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

Dec 14 , 2025

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

The air thick with smoke and sweat. Bullets whizzed past like angry hornets. Men were falling—some silent, others screaming. Sgt. Major Daniel Joseph Daly stood firm, fierce, a living wall between chaos and collapse. In the hellfire of battle, where most faltered, Daly rose. This wasn’t luck or chance. It was iron will. Steel nerve. A soldier’s soul baptized by fire and blood.

From Brooklyn Streets to Marine Corps Valor

Born July 11, 1873, in Glen Cove, New York, Daly's early life was steeped in the grit of working-class America. The son of Irish immigrants, he learned discipline and hard work in rough neighborhoods where respect came from deeds, not words. Faith was his anchor. Raised Catholic, prayer and the scriptures tempered him, building a silent covenant with God before the storm of war.

He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1899 at 26—a late start, some might say—but Daly brought something rare: unyielding courage and a warrior’s code etched into his bones. He would carry that code through two decades of service, teeth clenched through the Boxer Rebellion and the brutal mud and wire of the Great War.

The Boxer Rebellion: A Soldier Made in Fire

The Boxer Rebellion (1899–1901) was a crucible that hammered Daly into legend. During the siege of Peking, Daly’s Marines faced a torrent of enemy fire. Sentries fell like corn stalks in a storm. Supplies ran low. Panic was the easy choice.

But Daly? He chose defiance.

In a moment etched deep in Marine Corps lore, Daly stood his ground:

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

His voice cut through the terror, a command that galvanized tired Marines. Rather than retreat, they surged forward—fierce, implacable, relentless. That phrase echoed beyond the battlefield, a testament to raw, fearless leadership that rallied men to impossible deeds.

For this, Daly earned his first Medal of Honor—the Marine Corps’ highest honor for valor. His citation notes “distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy” during June 20-22, 1900, at Peking[^1].

World War I: Reckoning in the Mud of Belleau Wood

Decades later, the guns roared again. The Great War—machine guns, gas, endless slaughter—felt like a new hell.

In 1918, near Belleau Wood, France, Daly emerged again as a stalwart bulwark in the maelstrom. Among the American Expeditionary Forces, mostly raw troops, Daly’s battle experience and unshakable composure became a beacon. His leadership under fire shaped what would become one of the most legendary battles in Marine Corps history.

Though his Medal of Honor citation for World War I was for separate acts in 1918[^2], his presence was pivotal in toughening fledgling Marines against relentless German assaults. Amid chaos and near annihilation, Daly’s words and actions embodied the ferocity and resilience Marines demanded, and the enemy dreaded.

Recognition Beyond Medals: The Soldier, The Legend

Two Medals of Honor. Only nineteen men in American history have earned this distinction. Daly stands alone among Marines.

But Daly’s legacy wasn’t just in citations or ribbons pinned on battle-worn uniforms. It was in whispered respect behind lines, in the unwavering loyalty of those who fought beside him.

Brigadier General Smedley Butler, himself a double Medal of Honor recipient, famously said of Daly:

“He was the greatest Marine I ever knew.”

That’s no idle praise. Coming from a warrior infamous for his blunt truth, it cuts deep.

Daly rose to Sergeant Major before retiring in 1929. He survived wounds, exhaustion, and the grinding toll of combat. But he never lost the heart of the warrior-poet he’d become.

Legacy Written in Blood and Honor

Daly’s story is not just valor. It is the embodiment of sacrifice, brotherhood, and the harsh cost of freedom. There is no glamour here. No polished heroism—just the raw grit of a man who faced death and refuse to back down.

His life reminds combat veterans and civilians alike that courage is forged in the crucible of fear and pain. It reminds us that leadership means standing tallest when all others fall. As the scripture humbles us:

“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

Sgt. Major Daniel Joseph Daly died in 1937, but his voice still shakes battle-hardened souls and stirs the heart of every Marine.

“Do you want to live forever?” He didn’t just ask. He showed us how.

[^1]: Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Recipients – Daniel Joseph Daly [^2]: U.S. Army Center of Military History, World War I Medal of Honor Recipients