Daniel Joseph Daly, Marine Recipient of Two Medals of Honor

Dec 20 , 2025

Daniel Joseph Daly, Marine Recipient of Two Medals of Honor

Blood in the mud. Cold steel clashing. Men falling like wheat before the scythe. In the chaos, one warrior stood unmoved—Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly. A Marine’s Marine, his story bled raw valor from two brutal wars. Two Medals of Honor. Twice he stared death down and didn’t blink.

Growing Fierce in the Fire: Roots and Resolve

Daniel Joseph Daly wasn’t born into smooth fortunes. Raised in Glen Cove, New York, in the harsh grip of the early 20th century, he embodied the grit needed to survive and lead. Before war claimed him, the streets taught him. Factory floors, boxing rings, and Marine barracks honed a code as tough as bone.

His faith—quiet, carpenter-strong—gave him something unbreakable beneath the scars. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7). Not softness, but mercy tempered like steel. The man’s honor wasn’t in medals but in the lives he swore to protect.

The Boxer Rebellion: Holding the Wall

Summer of 1900. China roiled under the Boxer Rebellion’s flame. Allies besieged, trapped in Beijing’s legation quarter. Daly, a corporal then, didn’t wait for orders—he took charge.

Under withering fire, he was credited with defending the line like a fortress. When the North Gate threatened collapse, Daly threw himself into the breach. He was the harbinger of resistance, rallying Marines to hold despite dwindling ammunition and mounting casualties.

His Medal of Honor citation reads: “In the presence of the enemy during the battle near Tientsin, China, July 13, 1900, printed conspicuous daring and gallantry.” This wasn’t just bravado; it was steel discipline meeting chaos head-on.[^1]

World War I: The Legend of Belleau Wood

Fourteen years later, the fields of Belleau Wood became his crucible. The Marines faced relentless German assaults, and Daly—now a Sergeant Major—was the grizzled cornerstone of their defense.

During the fighting from June 1 to 26, 1918, under constant artillery and machine-gun fire, Daly’s rally was legendary. The French allies called the Marines les Teufel Hunden—the Devil Dogs—for good reason. Daly embodied that hellish ferocity. When a shell crater became a makeshift command post, he stood atop it, firing rifle and pistol, urging men forward, turning defeat into an emblem of Marine tenacity.

His second Medal of Honor citation commends: “For extraordinary heroic conduct while serving with the 73d Company, 6th Regiment (Marines), 2d Division, A.E.F., in action near Belleau Wood, France, 6 June 1918.” He was the talking point of officer mess halls, but he remained the stubborn line in the sand.

Words from the Brother in Arms

"Daly was more than a warrior — he was the backbone of the company," said Col. Wendell C. Neville, Commandant of the Marine Corps. He embodied leadership without pretense. Not just courage in the face of danger, but a relentless drive to save his men.

Historian John D. Carter wrote in “The First Marine Division”:

“To the Marines, Daly was a living spirit of the Corps’ ideals: honor, courage, commitment. His voice carried more weight than any trumpet.”

Legacy Etched In Flesh and Honor

Two Medals of Honor—the rarest American decoration—not just for valor, but for never breaking amid hell. He taught what many generations of warriors still live: the cost of leadership is measured in lives held, not medals worn. His scars—visible and invisible—bore witness to such truth.

In a world eager to glorify war, Daly reminds us that true valor is sacrifice. His footsteps blaze a path not toward glory, but toward redemption through selfless duty.

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life… shall be able to separate us from the love of God” (Romans 8:38). He fought not for fame, but for a higher calling etched in the soul of every Marine and veteran since.

Remember this man when the noise fades. When it’s just grit and faith against the dark. Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly’s legacy isn’t written in ink, but in the blood and bone of the free.

[^1]: Naval History and Heritage Command – “Medal of Honor Recipients: Daniel Joseph Daly” [^2]: John D. Carter, The First Marine Division, 1944 [^3]: Congressional Medal of Honor Society Archives