Daniel Joseph Daly, the Two-Time Medal of Honor Marine

Nov 14 , 2025

Daniel Joseph Daly, the Two-Time Medal of Honor Marine

He stood alone on a narrow ridge in the thick of a firefight, bullets whipping past like deadly rain, but Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly didn’t flinch. His voice cut through the chaos. "Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?" A simple line, but it ignited a fire in weary Marines. No hesitation. No doubt. Just steel and grit forged in the crucible of combat.

Born of Grit and Faith

Daly’s story didn’t begin on distant battlefields but in Glen Cove, New York, 1873. A working-class Irish-American, he was shaped by hardship. Life’s trials sculpted his backbone. Honor, duty, faith—these weren’t abstract ideals but the compass by which he lived. Raised in a devout Catholic family, the Word rooted deep:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” — Joshua 1:9

His moral code was simple: protect your brothers. Lead from the front. Face death with a grin.

The Battle That Defined Him: The Boxer Rebellion, 1900

Few know the true fury of the Boxer Rebellion. A brutal urban siege in Tientsin, China. American Marines pinned down, surrounded by a tide of insurgents seeking to kill every foreign soldier and diplomat.

On July 13, 1900, Daly distinguished himself beyond the call. During a savage attack, he fought off swarms of Boxers with nothing but a rifle and raw ferocity. Twice wounded, one of those blows a bullet that tore through his thigh, he refused to leave the line.

His Medal of Honor citation reads:

“For distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy... During the siege of the foreign legations... he distinguished himself by his conduct.”

War is hell, but Daly became its legend.

A New War, A New Fight: World War I

Fourteen years later, the world exploded into a nightmare far worse. The trenches of Belleau Wood, France, 1918—the storm of steel and mud that forged the modern Marine Corps’ legend.

Sergeant Major Daly was now the backbone of the 4th Marine Brigade. When enemy machine guns cut down his men, Daly’s courage became the wedge for hope. Twice awarded a second Medal of Honor, his feats in Belleau Wood and Blanc Mont were testimonies to raw leadership under fire.

At Blanc Mont Ridge, despite intense enemy fire and overwhelming odds, he rallied his shattered troops to hold the line. “I walked through that hellhole,” spent and bloody, but I never thought about giving up.

His second Medal of Honor citation states:

“For extraordinary heroism... in action against the enemy during the war... gallantly leading assaulting elements across an open field and personally utilizing a Lewis gun against the enemy.”

Fear was a luxury he could not afford. And his men followed because they trusted him with their lives.

Valor Honored, Legacy Cemented

The Marine Corps celebrates two-time Medal of Honor winners as saints of sacrifice. Daly is one of only a dozen men in American history to receive it twice. The silver star, Navy Cross, and countless other medals decorate a career spanned by courage and unyielding service.

General John A. Lejeune said of him:

“A giant among Marines. His spirit left a mark no enemy could erase.”

His citation and legacy stand not just for individual valor but for relentless leadership. Daly didn’t just fight; he led.

Lessons Etched in Blood and Fire

Daly’s story is not a tale of personal glory but of sacrifice made tangible. He embodies a warrior’s truth: that courage is contagious, that a single voice can rally men against a tide of death.

“The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him but because he loves what is behind him.”

For veterans, his life is a mirror—scarred but unbowed. For civilians, a beacon to understand the cost of freedom. Redemption comes not in escaping pain, but facing it head-on with unshaken resolve.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders... and run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” — Hebrews 12:1

When the smoke clears and the earth is stained with sacrifice, the name Daniel Joseph Daly stands unbroken — a testament to the warrior’s spirit, a voice challenging us all: Do you want to live forever?