Daniel Joseph Daly, Two-Time Medal of Honor Recipient and Belleau Wood

Feb 06 , 2026

Daniel Joseph Daly, Two-Time Medal of Honor Recipient and Belleau Wood Veteran

The night air choked on smoke and screams. Bullets tore through the darkness, but one figure stood unyielding—hands steady on the rifle, eyes sharp, voice roaring orders that spelled life or death. Daniel Joseph Daly didn’t flinch. He fought like the devil himself answered to him. Twice. Twice he stared down chaos and walked away marked not just by scars but by raw, unforgettable valor.

Born for Battle and Belief

Daly grew up in Glen Cove, New York. A rough, working-class kid hardened by necessity. The streets taught him grit. The Marine Corps taught him more—it forged a soul bound to service and sacrifice.

A man of stern faith, Daly carried a quiet reverence for scripture. His moral compass pointed true north—a warrior grounded not in glory alone but in duty’s weight.

"God gave me a chance to live through the hell, because He had a plan for me," Daly once said.

His code was clear: protect brothers, take the fight to the enemy, and endure.

The Boxer Rebellion: Hero of Tientsin

The year was 1900. China’s Boxer Rebellion shook the globe—a crucible of fire for young Marines. Daly found himself in the thick of it, defending a foreign legation under siege.

At Tientsin, the enemy pressed hard. They swarmed like locusts, but Daly refused to break. When a wounded comrade was cut off, Daly surged through the hail of bullets, dragging the man to safety.

Within hours, he killed scores of attackers, rallying his trapped unit with a ferocity no man could deny. For those desperate moments, he held the line alone—like a monument carved out of pure iron will.

He earned his first Medal of Honor here for “extraordinary heroism in battle."

The Great War: Bullets, Blood, and Bravery

Fifteen years later, the world burned again. World War I sent Daly to the muddy hell of Belleau Wood, France. Here, the war claimed 1,600 Marines in mere days.

Daly wasn’t just a spectator. As first sergeant, he led men up steep trenches and over wire entanglements under relentless barrage. His voice cut through the chaos: “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?”

These words have echoed through Marine Corps legend. He led charge after charge, firing his pistol with lethal precision, refusing to yield ground. Twice more, bullets tore through his helmet and clothing. Twice he refused to fall.

His second Medal of Honor citation captures his indomitable spirit and fearless leadership in that hellscape.

Honors Earned in Blood and Brotherhood

Two Medals of Honor—no Marine before or since has matched Daly’s raw valor on two separate battlefields. The military community reveres him not just for his medals but for living the warrior’s truth: perseverance amid horror, sacrifice for brothers, and unshakable loyalty.

General Smedley Butler, a fellow triple Medal of Honor winner, called Daly “the greatest Marine who ever lived.” That isn’t just military hagiography—it’s the testament of a man who saw the truth in battle and respected it.

Legacy Written in the Flesh

Daly's story is a red streak of courage carved into Marine Corps history, a flame passed hand to hand through generations. His scars tell of pain faced and endured. His actions teach this: courage isn’t absence of fear—it’s facing death with a steady heart.

He embodies the reality behind the medals: survival demands grit. Leadership demands sacrifice. And redemption lives in every man who stands wounded but unbroken.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13

In every war zone, in every battle-scarred life, Daly’s legacy whispers still. For veterans, it’s a mirror—a challenge to uphold the bond of brotherhood. For civilians, a raw reminder: behind every medal is a man who chose to endure hell for all of us.

This is what it means to stand, fight, and never forget. This is Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly. A warrior’s soul. A nation’s honor.

Sources

1. Medal of Honor Recipients: United States Marine Corps, U.S. Army Center of Military History 2. Belleau Wood, France 1918 - Harold W. Nelson, Marine Corps Gazette 3. Smedley Butler: Lion of the Marine Corps by John D. Grider 4. John 15:13, The Holy Bible, King James Version