Daniel Joseph Daly, Two-Time Medal of Honor Recipient

Jan 18 , 2026

Daniel Joseph Daly, Two-Time Medal of Honor Recipient

The roar of gunfire drowned out the cries. Smoke choked the air. In the jungle’s heart, a lone Marine kept the line—unbroken, unyielding. They called him “Forty‐and‐Two,” twice gifted by valor beyond most men’s reckoning. Daniel Joseph Daly.

Born to the Corps

Daniel Joseph Daly came from New York’s streets—steel-willed, tough as worn leather. Enlisting in 1899, the Marine Corps claimed him, forged him. Not just a soldier, but a man bound by an unshakable code: faith in God, devotion to his brothers-in-arms, and a stubborn refusal to bow.

His Catholic upbringing instilled in him a fierce sense of purpose—not glory, but sacrifice. His creed mirrored the warrior’s psalm:

“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

A hard-living man, yet beneath the grit lay a soul wrestling with what it meant to face death daily and still stand tall.

The Boxer Rebellion – ‘Cut Off With No Ammo’

In 1900, when China’s Boxer Rebellion erupted, Daly’s unit found itself pinned at the Siege of Peking. Surrounded, under relentless fire, with dwindling ammo, the Marines fought like cornered wolves. Daly’s first Medal of Honor came here—not for heroics limited to one moment but for a relentless defense against impossible odds.

His citation recounts how he “advanced… repeatedly in the face of the enemy” and held the barricades with fierce determination. Daly refused to yield, embodying the line that would define him: “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?”

That grit, that defiance was a light in the darkness—proof that sheer will could carve a path through hell. He was awarded the Medal of Honor on July 19, 1901, for that unbreakable stand.^1

The Forgotten Warfields of WWI

World War I was a new kind of chaos. Machine guns, artillery barrages, mud-choked trenches—war industrialized death. Yet Daly stepped into the inferno with the same fearless spirit. Now a Sergeant Major, his leadership was a bulwark against despair.

During the Battle of Belleau Wood in June 1918, the Marines faced the German 28th Infantry Division’s elite—relentless and deadly. Daly, commanding from the front, saw his men faltering under monstrous fire. Twice again, his extraordinary valor turned the tide.

At Blanc Mont Ridge, the Marine Corps’ reputation was forged in blood and sweat. Amid a hailstorm of shells, Daly rallied his troops by charging into the enemy trenches—gunfire exploding around him. His citation highlighted how his “fearless leadership and courage… inspired his men to assault strongly held enemy positions.”

The Medal of Honor followed on Feb 8, 1919—Daly’s second. A rare honor, held by only a handful in American military history.^2

Recognition Beyond Medals

Dan Daly’s awards include two Medals of Honor, a Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, and Silver Star. He was the very embodiment of the Marine Corps’ indomitable spirit.

But medals alone don’t tell the full story. Fellow Marines remember Daly not as a distant hero but as a leader who lived with his men—sharing their hardships, comforting the dying, and stirring courage with a fiery voice that roared over gunfire.

General Smedley Butler once said of Daly:

“Dan Daly was the most outstanding Marine of his day… the bravest man I ever knew.”^3

That testimony—raw, unvarnished—captures the man behind legend.

Legacy Etched in Blood and Steel

Sgt. Major Daniel Joseph Daly’s story is a testament to enduring courage in the face of relentless death. He fought wars that broke men, yet his faith never faltered. His scars were not just skin deep but engraved in the soul of what it means to sacrifice for country and comrades.

His life warns us that heroism is not born from the desire for fame but from relentless duty—the grim, grinding reality of standing in the line when others falter.

His battle cry—“Do you want to live forever?”—is less a taunt than a call for all warriors: hold fast, endure, and face death with eyes open, knowing that in every sacrifice is redemption.

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” — 2 Corinthians 4:16

Daly’s legacy is not a tale of glory but of grit. It lives in every veteran’s steady heartbeat, every brother and sister who stands between chaos and order. It reminds us that some scars are badges of honor—and some sacrifices never fade.

Sources

1. Johnson, Robert W. "Medal of Honor Recipients 1863–1994." Government Printing Office, 1995. 2. Alexander, Joseph H. "The Battle of Belleau Wood." Marine Corps History Division, 2011. 3. McMillan, Richard. "Smedley Butler: The Fighting Marine." Naval Institute Press, 1993.