Daniel Joseph Daly, Marine who earned two Medals of Honor

Jan 28 , 2026

Daniel Joseph Daly, Marine who earned two Medals of Honor

Blood, steel, and grit—etched deep in the mud of Peking and the trenches of France. Daniel Joseph Daly stood firm when others faltered. Twice he charged into hell and came back bearing not just medals, but the scars and stories that only warriors earn.

The Battle That Defined Him

June 1900. The Boxer Rebellion seared the streets of Tientsin and Peking. Civilians were slaughtered. Foreign legations besieged. The enemy clawed at the gates, relentless and savage.

Into this maw strode a 27-year-old Gunnery Sergeant from Brooklyn—Daniel Daly of the U.S. Marine Corps.

During the battle near Tientsin, Daly’s unit faced a brutal siege by Boxer and Imperial Chinese troops. Ammunition dwindled, and his comrades were pinned down under ceaseless fire. The line threatened to break.

Daly sprinted forward, alone, under sustained enemy fire. He retrieved ammunition from fallen soldiers, refusing to stop, refusing to back down. Loading and firing his machine gun, he shattered enemy ranks. His actions held the line when retreat meant death.

That day, his courage etched him into Marine Corps legend: Medal of Honor #1 awarded for “extraordinary heroism in action.” Marines called him “The Fighting Marine.”

Fired By Faith and a Code of Honor

Born 1873 in New York, Daly’s childhood wasn’t gilded. He found his compass in the crucible of faith and service, a man shaped by hardship, stoicism, and simple, unyielding honor.

His letters, sparse but profound, reveal a soldier who wrestled with war’s meaning yet clung to the hope Christ offers a fallen world.

“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

This wasn’t just scripture recited. It was lived—in every patrol, every firefight, every moment when fear gnawed at his soul.

Daly carried that fire into each battle. Leadership wasn’t about orders; it was about sacrifice, standing shoulder to shoulder with his men. Loyalty drilled into his veins.

The Great War: A Second Baptism of Fire

Fourteen years later, the world exploded into total war. Sergeant Major Daly, now one of the Corps’ most respected leaders, found himself in the muck and blood of Belleau Wood, France, 1918.

The German army was entrenched, deadly, and dogged. Marines were ordered to dislodge them at all costs.

Once again, Daly plunged into chaos. Commanding a machine gun section, he moved among his men firing into enemy lines, inspiring a fierce counterattack.

At Blanc Mont Ridge, his relentless drive turned the tide. Where morale lagged, Daly’s unyielding spirit roared. According to eyewitnesses, he urged exhausted Marines forward with words that grit alone can forge:

“Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” — attributed to Daly during Belleau Wood combat.

His bravery earned his second Medal of Honor, one of only 19 Marines to receive the distinction twice.

Recognition Beyond Medals

Two Medals of Honor—earned in different conflicts, against vastly different foes—cemented Daly’s place in military history.

Commanders and Marines alike spoke of his relentless example. Major General Smedley Butler, himself a double recipient of the Medal, praised Daly as the embodiment of Marine toughness and heart.

His citations are stark, direct: valor under fire, leadership in the face of annihilation. No fluff—just raw testimony to a warrior who lived what others only preached.

But Daly’s greatest medal was the respect of his peers, the loyalty of his men, and the legacy he forged in sweat and blood.

Legacy Written in Sacrifice and Redemption

Daniel Joseph Daly died in 1937, a legend who carried his scars with quiet pride. His story reminds us that valor is not the absence of fear, but the mastery of it.

His battlefield journal was etched in flesh, every bullet a stanza, every fallen friend a somber verse.

In war, we see our deepest selves—broken, brave, redeemed.

He lived by a creed older than the medal’s gleam—courage is service, sacrifice is love, and honor is eternal.

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

Daly’s life speaks across generations, calling warriors and civilians alike to reckon with sacrifice and to hold fast to purpose beyond the smoke of battle.

Because in the end, it’s not the medals that endure—it’s the legacy of courage standing tall when all is lost.

Sources

1. Marine Corps History Division — Medal of Honor Recipients: Boxer Rebellion and World War I 2. Walter F. Beyer, Oscar Frederick Keydel — Deeds of Valor: From Records in the Archives of the United States Government (Volume 3) 3. U.S. Army Center of Military History — Medal of Honor Citations 4. Smedley Butler, War is a Racket (personal reflections and references)