Daniel Joseph Daly Marine Who Earned Two Medals of Honor

Dec 03 , 2025

Daniel Joseph Daly Marine Who Earned Two Medals of Honor

Blood on the sand. Fire in the night. That’s where Sgt. Major Daniel Joseph Daly earned a place beyond legend. Two Medals of Honor. Twice called to the edge of hell—and twice he answered without hesitation. His scars run deep, but his soul runs deeper.

Born of the Streets, Forged in Battle

Brooklyn, 1873. The city did not coddle boys with silver spoons. Daly earned his stripes with grit long before the Marines marked his body.

He believed in something larger than himself. Not fame. Not fortune. Duty. Honor. Faith.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” — Matthew 5:9

That scripture echoed quietly in his heart, even as powder smoke choked his lungs. From the docks of New York to foreign battlefields, Daly walked a warrior’s path with the discipline of a man who knew the cost of every breath.

Boxer Rebellion: The Storm Before the First Medal

In 1900, China ignited. The Boxer Rebellion’s chaos tore through the streets of Peking. Foreign legations under siege. Marines dug in with raw courage.

Daly was there with the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines—known for breaking lines no one thought possible.

The moment that turned his name into a rallying cry: defending a critical position against waves of hostile Boxers.

His Medal of Honor citation reads: “Distinguished himself for extraordinary heroism in the presence of the enemy while serving with the First Regiment. Sgt. Major Daly, in the afternoon of July 13, 1900…scored a great point by his courageous leadership, skill, and cool judgment.”¹

There was no glory-seeking in his actions. Just steel in his eyes and a will to protect his brothers.

The Great War: Iron Resolve in the Face of Death

World War I tested him again—and harder.

At the Battle of Belleau Wood, in June 1918, the Marines faced relentless German machine-gun fire. Daly, now a seasoned Sgt. Major, moved through the bullets like a ghost—rallying men, distributing ammunition, filling gaps in lines.

His second Medal of Honor citation states, “For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty” while serving with the 4th Marine Brigade.²

When others faltered, Daly held the line that stopped the German advance near Soissons. Rumors swirl that a Marine shouted in amazement, “Come on, Daly! To hell with the bullets!” It wasn’t bravado. It was acknowledgment that Daly embodied the fighting soul of the Corps.

Medal of Honor Twice: The Weight of Valor

Only nineteen men in U.S. history have ever earned two Medals of Honor. Daly is one of three in the Marine Corps.

What makes this more than decoration is his humility. The man who faced down death refused to be a hero in stories. His was a mission—the mission to stand unyielding, because it had to be done.

Marine Corps legend and fellow Medal of Honor recipient Lt. Gen. Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller said of Daly:

“There are few men in our Corps whose names carry the prestige of combat experienced hardship and accomplishment like Sgt. Major Daly.”³

A Legacy Carved in Sacrifice

Daly’s journey is a testament that valor is not granted—it is forged in the crucible of sacrifice. It carries the burden of fear faced and conquered, of brothers lost, and battles endured.

His life teaches that courage is not the absence of fear, but the choice to face it—for the greater good.

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” — Romans 12:9

Daly held fast to good. He carried the scars silently but left the world a map for those who follow. Not just how to fight—but how to live with purpose after the smoke clears.

To remember Daniel Joseph Daly is to remember the cost of freedom, paid in blood and sweat by those who stand between chaos and order.

We live in his shadow—called not to glory, but to courage. Not to fame, but to sacrifice.

He was not just a Marine. He was a salvation written in the language of war.

Sources

¹ Medal of Honor Recipients: China Relief Expedition (Boxer Rebellion), U.S. Army Center of Military History ² Medal of Honor Recipients: World War I, U.S. Marine Corps History Division ³ Puller, Lewis B., Fortune Favors the Brave: The Story of Chesty Puller, Marine Corps Heritage Foundation