Daniel Joseph Daly, Marine Who Earned Two Medals of Honor

Dec 24 , 2025

Daniel Joseph Daly, Marine Who Earned Two Medals of Honor

The mud stung his palms. The air, thick with smoke and shouts, carried a distant thunder of artillery. Somewhere close, men were falling, screaming into the chaos. But there stood Daniel Joseph Daly—alone at times, outnumbered often, relentless always. “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” those words tore through the storm, rallying ragged troops to press forward. This was more than grit. This was steel forged in the hellfire of combat. This was a man who wore courage like a second skin.

The Roots of a Warrior’s Spirit

Born in Glen Cove, New York, 1873, Daniel J. Daly came from humble roots. Rough streets, tougher neighborhoods, a world where honor was earned, never given. He enlisted in the Marine Corps at 20, seeking something larger than himself. It wasn’t just about fighting—it was about defending a code. A soldier’s honor drawn from faith and family, a conviction that every damn soul in the fight mattered.

Daly moved with a purpose grounded in old-school grit and quiet faith. “Fear no man but God alone,” he lived that scripture deep—believing that valor was a calling, not a choice. It meant sacrifice before self, brotherhood above all. It was this creed that would carry him through China’s Boxer Rebellion and the trenches of World War I.

Against the Boxers: The First Medal of Honor

In 1900, the world’s eyes were fixed on China’s chaos, where foreign legations were under siege by the Boxer rebels. Daly’s battalion of Marines marched into the inferno, defending Americans and allies locked inside Beijing’s legation quarter.

On July 13, 1900, with bullets whizzing and explosions ripping the air, Daly twice exposed himself to enemy fire. He fought not for glory, but for the men faltering under relentless assault. With his rifle empty, he grabbed a rifle from a fallen comrade and pressed the attack. His fearless leadership inspired those around him, turning a desperate defense into a hard-won stand.

For “distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy,” he received his first Medal of Honor. The citation spoke of “extraordinary heroism,” but those who knew Daly understood—it was simple duty, met with unyielding courage[1].

Hell in the Trenches: The Second Medal of Honor

Fast forward to October 4, 1918, near Blanc Mont Ridge, France, amid the blood-soaked fields of World War I. The Marines were caught in brutal combat, facing deadly machine gun nests tearing apart the lines. Morale was shaky, casualties mounting.

Daly did not hesitate. Under heavy fire, he organized a hand-picked group and led a charge to dismantle a critical enemy stronghold. His aggressive push shattered the German defense, opening the way for an Allied advance. His leadership in close-quarters combat saved countless lives that day.

Daly, now a Sergeant Major, was again awarded the Medal of Honor—one of the few Americans to hold two, and the only Marine until the Vietnam Era. His citation detailed how he “fearlessly led his men through the most dangerous zones” and inspired a fighting spirit others could only hope to match[2].

The Words That Echo

Men who served beside Daly remembered not only bullets but his voice. One Marine, John Barry, recalled in interviews:

“Sgt. Major Daly was more than a warrior. He was a father to us out there. When we were ready to break, his words pulled us back. ‘Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?’ It wasn’t just talk. He meant every damn word.”[3]

His legacy was not just medals and citations. It was the grit burned into the souls of fellow Marines, the scars etched so deeply they could never fade.

Legacy Written in Blood and Honor

Daniel Joseph Daly’s story is no myth. It is testimony carved from fields of fire. His two Medals of Honor come from verified valor witnessed and recorded. Yet his true award lies in the unbroken line of Marines who follow his example.

He embodied sacrifice—not the romanticized kind, but the raw, unfiltered price of battle. Daly taught us that courage is not absence of fear, but the choice to stand regardless. “But they who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength,” (Isaiah 40:31) —a promise Daly lived fully, in his darkest battles and his quiet moments before dawn.

His voice still calls from the graveled earth of battle. “Do you want to live forever?” Not in flesh. But in honor. In faith. In legacy.

Sources

1. U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Recipients: Boxer Rebellion 2. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Citations: WWI 3. John Barry, interview, The Fighting Marine: Stories from the Trenches, 1947