Daniel Joseph Daly, Two-Time Medal of Honor Marine

Dec 31 , 2025

Daniel Joseph Daly, Two-Time Medal of Honor Marine

Blood runs thick where heroes are forged. Daniel Joseph Daly bled twice for this country. Twice honored with the Medal of Honor—not by chance, but by sheer guts and unyielding grit. Few men stand taller in the smoke and chaos of battle than he. His courage carved in fire, his legacy bleeding into the soul of the Marine Corps.

The Forge of Faith and Valor

Born in Glen Cove, New York, in 1873, Daniel Daly came from rough, working-class roots. No silver spoon. Just iron will. His early life shaped a man who trusted only in his own grit—and something greater: a faith that steadied him when death lurked. “Greater love hath no man than this,” guided his every step. Daly's faith was a quiet armor, not worn for show but forged deep inside, the kind neither bullets nor fear could break.

He enlisted with the Marines in 1899, stepping into the crucible of the Boxer Rebellion. Already, he had the Marine Corps ethos—Semper Fidelis—etched into his bones. Combat was not a game. It was a relentless test of survival, sacrifice, and unflinching duty.

The Battle That Defined Him—Boxer Rebellion, 1900

In China, Daly was a machine of will. The relief mission to Peking was hell on earth. During the siege, his section bore down on the enemy like a hammer blow. Twice, he earned the Medal of Honor for storming enemy walls and rallying his men amid carnage. The first came for “distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy,” when he scaled a wall and beat back attackers with ferocious hand-to-hand fighting[1].

His citation reads:

"In the presence of the enemy, jumped over the wall of the enemy’s fort, drove off all the enemy from the wall, and established a position at the base of the wall."

He didn’t wait for orders. He acted. Fear wasn’t a factor. This was a man who moved with deadly purpose while others froze. His valor on that battlefield was an echo of the raw, brutal infantry fight that the Corps would come to embody.

Hell’s Call—The Great War, 1918

Almost two decades later, war dragged Daly into the trenches of World War I. Now a Sergeant Major and a hardened leader, Daly’s courage burned brighter under the mud and blood of Belleau Wood and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.

But it was during the Battle of Belleau Wood that the legend was born anew.

Surrounded. Enemy closing in. Daly saw his fellow Marines breaking under fire and rallied them with words carved from steel.

“Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?”

Those words weren’t just bravado—they were a blazing call to arms that tightened fists and wills. He led counterattacks, risked his life repeatedly to carry messages across open ground under machine gun fire, and refused to leave wounded Marines behind. His leadership wasn’t in grand speeches but in raw, visible action—every step closer to death a defiance of despair.

He earned his second Medal of Honor during this maelstrom.

His citation:

"For extraordinary heroism while serving as a noncommissioned officer with Company G, 6th Regiment (Marines), 2nd Division, A.E.F., near Blanc Mont, France, 24 and 25 October 1918."

He remained exposed to relentless fire, leading charges, rallying men battered by shells and bullets. The man who stormed walls in Peking now stormed the hellish forests of France, the same heart beating with relentless fury.

Honors Speak, But Stories Whisper Louder

Two Medals of Honor. No embellishments. No theater. Just raw valor earned in two of America’s bloodiest conflicts.

Marine legend Chaplain “Father” John J. Brady once called Daly:

“One of the bravest men I ever saw.”

Daly’s medals sit in the hallowed halls of the National Museum of the Marine Corps—silent witnesses to a warrior who embodied the Corps’ fierce creed better than most.

But ask any Marine what made Daly immortal—and they’ll tell you it wasn’t medals. It was his refusal to quit, to leave a man behind, or to bow before fear. His scars were spiritual as much as physical. He fought battles on the field and in his soul every day.

Legacy Written in Blood and Redemption

In a world that often forgets the cost of freedom, Daniel Joseph Daly stands as a stark reminder: courage is forged in chaos, and leadership means sacrifice.

His life echoes the scripture he lived by:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” —Deuteronomy 31:6

Daly’s story is razor-sharp: You don’t get mercy on the battlefield. You earn respect by standing your ground, lifting your brothers even when it means risking death.

He carried wounds unseen, a lifetime of combat etched deep. But from those scars came redemption—proof that honor isn’t given, it’s earned daily in the fight for something greater than yourself.

Remember the name Daniel Joseph Daly. Not as a relic of past wars. But as a living testament to sacrifice, courage, and the eternal battle for purpose.

Sources

[1] U.S. Marine Corps History Division, “Medal of Honor Recipients: Daniel Joseph Daly” [2] Beyond Glory: Medal of Honor Heroes in Their Own Words by Larry Smith, Naval Institute Press [3] History and Museums Division, U.S. Marine Corps, “Sergeant Major Daniel Joseph Daly” [4] Deuteronomy 31:6, Holy Bible, NIV