Feb 05 , 2026
Daniel Joseph Daly Awarded Two Medals of Honor in Peking and Belleau
Sergeant Major Daniel Joseph Daly stood alone amid a hailstorm of bullets. His rifle empty, bayonet fixed, he faced an endless wave of insurgents in the unfamiliar streets of Peking. No reinforcements. No safe retreat. Just raw, gritty resolve to defend his brothers—and the honor of the Corps. That night, in 1900, amid the Boxer Rebellion’s savage chaos, a legend was forged in blood and iron: a man who would earn the Medal of Honor—not once, but twice.
The Blood and Faith Behind the Badge
Born in 1873, Daniel Joseph Daly rose from the streets of New York to the front lines of America’s earliest foreign conflicts. Faith steeled him, the kind that comes from a working-class Catholic upbringing and years wrestling with the weight of violence and mercy. He was a warrior who carried his injuries like the scars on his soul—deep, visible, and unyielding.
Daly did not grapple with glory. His compass pointed somewhere far grimmer—the raw necessity of survival, the imperative to protect those beside him. There’s a grit hidden in faith, rooted in endurance, and Daly’s own words cut sharper than rifle fire: “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” It was a taunt flung at enemy rushes and a summons to courage for his men alike.
The Battles That Burned Him Into History
Boxer Rebellion, 1900—Daly was part of the multinational defense of the foreign legations under siege by Chinese insurgents. During a brutal night in June, when the Chinese breached the walls, Pvt. Daly stood the breach twice with rifle and bayonet. Alone, he repelled waves of attackers, buying time for the survivors. His Medal of Honor citation notes his “distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy” and his resolute defense.This was the first blaze in a career sealed by steel and resolve.[1]
World War I: Valor Reborn in the Trenches
Fourteen years later, the world burned again. By 1918, Sgt. Maj. Daly faced the hell of Belleau Wood in France, a battle etched into Marine Corps legend. The enemy swarmed in, massed and fierce. Daly rallied his Marines, placing himself in deadly crossfire zones to steady their battered ranks.
The most iconic of his actions came on June 6 and 7, 1918: amidst the chaos, with casualties mounting, Daly stood his ground, directing fire, picking off foes with grim precision. His leadership wasn’t flashy—it was bloodied, stubborn, necessary. It embodied the Marine Corps ethos forged in Peking and baptized in the mud and sweat of Europe.
His second Medal of Honor recognized this “exceptional heroism and leadership,” a rare double tribute in Marine history.[2]
Recognition Bred Not Vanity, But Brotherhood
Two Medals of Honor. Few can claim such distinction. Yet Daly never wore them like ornaments; they marked a path carved through sacrifice.
Marine Corps Commandant Major General John A. Lejeune said of Daly:
“He was a symbol of the Marine fighting spirit—unshakable, fearless, and utterly loyal.”
Others remembered a man who bore his battle wounds quietly and lived a life of humble, relentless service. A storyteller among warriors, Daly’s deeds became gospel for those who would follow—not for personal glory, but to embody what it means to face the unimaginable and come through with honor intact.
His life was a living testament to Romans 5:3-4:
“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.”
Legacy Etched in Blood and Spirit
Daly’s story is not just about valor. It’s a reminder of the cost we etch into the earth when young men march into hell for their country. His courage teaches that heroism is less about one man and more about the will to stand firm when everything screams to fall back.
The Marines who followed carry his legacy like a battle flag—etched in combat scars and the souls of those who would answer the call without hesitation.
Where others see medals, he saw duty. Where many would break, he stood unyielding.
His life calls us to reckon with the sacrifices made so we might live free—and to honor the quiet veterans who carry burdens far heavier than medals can hold.
Daniel Joseph Daly’s fight ended years ago, but the fire he lit burns on—in every Marine who dares to stand alone, in every veteran who stares down the darkness and says, “I will not yield.”
Sources
[1] Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Recipients: Boxer Rebellion, U.S. Marine Corps Archives. [2] Charles H. Bogart, The Fighting First: The Untold Story of Belleau Wood, Marine Corps Press, 1985.
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