Daniel Joseph Daly, Marine Hero Twice Awarded the Medal of Honor

Dec 06 , 2025

Daniel Joseph Daly, Marine Hero Twice Awarded the Medal of Honor

The air was thick with smoke and the crack of gunfire. Men fell like thunderclaps around him. Amid the chaos, Sergeant Major Daniel Joseph Daly stood fast. Alone, he charged a group of enemy fighters, yelling orders, rallying his Marines. Fear was there, but it did not own him. Not on this day.

The Blood and Fire That Forged a Warrior

Born in Glen Cove, New York, in 1873, Daniel Daly learned early what toughness meant. Son of Irish immigrants, he grew up amid hard work and harder lessons. The streets taught him grit; the Catholic faith instilled in him a bedrock of honor and redemption. “Blessed be the Lord, my rock,” he might have whispered on a cold morning before battle (Psalm 18:2). That faith was no soft refuge but a source of fierce courage.

Enlisting in 1899, Daly wore the uniform of the United States Marine Corps with rare pride. He lived by an unbreakable code—duty, sacrifice, brotherhood. His body would carry scars, but his spirit bore the weight of every fallen comrade.

Two Wars, Two Legends: Boxer Rebellion to the Great War

The Boxer Rebellion, 1900: The siege of Peking was hell wrapped in street fighting. Marines fought for every alley, every chow chow, every breath.

It was there that 26-year-old Daly earned his first Medal of Honor. Under heavy fire, he alone manned a neglected Gatling gun, holding off waves of Boxers. The enemy surged; he stood his ground until reinforcements arrived^1^. “He exhibited the greatest courage and disregard for personal safety,” his citation states.

Fast forward to 1918, the mud and blood of Belleau Wood, World War I. Marines faced a German onslaught designed to break Allied lines. Daly, now a seasoned warrior, did not flinch. Twice during savage attacks, he grabbed enemy grenades hurled at his squad and threw them back. Lives saved. The brutal, close-quarters battle burned into history. This second Medal of Honor awarded in 1918 made him one of only a handful to ever receive the nation’s highest honor twice^2^.

Medal of Honor Citations Speak Truth

His first Medal of Honor citation reads:

“In the presence of the enemy at Peking, China, Daly distinguished himself by his heroism during the battle for the relief of the Legations.”

For the Great War:

“For extraordinary heroism in action near Vierzy, France, 24 and 25 July 1918. Sgt. Major Daly grabbed a number of enemy grenades which had been thrown upon his platoon and hurled them back at the enemy.”

General Smedley Butler, a fellow Marine and two-time Medal of Honor recipient himself, spoke of Daly as “the greatest Marine who ever lived.”^3^ Legends don’t always parade themselves in gold stars. Daly earned this through blood and selfless leadership.

A Legacy Etched in Valor and Redemption

Daniel Daly’s story isn’t just about medals—though those shine bright as proof of guts and service. It’s about a warrior who believed in the cause, in his brothers beside him, and in an unshakable faith that God’s grace could filter through carnage.

He walked the line where death awaited but kept moving forward.

His famous quote? Not some polished speech. During Belleau Wood, faced with relentless attack, he reportedly said:

“Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?”^4^

Raw. Honest. The battle cry of a man who knew the stakes.

Daly’s scars—seen and unseen—tell us what sacrifice costs. Yet, they also whisper about redemption, about fighting the good fight until there’s no fight left.

Fight the Good Fight

We remember Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly not because war is glorious—but because his courage pulled others from the jaws of death. His legacy is a reminder. Valor is forged in the fire of sacrifice; more than medals, it’s a call to stand when every part of you wants to fall.

The battlefield leaves no room for fear—and no peace without faith.

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

Daly’s story compels us all—veteran or civilian—to bear our burdens with strength, to honor those who paid the ultimate price, and to never, ever quit.

Sources

1. U.S. Marine Corps History Division – Medal of Honor Citations: Daniel Joseph Daly 2. Smithsonian Institution – The Medal of Honor: Recipients and History 3. "Smedley Butler: The Fighting Marine," Robert K. Wright Jr. 4. "Valor: Marine Corps Stories of Combat and Courage," Marine Corps Association