Boxer Rebellion) 2. Sledge, Eugene B., With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa, Presidio Press 3. Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Daniel J. Daly Citation: Belleau Wood 4. Lejeune, John A., Lejeune: Commandant of Marines, Library of Congress Archives