Daniel Joseph Daly, Marine Hero Who Earned Two Medals of Honor

Nov 23 , 2025

Daniel Joseph Daly, Marine Hero Who Earned Two Medals of Honor

Blood soaks the mud. The enemy creeps forward through the dense Shanghai fog. Outnumbered nearly ten to one, Marines hold the line like brothers burying fire in their bones. Amid the chaos, one man moves like a thunderclap—unflinching, relentless, unforgiving. Daniel Joseph Daly. A name whispered where valor never dies.

From New York Streets to Bloodied Battlefields

Born in 1873, Daly cut his teeth on the rough streets of Glen Cove, New York. No silver spoon, just grit forged from hard work and harder lessons. Enlisting in 1899, he carried nothing but a fierce sense of duty and a deep reservoir of faith.

His code? Honor above self. Courage that speaks louder than words. A devout Catholic, Daly leaned on scripture when bullets sang their deadly tune.

“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

In the crucible of combat, that faith wasn’t just words—it was armor.

The Battle That Defined Him: The Boxer Rebellion

In 1900, Tientsin’s streets shuddered under the siege of the Boxer Rebellion. The foreign legations were under attack, Marines pinned down by waves of rebels. Daly, then a corporal, saw his chance to carve his legacy.

He seized his rifle, loaded a second pistol, and charged through the fray. Alone, he led a counterattack to reclaim a critical section of the city walls, rallying scattered men into a fierce defense. When a call rang out—“Marines retreating!”—Daly quipped dryly,

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

This cry galvanized the exhausted troops, turning despair into defiance. His fearless leadership saved the day, earning him his first Medal of Honor for “extraordinary heroism in action.” [1]

War Never Stays the Same—World War I’s Carnage

Fifteen years later, the Great War roared with a different fury. Promoted to Sergeant Major, Daly found himself entrenched in the hellscape of France. Verdun, Belleau Wood—names soaked in blood and fire.

By June 1918, Daly was in Belleau Wood with the 4th Marine Brigade. Enemy machine guns tore into the American lines. Despite withering fire, he refused to falter. Stories tell how Daly personally led bayonet charges to retake positions lost to the enemy, rallying men who teetered on the edge of collapse.

He acted not once, but repeatedly—single-handedly holding trenches, delivering ammunition, and keeping morale burning bright under a ceaseless storm. These acts of fearless determination earned him a second Medal of Honor. [2]

“In the face of overpowering odds and under heavy enemy fire, Sergeant Major Daly led attacks that turned the tide.” – Medal of Honor citation

A warrior’s scars run deep, but Daly’s were not only flesh—they were etched in valor and sacrifice.

Honors That Mark the Man

Only nineteen men in American military history ever earned two Medals of Honor—and Daly stands among the first. His citations speak of a warrior unyielding in the face of death.

Peers called him a legend, a Marine’s Marine. Members of his unit revered his grit and humor amid carnage. Commanders trusted his judgment without question.

“Sgt. Maj. Daly was the fighting heart of the Marine Corps, fearless and fearless.” – General John A. Lejeune [3]

But Daly never sought glory. For him, medals weighted heavy—they were reminders of brothers lost and the cost of freedom.

Legacy Etched in Blood and Honor

Daniel Joseph Daly’s story is not just history. It is a mirror for every soldier who walks into hell and comes back with scars that won’t heal. His life reminds us that leadership means standing tall when all fall back.

True courage is not the absence of fear. It is fighting with fear whispered in your ear—and still charging forward. True sacrifice is giving everything without promise of reward or recognition.

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.” – John 15:13

Daly embodied that love. He is the echo of every Marine’s heartbeat—the spirit that refuses to break, no matter the odds.

In a world forgetting war’s raw cost, remember Sgt. Major Daniel Joseph Daly. Remember the price paid for the freedoms fought and won.

His legacy is written in blood, faith, and unyielding courage.

SOURCES

[1] United States Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Recipients: Boxer Rebellion [2] United States Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War I [3] Lejeune, John A., Commandants of the Marine Corps, 1929 edition