Daniel Joseph Daly, Two-Time Medal of Honor Marine at Tientsin

Dec 11 , 2025

Daniel Joseph Daly, Two-Time Medal of Honor Marine at Tientsin

Blood soaks the earth in Tientsin. Gunfire cracks the night—sharp, relentless. Amid that chaos stands a man shaped by war and grit. Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly—unbreakable, unyielding. Two Medals of Honor earned through sweat, fire, and fury. When others faltered, Daly charged headfirst, embodying the raw essence of warrior spirit.

Roots of Iron and Faith

Born in 1873, Glen Cove, New York—steel mills and salty air forged his backbone. An Irish-American kid with grit thick as the harbor fog. Joined the Marines in 1899 just as the century turned, seeking purpose beyond streets and sweat.

He wasn’t just muscle—his faith anchored him. Daly lived by a warrior’s creed stained in scripture and sacrifice: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified...” (Deuteronomy 31:6). The battlefield was no place for fear. Only resolve. Only honor.

The Boxer Rebellion: “Come on, you sons of bitches…”

In June 1900, the Old World met the New in a brutal contest for survival. The Boxer Rebellion tossed Americans, Europeans, and Chinese insurgents into bloody conflict.

The Japanese and Americans were besieged in Tientsin, China. Daly was there with the 1st Marine Regiment.

Under a merciless firestorm, Daly saw a gap in the line—and he closed it with savage courage. Twice awarded the Medal of Honor for these actions, his citation reads: “In the presence of the enemy during the battle at Tientsin, China, 20 June 1900, Daly distinguished himself by deeds of extraordinary heroism.”¹

“Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” he barked at his Marines—a line that would become legend. It was raw truth. Call it bravado if you want, but in the heat of that inferno, it lit a fire in his men to hold their ground.

World War I: A New Hell, the Same Valor

Fourteen years later, the Great War dragged soldiers into mud and mechanized hell.

By 1918, Daly was a gunnery sergeant, hardened by years of service. At the Battle of Belleau Wood, the Marines faced one of the most savage fights of the war. The German machine guns ripped mercilessly through the dense forest.

Daly led men not with speeches, but grit. He hopped from trench to trench, rallying wavering troops, dragging wounded from the line under fire.

His Medal of Honor citation for WWI—awarded in 1918—tells of him “distinguishing himself by extraordinary heroism” at Blanc Mont, France. He braved relentless artillery and small arms fire, even after being wounded.² His voice carried more than orders; it carried life.

The Medal of Honor Twice Over

Only nineteen American servicemen have earned the Medal of Honor twice. Daly is among the fiercest in that group. His first for valor in China, the second for bravery in France.

But Daly was more than medals.

Col. Earl H. Ellis once said, “Daly was the toughest man I ever met at close quarters.”³ Marines revered him not for rank or ribbons but because he stood in the throat of hell and dared to lead.

He retired in 1929 as Sergeant Major—the highest enlisted rank—leaving behind scars, legends, and a standard of unshakable courage.

Legacy Etched in Scar Tissue and Spirit

Daly’s story is blood and soil, grit and grace.

He was a man who fought without promises—only duty. A warrior who inspired with more than words—action was his sermon.

His life whispers a timeless truth: courage is not the absence of fear, but the decision to stand regardless.

War leaves scars that never fully fade. But from hardship, redemption can rise.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9)

Daly’s legacy is a call—not just to fight the battles of flesh—but to wage war against despair, to build peace in the rubble of conflict.

He showed us how to honor sacrifice, how to bear witness to brotherhood forged in fire, and how to strive for something greater than ourselves.

Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly died in 1937. His bones have long since returned to the earth. But his voice still echoes across bloody fields: “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” A challenge, an indictment, a call for courage in a world that always needs more warriors.

Sources

1. U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Citations – Daniel J. Daly, “Battle of Tientsin” 2. U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Citations – Daniel J. Daly, “Battle of Blanc Mont Ridge” 3. Alexander, Joseph H., "Storm Landings: Epic Marine Battles in the Pacific", 2002