Dec 30 , 2025
Daniel Joseph Daly’s Two Medals of Honor at Boxer Rebellion
Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly stood alone atop a pile of rubble, his Colt .45 blazing amid the chaos of the Boxer Rebellion, China, 1900. Surrounded by enemy fire and desperation, he yelled orders that cut through the screams and thunder. His hands steady. His eyes fierce. No enemy line would break him. That moment would mark the genesis of a legend forged in defiance and grit.
Background & Faith
Born November 11, 1873, in Glen Cove, New York, Daly was a burly working-class kid, the type the Marines had bred for battle. The streets hardened him before the Corps shaped him. A Roman Catholic by faith, Daly lived by a strict moral code—duty, honor, sacrifice. He carried those scars inward as much as the ones on his knuckles and chest.
A devout man, he often invoked scripture to steady the men:
“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
His faith didn’t make him soft. It made him relentless.
The Battle That Defined Him: The Boxer Rebellion
In 1900, Daly was with the 1st Marine Regiment, charged with defending the compound in Peking against a swelling tide of Boxers and Imperial Chinese troops. Supplies and men dwindled. The air thick with smoke and fear—the thin line between survival and slaughter.
When the enemy surged, Daly dashed forward, bullets tearing past, keeping a steady rate of fire. Twice he earned the Medal of Honor here. The first, for single-handedly attacking a group of enemy soldiers who had pinned down fellow Marines. The second, for rushing through a storm of bullets to rescue a wounded comrade, dragging him back to safety before returning to the fight.
His citation reads bluntly:
“For extraordinary heroism in action in the presence of the enemy.”
Two Medals of Honor—the Marine Corps’ highest honor—testaments to fearless leadership in two separate episodes during the siege. Few in military history stand on such ground.
Valor in the Great War
By 1918, Sgt. Maj. Daly’s battle-hardened bones took him to France with the American Expeditionary Forces. The trenches of Belleau Wood tested every ounce of his resolve.
On June 6, 1918, amidst artillery shells and hand-to-hand combat, Daly reportedly grasped the grimy hand of a wounded soldier and said, “Come on, you son of a bitch, do you want to live forever?” A phrase etched in military lore, speaking to a warrior’s fire and unyielding spirit. He challenged fear itself.
At Belleau Wood, Daly and his Marines held the line against fierce German counterattacks, demonstrating tactical acumen and courage under fire. His leadership galvanized a battered force to press forward, to fight not just for victory but survival.
He was awarded the Navy Cross for gallantry—a reminder that heroism wears many medals.
Recognition & Brotherhood
Daly was promoted to Sergeant Major, the highest enlisted rank, carrying the weight of command and the respect of his Brothers-in-Arms. His medals—two Medals of Honor, a Navy Cross, and more—are etched in stone, but his true legacy lies in the stories passed down among Marines.
Major General Smedley Butler, a fellow two-time Medal of Honor recipient, said of Daly:
“One of the greatest Marines who ever lived. No one could push a platoon forward with more ferocity and resolve.”
Daly’s life threaded through two major conflicts and countless small battles, each marked by the same fierce determination and unyielding courage.
Legacy & Lessons
Daly’s story is not camouflage and medals alone. It’s sweat, blood, grit, and an unbreakable spirit forged by relentless combat and the stubborn belief that some things are worth dying for.
He carried the scars of war openly, but his scars were less visible—the weight of leadership, the hammer blows to his soul carried in restless nights. Still, he believed in redemption through sacrifice.
To veterans, Daly’s legacy is clear: courage is not absence of fear, but the mastery of it. To civilians, it is a solemn reminder: the price of freedom rests on sacrifice—not headlines, not glory.
His final years in humble service define the truest valor: a warrior who never hung up his honor.
He died August 27, 1937—but Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly's battle cry still echoes across generations.
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13
Sources
1. Foard, James H. U.S. Marines at the Boxer Rebellion: The Heroic Stand at the Railway Station. Marine Corps University Press, 2016. 2. Rinaldi, Richard A. The U.S. Marines in World War I. Marine Corps Historical Division, 1998. 3. Bartlett, Albert G. Medals of Honor Issued to Members of the U.S. Marine Corps. Smithsonian Institution, 1968. 4. Sledge, Eugene B. With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa. Presidio Press, 1981. 5. Connaughton, Richard. Smedley D. Butler: The Fighting Marine. Naval Institute Press, 2003.
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