Sergeant Major Daniel J. Daly, Marine with Two Medals of Honor

Nov 06 , 2025

Sergeant Major Daniel J. Daly, Marine with Two Medals of Honor

Smack of lead on leather. Smoke thick as an enemy’s breath. In the chaos, a man stands fast, shouting orders beneath torrents of fire, bare fists and iron will. Somewhere between hell’s roar and whispered prayers, Sgt. Major Daniel Joseph Daly earned more than medals. He earned legend.

From Brooklyn’s Streets to Marine Corps Steel

Born in 1873, Daniel Daly grew up in Brooklyn, New York—a rough city of grit and grind. No silver spoon, just hard knocks and hard lessons. The streets were his first battlefield, shaping an unyielding spirit fueled by faith and fierce loyalty.

Daly was a devout Catholic, a man whose backbone was as much forged by scripture as by steel. He carried the weight of duty like a cross, living Romans 5:3–4:

“...tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

His code was clear—stand firm. Lead with courage. Protect those beside you, whatever hell broke loose. The Corps found a warrior, but Daly’s soul was forged beyond the uniform.

The Boxer Rebellion: A Baptism by Fire

In 1900, the Marines were deployed to China for the Boxer Rebellion—a brutal siege in the legation quarter of Peking. Daly was a Sergeant then, raw but unbreakable.

When American and allied forces fought to relieve trapped diplomats, Daly moved forward into the inferno. It was on July 13, 1900, that he performed an act burned into Marine Corps history.

With enemy fire raining down, Daly grabbed the regimental colors and planted them firmly on the wall—twice. His fearless stand rallied the men during a desperate assault. The Medal of Honor citation lauds his “distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy.”

Two decades later, he would earn the same honor again. Twice a Medal of Honor recipient—a rarity etched deep in Marine Corps legend.

“Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?”

That’s not a Hollywood line. That’s Daniel Daly.

In 1918, on the fields of Belleau Wood, France, World War I had descended into hell. German forces breached the line; Marines were pinned down under relentless machine-gun fire.

Daly was there. Sgt. Major Daly. No longer a greenhorn but a hardened warrior. When German soldiers fixed bayonets to close in on his men, Daly leapt to his feet and shouted to rally the Marines around him:

“Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?”

Charging with a trench knife, he attacked the enemy position single-handedly. His valor stopped the enemy and saved many U.S. lives.

For that action and his consistent extraordinary heroism, he received a second Medal of Honor. No embellishment needed—just facts carved into military archives^1^.

Recognition That Veils Relentless Sacrifice

Two Medals of Honor. A Navy Cross. The respect of comrades and commanders alike. But Daly’s story wasn’t about ribbons or ribbons alone—it was about the men who fought and died beside him.

Gen. John A. Lejeune called Daly a “natural leader of men.” Fellow Marines trusted him like family. Daly’s legacy was less about glory, more about bearing the scars of leadership and the burden of survival.

He rose to Sergeant Major, the highest enlisted rank, embodying the Marine ideal: “Semper Fidelis”—Always Faithful. Through brutal campaigns, through war’s nightmares, he kept that sacred loyalty.

His legacy is stitched with the blood, mud, and faith of a warrior who never turned his back on the fight—or his brothers in arms.

Enduring Lessons from a Warrior’s Path

Daly’s story is not a tale of mythic heroics. It is a testament to human grit—and grace under fire. Courage is not the absence of fear but the refusal to be paralyzed by it.

He showed that leadership is not the flash of medals, but the quiet resolve to face death and still lead others forward.

In a world too often seduced by comfort, Daly’s life reminds us of sacrifice… of the cost paid for every breath of freedom.

There is redemption in scars. Honor in faith. And when all else fades, legacy remains.

“Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles...” —Isaiah 40:31

Daly soared on wings built in the crucible of blood and fire. His story challenges us—all veterans, civilians alike—to carry forward that sacred flame. To remember what it means to fight not for glory, but for those who stand beside you.

Sources

1. Marine Corps History Division, Two-Time Medal of Honor Recipients: Sgt. Maj. Daniel J. Daly 2. U.S. Navy Department, Medal of Honor Citation Records 1900 & 1918 3. Alexander, Joseph H., Marine Corps Fight at Belleau Wood, Naval Institute Press 4. Lejeune, John A., The Reminiscences of General John A. Lejeune, USMC Historical Archives