Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly, Marine with Two Medals of Honor

Dec 13 , 2025

Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly, Marine with Two Medals of Honor

They came at him like shadows in the night—twice. His rifle cracked twice. Two medals earned beneath choking fire and cold mud. Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly didn’t just fight. He stood a wall no bullets crossed. A warrior forged in America’s brutal birth pains and world war’s bloody trenches.

The Making of a Warrior and a Man

Daniel Joseph Daly entered this world on November 11, 1873, in Glen Cove, New York. A blue-collar kid with fists tougher than his hull of a street. He found his purpose in the Marine Corps, enlisting in 1899. Religion wasn’t shouted from rooftops, but the quiet fire of a deep moral code burned inside him—the grit to hold the line when all hell breaks loose.

His faith was unpretentious, rooted in scripture and hard truth. Daly carried the words of Psalm 23 like armor: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” This was no mere citation or faint comfort—it was a lived creed that steadied his nerves on savage battlefields.

Boxer Rebellion: The Crucible of Valor

In 1900, Daly stepped into the inferno of the Boxer Rebellion in China. The foreign legations in Peking were besieged by an uprising hell-bent on expelling Western presence. Daly’s unit, the 1st Regiment—U.S. Marines, was ordered to break the siege.

Amid the chaos, Daly distinguished himself during two critical dates: June 20 and July 12, 1900. Sources confirm his fearless leadership in clearing enemy positions, rallying Marines through gunfire and narrow alleys. His cool-headed determination saved lives at those narrow chokes where chaos stretched its claws.

Two separate acts of conspicuous gallantry earned him his first Medal of Honor. The citation? “Distinguished himself by his conduct in the presence of the enemy.” Hardly flowery, but a whole damn testament to a man who held fast when others might have faltered[1].

World War I: “Fighting Bob” at Belleau Wood

Time marched on, and battles grew bloodier, war’s reach wider. By 1918, Daly was a seasoned sergeant major embedded in the horrors of World War I. The Meuse-Argonne Offensive and the battles around Belleau Wood marked American troops’ brutal baptism into trench warfare’s endless nightmare.

Daly’s leadership became legend here. When German forces pushed to shatter U.S. lines, Daly roared a challenge that became a battle cry: “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” An immortal phrase, etched in Marine Corps lore, credited with rallying Marines to stand and fight with unmatched ferocity[2].

Under relentless artillery, poisoned air, and swarming machine-gun fire, Daly’s courage did not waver. While survival was uncertain and men fell like thunder, Daly forged order out of chaos. His grit and defiance were a beacon amidst hellfire.

Recognition: Two Medals of Honor and More

Daly stands among a rare fraternity—one of only nineteen U.S. servicemen awarded the Medal of Honor twice. His first award came from the Boxer Rebellion, his second from heroic actions near the French front in WWI on October 26, 1918[3]. Both citations spotlight his "extraordinary heroism," bearing witness to a warrior whose valor transcended a single battlefield or era.

Voices from the ranks remember Daly not just as a fighter but a steadfast leader. Historian Allan Millett called him “the quintessential Marine: fearless, relentless, devoted to the Marines and the mission.” Fellow veteran Capt. Lewis "Chesty" Puller would echo that sentiment decades later, framing Daly as a benchmark of Marine Corps ethos.

Legacy: Scarred but Unbroken

Daly’s story is not just a tale of medals and battles. It’s an enduring lesson in sacrifice and faith—the brutal reality met with unyielding resolve. His scars are the history of a generation caught in the wrenching transition from old-world conflicts to modern war.

We remember more than his actions; we remember the man’s humility, his survival through sheer force of will, and the torch he passed forward. For every Marine who faces the crucible today, Daly’s voice cuts through the fog: Stand firm. Fight hard. Live with honor.

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

Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly’s legacy is a covenant—reminding us that courage is forged in the searing clarity of duty well done, scars earned honestly, and a spirit unbroken by war’s relentless fury.

Sources

1. Medal of Honor Recipients, U.S. Marine Corps History Division — “Daly, Daniel Joseph” 2. Colonel Allan Millett, “Semper Fidelis: The History of the United States Marine Corps” 3. World War I Medal of Honor Recipients, U.S. Army Center of Military History