Sergeant Major Daniel Daly, Two-Time Medal of Honor Marine

Feb 05 , 2026

Sergeant Major Daniel Daly, Two-Time Medal of Honor Marine

That’s the kind of man who stands unflinching amidst the chaos, clutching the line when all else screams retreat. Sergeant Major Daniel Joseph Daly didn’t just fight wars—he embodied a warrior’s soul, a relic forged by fire and tempered in the blood of brotherhood. Twice awarded the Medal of Honor, his scars tell a story of relentless valor few deserve to hear, let alone live.

A Warrior Forged: Background & Faith

Born in Glen Cove, New York, 1873, Daniel Daly grew up rough and raw, with early years spent on the docks among stolid laborers and tough sailors. Not much was given freely—everything was wrested through grit. His faith, rooted in a working-class Catholic upbringing, was a quiet anchor beneath the storm. Daly’s piety wasn’t loud; it was in the measured truth of his actions, a warrior’s refrain of service and duty.

“Blessed is the man who endures trial,” echoes the words of James 1:12—words that seemed to pulse through Daly’s veins in every firefight.

He enlisted in the Marines in 1899, carrying with him the ethos of self-sacrifice and fierce loyalty. His life wasn’t about medals or glory—it was about unrelenting responsibility to the men beside him and the cause ahead.

The Boxer Rebellion: Cementing a Legend

It was during the Boxer Rebellion in China, 1900, when Daly first etched his name into the annals of Marine Corps history. The Allied Legation Quarter was under relentless siege by a tide of hostiles. Daly, then a private, manned a crucial defensive position, directing fire, rallying fellow Marines, and refusing to yield an inch despite overwhelming odds.

As the night stretched thin and ammunition flickered low, still Daly stood—not as a lone hero, but as the bulwark guarding hope. His Medal of Honor citation credits him with “exceptionally distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy.”^1

The Fierce Battlefield of Belleau Wood

World War I would test Daly’s mettle a second time—before a hellscape soaked in mud, blood, and machine-gun fire on the fields of Belleau Wood, France, 1918.

By then a hardened Sergeant Major, his role transcended orders. He breathed discipline, courage, and defiance into every Marine’s soul. His leadership was ferocious yet steady as steel, holding the line against German counterattacks that could have broken lesser men.

Accounts from his peers paint a man who charged fear itself. His famed quote—“Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?”—rang like a battle cry across the woodlands, galvanizing his men to face death with grim jests and sharper purpose.^2

Despite facing waves of enemy fire, Daly maintained position, organized countercharges, and refused to bend. The Silver Star and his second Medal of Honor are testimony, but the true measure was in the blood of his comrades who survived because he refused to yield.

Honors and Brothers in Arms

Daniel Daly remains one of the rare few to earn two Medals of Honor—a distinction for acts of extraordinary heroism not once but twice in different wars. His first citation reads:

“For distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy during the action of 13 July 1900.”^1

His second, earned at Belleau Wood, cites:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as Sergeant Major, 6th Marine Regiment."^3

General John A. Lejeune called Daly “the outstanding non-commissioned officer of the 6th Marines.”

Fellow Marines revered him not only for his combat prowess but for his unshakable integrity. The man moved among the wounded and the dying alike—never turning his back on the fallen.

Legacy Etched in Blood and Honor

To know Daly’s legacy is to understand sacrifice beyond the medal ribbon or battlefield story. His life stretches beyond valor—it is a testimony of steadfast spirit, a living scripture etched in flesh and grit.

He reminds us war is not about glory but about men—flawed, fearless, fighting. Perfect bravery is rare. But relentless courage, born from faith and fierce loyalty, endures.

“No soldier ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making some other poor dumb bastard die for his country.” — attributed to SgtMaj Daniel Daly^4

That brutal honesty draws a line from old wounds to present battlefields, reminding veterans and civilians alike of the cost buried beneath our liberties.

In a world eager to forget the lessons scorched into foreign soils, Daniel Joseph Daly’s life calls us back. Not as myth or hero worship, but as a sacred reminder that redemption lies in standing tall when darkness closes in, and that true honor is paid in the currency of sacrifice.

“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

Daly walked through hell and back with that promise clenched tight—and left a legacy no war, no time, can erase.

Sources

1. U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Recipients – Boxer Rebellion 2. Alexander, Joseph H., The Battle of Belleau Wood, Naval Institute Press 3. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients WWI 4. Quoted in Simmons, Edwin H., The United States Marines: A History