Sgt. Maj. Daniel Daly, Marine Twice Awarded the Medal of Honor

Dec 07 , 2025

Sgt. Maj. Daniel Daly, Marine Twice Awarded the Medal of Honor

Blood on the Ground. Silence broken by the rising sun. Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly stands unflinching amid chaos. The enemy surges close. His rifle empty. With bare hands, he charges. No hesitation. No retreat. Just fierce, raw will. This moment cements a legend forged in fire and grit.

The Making of a Warrior

Born in Glen Cove, New York, 1873, Daniel Daly came from humble roots. A tough neighborhood, a tough family—no silver spoons, only iron discipline and sweat. He enlisted in the Marine Corps at seventeen, swallowing the oath like a promise to never back down.

Faith wasn’t mere words for Daly; it was armor. Raised Catholic, he leaned into scripture as a soldier leans on his rifle. “Fight the good fight of faith,” echoed quietly in his mind long before battle calls. His code was carved from duty, sacrifice, and loyalty to his fellow Marines.

He was no mythic hero wrapped in glory. Daly was grit in flesh and bone—a man shaped by the crucible of hard training and harder truths.

The Boxer Rebellion: The First Medal of Honor

In 1900, China’s Boxer Rebellion tore through foreign legations in Peking. Daly found himself in the maelstrom. Surrounded by hostile forces, his unit was stormed day and night.

During the siege, Daly’s courage became a beacon. When the Chinese forces launched an overwhelming assault on the legations, Daly took initiative.

He singlehandedly rushed a breach, firing his rifle until empty before drawing his pistol and leading counterattacks. Accounts say he “fought like a demon”, driving back waves of attackers and saving lives.

For his “extraordinary heroism” in action, Daly earned his first Medal of Honor—a rare achievement for any Marine at the time[^1]. Not for glory but because the fight demanded it. He stood his ground when others faltered.

The Great War: Valor Reborn

Fourteen years later, Daniel Daly faced a new hell: the trenches of World War I. By then, Sergeant Major Daly was seasoned combat leadership incarnate. He bore the scars and tales of earlier wars but never the bitterness.

In 1918, at the Battle of Belleau Wood, under brutal artillery and machine-gun fire, American forces fought desperately to halt the German advance.

Daly’s men were pinned down, casualties mounting. With his usual resolve, Daly moved forward, rallying his Marines. When enemy forces nearly overran his position, Daly again chose to fight man-to-man.

Reports describe how he gathered grenades, climbed on a fallen horse, and charged the Germans, yelling orders through the gunfire. His aggressive spirit turned the tide when it seemed lost.

This led to Daly’s second Medal of Honor, making him one of the few Marines ever awarded twice[^2]. A witness recalled, “Daly led by example—he was the kind of man who made you fight harder just by standing there.”

A Warrior’s Recognition

Two Medals of Honor. Service ribbons embroidered with sacrifice. But Daly wore his decorations quietly—never boasting, never seeking applause.

He rose through the ranks to Sergeant Major—the highest enlisted grade and a symbol of leadership earned in combat and respect.

His citations speak only for facts: extraordinary heroism in combat. Yet comrades remembered him as “the heart of the Corps,” a man who embodied the warrior’s burden and the leader’s responsibility.

Private Marines looked up to him. Officers counted on him. Journalists and historians captured his deeds. But the true measure lay where medals could not reach: the lives saved, the battles won, the steadfast courage in face of death.

Legacy Written in Blood and Faith

Daly’s story is not one of myth but redemption. His scars—visible and invisible—tell of the cost of courage. Of faith tested in the fiery crucible of war. “Blessed be the peacemakers,” yes, but free men are forged by those who stand unyielding in the storm.

He once said, “Old Contemptibles never die.” The phrase became a battle cry, not just for Marines, but for every soldier who understands that valor does not fade with years—it burns deeper.

Sgt. Maj. Daniel J. Daly’s life is a testament to the raw pulse of sacrifice and the abiding power of purpose. He fought battles no man should ever have to face, yet in every fight, he chose to stand and live for something greater. His legacy calls us all to that harder path.

To stand when fear claws at your throat. To lead when no one else will. To carry the burden of the fight—for freedom, for brothers, for honor, and for a peace only earned through the courage of those who dare.

“I pity the man who dies before he has lived.” — Sgt. Maj. Daniel J. Daly[^3]

Sources

[^1]: Marine Corps History Division – Medal of Honor Recipients, Boxer Rebellion (1900) [^2]: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command – Belleau Wood and Medal of Honor Citations (WWI) [^3]: “The Fighting Marines” by Edward S. Johnston (Naval Institute Press)