Sergeant Major Daniel Daly, Twice Awarded the Medal of Honor

Jan 27 , 2026

Sergeant Major Daniel Daly, Twice Awarded the Medal of Honor

Bloodied hands, steady breath, the roar of gunfire swallowing the cries behind him. Sergeant Major Daniel Joseph Daly stood unflinching at the ramparts of the Boxer Rebellion, clawing back the enemy with nothing but grit and a rifle. Twice he would earn the Medal of Honor. Twice fate would mark him—not just for valor, but for the iron will to stand when all else faltered.

Roots of a Warrior

Born in 1873, in Glen Cove, New York, Daly was the son of an immigrant father—a working-class man molded by sweat and hardship. His life hardened early. Proud, but humble, he carried the blue-collar code like a shield. Faith was the quiet fire behind his grit—a substance beyond mere courage. He believed in something greater than himself. In battle, that belief fortified his spine.

He embodied the Marine Corps' savage motto: "Semper Fidelis"—Always Faithful. But for Daly, fidelity wasn’t just to country. It was to his brothers in arms and to the righteousness of fighting for a cause beyond survival.

"Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?" — Sgt. Major Daniel Daly, shouted at Marines during the Battle of Belleau Wood¹

The Boxer Rebellion: The First Medal of Honor

In the summer of 1900, the world’s imperial powers clashed in China’s Boxer Rebellion. Daly and his Marines were a thin line holding back a tide of fanatic insurgents.

On July 13, 1900, during the defense of the foreign legations in Peking, Daly’s heroism burned bright. When a breach opened in the barricade, he seized a rifle from a fallen Marine and charged into the fray alone. His fury and fearlessness halted the attackers' momentum—not once but multiple times.

This was no reckless bravado. It was steel forged in the furnace of desperation. His Medal of Honor citation reads:

"For distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy at Peking, China, 21 June to 17 July 1900."

Daly's grit saved lives that day, embodying the Marine creed that a man’s measure is in how he meets hell—and doesn’t flinch.

The Great War: The Second Medal

Fourteen years later, the guns of World War I shook the earth.

By 1918, Daly had risen to the rank of Sergeant Major, a leader carved by years of battle. The battles of Soissons and Belleau Wood were slaughterhouses, crucibles that burned away fear, leaving raw resolve.

At Belleau Wood, Daly reportedly yelled to his stunned men:

"You sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?"

—rallying them into a charge against the German lines, turning panic into fury.

His second Medal of Honor was awarded for holding a crucial position near Bouresches, France. Daly led repeated counterattacks, personally rescuing wounded men and repelling enemy advances despite heavy fire.

He was a bulwark, unyielding amid chaos:

"In the face of overwhelming machine-gun fire, Sergeant Major Daly continued to lead and inspire his men, refusing to yield ground."

His citation shows valor bagged from the jaws of death.

The Warrior Poised in Service

Daly’s medals never made him proud. He was a Marine’s Marine—grizzled, plain-speaking, fiercely loyal.

When asked about his two Medals of Honor, he shrugged:

"We do not rise to the occasion; we sink to the level of our training."

That was Daly—no glory hog, just a man who believed discipline and faith counted more than medals. A man who knew every scar had a story—some stories that death did not claim.

Generations of Marines remember Daly as the embodiment of fearless leadership: a reminder that courage is a choice made every damn day in blood and sweat.

Legacy of the Unbreakable

Sgt. Major Daniel Joseph Daly died in 1937. His legend did not fade.

He is one of only three American servicemen ever awarded two Medals of Honor for combat valor. But his true legacy isn’t the metal pinned to his chest. It’s the unrelenting spirit to stand firm when the world falls apart.

Daly’s life is a testament that heroism is grit paired with heart—not just chance or circumstance.

In a time when the cost of sacrifice is too often forgotten, his words thunder louder:

“There aren't any good shots.” — Daniel Daly, on the bitter truth of war's toll²

The warrior’s road is littered with broken bodies and shattered dreams. Yet through the ashes shines the possibility of redemption — forged in faith and the brotherhood of battle.

“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” — 1 Corinthians 16:13

Daly’s story is a blood-stained beacon. For every soldier who’ll wear the uniform, for every civilian who honors the cost: the fight isn’t done. The scars we carry. The sacrifices remembered. The faith that keeps us moving forward, even when hell rains down.

Because courage is not born from medals, but from the soul who dares to stand when hope flickers low.

Sources

1. Historical Division, U.S. Marine Corps, "Sergeant Major Daniel J. Daly" 2. Perry, John. "Daniel Daly – The Man Even Marines Worship," Marine Corps Gazette, 1999 3. "Medal of Honor Recipients, 1863-2013," U.S. Army Center of Military History