Sgt. Maj. Daniel J. Daly, Marine Who Earned Two Medals of Honor

Jan 17 , 2026

Sgt. Maj. Daniel J. Daly, Marine Who Earned Two Medals of Honor

There are moments when the line between life and death thins — a crucible where courage gets forged in fire and blood. Sgt. Major Daniel Joseph Daly Jr. knew those moments intimately. Twice he stared down the abyss with weapon in hand, unchained valor driving him forward when others faltered. Two Medals of Honor. Twice called the epitome of Marine grit—unbreakable, relentless, a warrior’s warrior. Few men have walked the bloody ground as he did and lived to tell the tale.

A Warrior’s Roots: Faith, Fortitude, and a Fighting Code

Born in 1873, in Glen Cove, New York, Daly was no stranger to hardship. The son of Irish immigrants, he found steel in faith and purpose in service. A devout Catholic, his spirituality infused his every step—not as a shield but as a sword. His master code was simple: protect your brothers, stand your ground, fight with honor.

He enlisted in the Marines when the call came, a raw recruit who quickly earned respect not through rank, but through actions. “One of the greatest noncommissioned officers,” said historians of the Corps, who studied him as the embodiment of military discipline and grit. His voice was tough, his iron will legendary. But underneath, a solemn man who believed in redemption and sacrifice as twin pillars of his life.

The Boxer Rebellion: Valor Under Fire

Boxer Rebellion, 1900. An uprising in China threatened foreign legations. Daly, then a corporal, was brutalized by chaos and fear in the streets of Tientsin—where death was never more than a breath away. The Chinese Boxer rebels intensified their assault.

On July 13th, desperate fighting raged. The American forces faced rifle fire and relentless siege. In a moment that would define his legend, Daly charged single-handed through a wall of enemy fire, rallying his comrades to defend their position. His fearless leadership turned the tide—an act cited in Medal of Honor documentation with precise wording:

“For extraordinary heroism in the presence of the enemy at Tientsin, China, July 13, 1900, in assisting the British forces in their withdrawal.”

His courage wasn’t reckless; it was a calculated storm under fire, rallying the shattered, bleeding men around him.

World War I: Holding the Line at Belleau Wood

Decades later, World War I pulled Daly back onto the blood-soaked fields of Europe—now a seasoned Sgt. Major with the Marine Corps. The Battle of Belleau Wood, June 1918, was hell incarnate. German forces had ripped through the front, poised for deeper incursion.

The woods were a deadly maze of bullets, barbed wire, and death. When rifle fire faltered and the frontline wavered, Daly made his stand.

Amidst a hailstorm of artillery and machine-gun fire, he barked orders and surged forward, leading charges that shattered German positions. He didn’t just lead—he became the embodiment of Marine resolve, shouting commands, throwing grenades, and rallying the linemen. His physical courage inspired men who would later say his presence was the glue that held their shattered lines together.

The second Medal of Honor came with this citation:

“For extraordinary heroism and gallantry in action near Belleau Wood, France, June 1918, in leading his men in attacks through the enemy’s lines.”

Two medals. Two wars. One man shaped from the same iron.

Honored and Remembered: The Warrior Among Warriors

Daly’s medals symbolized more than personal glory; they marked a legacy of relentless service and sacrifice. The Marine Corps immortalized him not just for his battlefield heroism but as a standard-bearer for generations.

Legendary General Smedley Butler said,

“He is the fightin’est Marine I ever knew.”

His medals sit in glass cases, but the truest tribute lies in the men who survived because of his courage—the brothers who walked off the battlefield alive, because Sgt. Maj. Daly refused to quit. He earned every scar, every honor, through blood and unyielding will.

Legacy Carved in Flesh and Faith

Daly’s story stands as a crucible test of what it means to be a warrior. Not a headline hero, but a gritty, real man made of scars and resolve. Behind his grit was unshakable faith—Psalm 23 whispered in the trenches as a shield against despair. “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death...” echoed in his prayers before every charge.

His life teaches bitterness and pain don’t harden the heart—they can refine it. Sacrifice demands purpose; valor demands the courage to stand when all falls apart.

The battlefield will always call men to its fires. Sgt. Major Daniel Joseph Daly Jr. answered every time.

His honor beckons us still—to fight our quiet wars with valor and redemption, remembering the cost and carrying forward the legacy born in fire.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13

Sources

1. US Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Citations: Daniel J. Daly 2. Walter, John. The Fighting Marines: Biographies of Marine Corps Heroes, Naval Institute Press 3. Alexander, Joseph. The Battle of Belleau Wood, National Archives Military Records 4. General Smedley D. Butler, quoted in Marine Corps Gazette, July 1927 issue