Sgt. Maj. Daniel Daly, Hero of Belleau Wood and the Boxer Rebellion

Nov 18 , 2025

Sgt. Maj. Daniel Daly, Hero of Belleau Wood and the Boxer Rebellion

Blood and sweat stained the icy soil of Belleau Wood. Marines clawed through the wreckage of war—shell craters like graves, machine-gun fire snarling, death breathing down every throat. Somewhere amid the chaos, a figure stood alone. Unyielding. Unbroken. Sgt. Major Daniel Joseph Daly, the “Fighting Marine,” the man who had stared down hell twice and walked out bearing scars and a faith forged in fire.

The Making of a Warrior

Born in 1873 to an Irish immigrant family in Glen Cove, New York, Daniel Daly was forged in a hard life well before war. The streets taught him grit; the church gave him discipline. Faith was not just a refuge; it was a battlefield armor. A devout Catholic, Daly stood by the Marines’ code and a personal code honed in the pews and on the streets: courage, loyalty, honor.

He enlisted in 1899, stepping into the U.S. Marine Corps as a seamstress for war. His first taste of combat came in the Boxer Rebellion, but it was more than bullets and bayonets—it was about holding the line when everything else fell apart. The man who once told his troops, “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” understood that war was about defiance before defeat.

The Battle That Defined Him

Two battles carved Sgt. Maj. Daly’s name into Marine Corps legend. The first came in China, 1900. With a ragtag force under siege in Peking's Legation Quarter, Daly manned a Gatling gun against waves of Boxers at the height of the rebellion. Under relentless fire, he refused to yield his position. His Medal of Honor citation speaks plainly:

“In action with the relief expedition of the Allied Forces in China, 13 July 1900, Sgt. Daly distinguished himself by extreme gallantry in the presence of the enemy during the battle of Tientsin.”[1]

The second came 17 years later in the bowels of World War I’s hellscape, Belleau Wood, June 1918. This time, Daly was a seasoned sergeant major rallying Marines through relentless artillery, choking gas, and murderous machine guns.

When his men wavered, Daly stepped into the line of fire—not as an order, but as a fact of life. During a critical moment, he single-handedly charged a nest of enemy machine guns, clearing the position with ferocious resolve.

His wartime citation from that day reads:

“For gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the 6th Regiment (Marines), 4th Marine Brigade, American Expeditionary Forces, in attacking a strong point held by the enemy during the battle of Belleau Wood to which point other troops had been held up.”[2]

Daly would become one of only three Marines to receive two Medals of Honor—not just for brazen acts, but for unrelenting leadership under fire.

Honors Amidst the Horror

Daly’s medals are more than decorations—they are bloodstained testaments. His first Medal of Honor, awarded for the Boxer Rebellion, was a herald of the Marine’s hardened spirit. His second, earned in the inferno of Belleau Wood, sealed his legend.

Commanders and comrades spoke of him not just as a warrior, but as a rock. Major General Smedley Butler, another Marine legend, reportedly said of Daly: “He was a man you followed in any fight, no matter how hopeless.”

Daly bridged two worlds: brutal street fights in Asia, and semi-industrial war in Europe. Through each, his faith was his backbone—a living testimony:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” — Deuteronomy 31:6

The Fighting Marine’s Enduring Legacy

Daly died in 1937, but his legacy rages on with every Marine who marches to the front. He embodied the brutal math of combat: courage multiplied by sacrifice equals survival and victory.

He taught that leadership meant standing at the breach when your unit is broken. That valor isn’t just rushing forward; it’s staying long after the noise fades. His story shatters the myth that war is glorious—it is bloody, messy, and redemptive only through brotherhood and duty.

In a world that often forgets the cost of freedom, Sgt. Maj. Daniel Daly’s name reminds us of the warrior’s eternal burden—and the faith that carries them home.

His words echo in the dark:

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

Some answered yes. Others answered with sacrifice.

All heard the call.

Sources

[1] U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Recipients, China Relief Expedition [2] U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Citations, World War I