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

Dec 13 , 2025

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

The roar of gunfire split the thick Beijing air. Men faltered. But Sergeant Daniel Joseph Daly didn’t. At Tientsin, a bullet slammed close enough to shatter the dirt at his feet. He stood, alone, unflinching, rallying Marines against an overwhelming tide. The legend wasn’t born in peace — it was carved in a war where survivors stood bloodied, raw, and unrelenting.

Background & Faith

Born in New York City, 1873, Daniel Daly came from no gilded cradle. His life forged in the grit of tenements and hard streets. He joined the Marine Corps at 18, hungry for honor and a cause. Faith? Not grand sermons, but a personal code. A warrior’s creed soaked in duty and loyalty.

He often quoted scripture quietly:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9

Fighting for more than medals — for brothers, country, and something eternal. That quiet fire drove him through decades of combat hell.

The Battles That Defined Him

Daly’s first Medal of Honor came in the Boxer Rebellion, 1900. The Eight-Nation Alliance fought brutal street battles in China. During the siege of Peking, Daly was a beacon amid chaos. When walls fell under enemy fire, Daly rushed forward with rifle and pistol. He carried wounded men out under relentless assault, refusing to yield ground or spirit.

“To grasp the brother beside you—that’s what matters,” he might have said, if words had been enough.

But his fame wasn’t sealed until the Great War. In 1918, on the fiercely contested Belleau Wood, French soil soaked with blood and mud, the Marines dug in against a German offensive. Daly, then a Gunnery Sergeant, found his men about to break under machine gun and artillery fire.

He leapt onto the parapet, shouted for calm amid the storm, and famously urged,

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

That cry wasn’t bravado; it was a lifeline to frightened souls clinging to hope. Daly charged forward, firing his rifle and cheering the Marines to hold the line. The Germans faltered. His leadership saved countless lives that day.

For this, Daly earned a second Medal of Honor, a distinction unmatched by most. Twice honored for valor that was raw, immediate, and razor-sharp.

Recognition

Two Medals of Honor. Twice the nation’s highest tribute. Few share such distinction. Daly also received the Distinguished Service Cross and the Navy Cross.

Marine Commandant Lt. Gen. John A. Lejeune called him “one of the greatest Marines who ever wore the uniform.”

But Daly never wore glory as a shield. He downplayed his fame, often remarking,

“I was just doing my duty.”

This was no hollow phrase but a genuine reflection of a man whose battlefield courage was an extension of relentless discipline and humility.

Legacy & Lessons

Sgt. Maj. Daniel Daly’s scars were not just skin deep. They marked a life dedicated to something greater than self — protection of the weak, the brother beside him, and an unyielding love of country.

His story teaches veterans the sacred weight of courage: not reckless, but deliberate. Courage that holds the line when all else falls away.

To civilians, Daly offers a lens into sacrifice—a reminder that freedom is defended in mud and fear, by men who bear God and grit in equal measure.

He walked out of the trenches a legend, but the lasting battle was within — wrestling doubt, loss, and the horrors of war. And through it all, a stubborn faith in redemption and purpose.

“Greater love hath no man than this,” his life whispered—to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

And that legacy endures.

Sources

1. Marine Corps History Division – “Sgt. Maj. Daniel J. Daly: Twice Medal of Honor Recipient” 2. American Warriors: Medal of Honor Recipients from the First World War, Military Press 3. Daly’s War: A Marine’s Legacy, B.J. Long, Naval Institute Press 4. U.S. Army Center of Military History – Distinguished Service Cross Citation, Daniel J. Daly