Daniel Joseph Daly, Two-Time Medal of Honor Marine

Feb 05 , 2026

Daniel Joseph Daly, Two-Time Medal of Honor Marine

The roar of gunfire. Smoke choking the air. Amidst the chaos, a lone figure stands unbroken, rallying his men with a voice like thunder. The enemy pressure mounts, yet he moves forward—undaunted, relentless, unyielding. This was Daniel Joseph Daly, a warrior carved by fire, a man who met death’s stare and spat in its face twice over.

Roots of a Warrior and Soldier of Faith

Born into the grit of New York City in 1873, Daly’s world was not paved with gold. It was forged in the iron wills of working-class streets, where survival demanded toughness and honor. The Marine Corps called him at nineteen—a choice, not just a job, but a covenant.

Faith was his backbone. Daly was known not for reckless bravado but for a quiet, almost reverent steadiness that comes from deep conviction. “Greater love hath no man than this,” he often reflected, holding tight to John 15:13—the sacrifice, the service, the brotherhood. His code was simple: protect your own, face fear without flinching, and never abandon a fallen comrade.

The Boxer Rebellion: Valor in the Breach

In 1900, the streets of Tientsin, China, turned into a hellscape. The Boxer Rebellion burned nationalist fury into a siege against foreign legations. Marines held ground, lines shattered, lives lost in a surge of bullets and bayonets.

Daly’s moment came under a withering attack that threatened to break the American line. As the enemy swarmed, he grabbed a rifle from a fallen Marine. Moving forward, alone, he shouted defiantly, encouraging his men by example.

He braved point-blank fire to rescue wounded comrades. Twice he repeated actions that earned him the Medal of Honor for “extraordinary heroism in action.” His citation reads like a manual of guts:

“...voluntarily crossed an open space and brought a wounded comrade to a place of safety.”

His bravery was no fleeting act but a sustained torrent—battling through the storm, answering the ultimate call without hesitation.

World War I: “Come on, you sons of bitches!”

Daly’s courage would not be confined to one continent—or one war. During the Great War, July 1918, the Battle of Belleau Wood tested every ounce of Marine resolve.

Enemy machine guns pinned down the Marines, carving into the line with ruthless precision. Amidst the carnage, Daly’s rallying cry shattered the paralysis:

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

No call echoed louder in Marine Corps history. That roar carried his men through deadly fire, forcing the enemy back under sheer ferocity.

For his actions during Belleau Wood, Daly received the second Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism and fearless leadership under fire. His Sergeant Major’s leadership was a beacon in blood-soaked woods where many faltered.

He embodied the warrior’s paradox—unyielding force wrapped in relentless care for the men.

Honors and the Voice of Comrades

Daly, one of only 19 men ever to receive two Medals of Honor, earned a reputation beyond medals. General John J. Pershing said,

“Daly has done more to develop the fighting spirit of the Marines than any man alive.”

Fellow Marines remembered him as “the Marine’s Marine”—gritty, honest, fearless. Not just a leader, but a man whose every scar told a story of sacrifice etched in flesh and resolve.

His medals—beyond the two Medals of Honor—tell a brutal story of campaigns and battles. Yet the true testament to Daly’s legacy lies in how Marines still draw courage from his example, decades after the guns fell silent.

Legacy Etched in Sacrifice and Redemption

The war zones Daly walked bore witness to death and devastation. Yet he carried a message deeper than tactics or bravery: Redemption through sacrifice.

“No greater love hath a man than to lay down his life for his friends.”

Daly’s life was a living scripture, proving faith and courage are bound tight in the forge of combat. His footsteps echo a challenge to every soldier, veteran, and citizen alike: stand with your brothers, meet fear openly, and carry forward the legacy of sacrifice with humility and honor.

In a world too quick to forget the cost of freedom, Sgt. Major Daniel Joseph Daly reminds us that valor is not a moment. It’s a lifetime. It’s a roar across centuries that refuses to die. It’s the heartbeat of every Marine who stands firm because one man dared to say, “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?”

Sources

1. Turner Publishing, Sergeant Major Daniel J. Daly, USMC: An Illustrated History 2. USMC History Division, Medal of Honor Citations: Daniel J. Daly 3. Charles A. Beard, The American Fighting Man: From Belleau Wood to the Armistice 4. General John J. Pershing: Speeches and Writings