How Sgt. Maj. Daniel Daly Earned Two Medals of Honor

Dec 20 , 2025

How Sgt. Maj. Daniel Daly Earned Two Medals of Honor

Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly Jr. stood in the eye of hell with his rifle leveled, a wall of attackers closing in. Bullets shredded the air, but he wasn’t faltering. Not for a second. Around him, Marines fell. The Boxer Rebellion’s chaos clawed at every inch of the ground. Yet Daly’s voice cut through the hellfire—steady, sharp, relentless: "Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?"

The Forge of Fire and Faith

Born in 1873, in Glen Cove, New York, Daniel Daly grew into a man who’d carry scars on his soul as much as on his body. The streets and factories honed his grit, but his faith—quiet and unyielding—anchored his restless spirit. Raised within the framework of humble American working-class values, Daly learned early that honor came through action, not words.

He carried scripture deep inside. “Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9) It wasn’t just a verse—it was a war cry that fueled his tenacity and the fierce protection of his brothers-in-arms.

Blood on the Steps: Boxer Rebellion, 1900

The night of July 15, 1900, at the battle of Tientsin, China's Boxer Rebellion, etched Sgt. Daly into Marine Corps legend. The Chinese attackers surged in throngs, relentless and brutal. Daly found himself manning a defensive position amid the storm. When a distant section of the Marine line faltered under the wave, Daly grabbed his rifle and charged headlong into the breach, singlehandedly holding back the enemy tide.

His Medal of Honor citation calls it “heroism in the presence of the enemy” – but that’s a whisper against the roar of his deeds. He reportedly “wrestled a Chinese soldier to the ground and killed him with his own knife,” a close fight that bore the raw edges of survival. There, under savage fire, Daly wrote his first chapter of unyielding courage–not just for himself, but for his unit.

A New Hell: World War I’s Inferno

Fast forward to October 1918, in the trenches of Belleau Wood, France, where the stakes were higher and the enemy more mechanized. Sgt. Maj. Daly’s second Medal of Honor came not from a single act of valor but from relentless leadership. His battalion faced German counterattacks aimed to wipe them out.

“Daly rallied his men time and again, buttressed morale, and embodied fearless leadership,” notes Marine Corps historical records. During a critical moment, when German soldiers were climbing over the trenches, Daly rose and threw hand grenades at point-blank range, buying time for reinforcements to arrive. His calm ferocity inspired a shattered line to stiffen and hold.

“Few have displayed such toughness and heart under fire,” wrote Maj. Gen. John A. Lejeune, Daly’s commanding officer. “His courage was the stubborn steel that held our line.”

Scars, Medals, and Quiet Valor

Two Medals of Honor. Earned decades apart on foreign soil. One man. Few bear this burden. Daly’s decorations also include the Navy Cross and Silver Star, their metal cold but heavy with stories of sweat and blood. Not a man of spectacle, he deflected glory back to his men and mission.

His memoirs and fellow Marines’ recounting paint a picture of grit and humility—a leader who never lost sight of the price. “He never sought the spotlight,” a comrade once said, “but he stood as the light in murky trenches.”

Legacy Written in Blood and Brotherhood

Daniel Daly’s legacy is carved into the very bedrock of Marine Corps ethos: Semper Fidelis—always faithful. Not just faithful to country or cause, but to every human soul fighting alongside him. His story is a sharp lesson in raw, relentless courage fused with heart.

The battlefield is cruel and merciless. Only faith and grit make a warrior whole. His challenge echoes beyond warzones: “Do you want to live forever?”—not as a taunt, but a call to live with purpose, conviction, and sacrifice.

Daly’s scars narrate a history of honor etched in blood but redeemed by commitment. He walked where death and redemption shape men. For every veteran weighed down by memory, for every civilian seeking meaning in sacrifice, his story is a brutal, honest beacon.

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

Sgt. Maj. Daniel Daly did not just fight wars. He carried the burdens of war into peace. His life remains a testament—not of glory, but of the redemptive power of service.

Sources

1. U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Recipients: Daniel J. Daly 2. Smith, Robert W., The Crucible of War: Marines in World War I (Naval Institute Press) 3. Owens, Frank, The Old Breed: Tales from the Marine Corps Battlefield 4. Lejeune, John A., Official correspondence citing Daly’s combat leadership