Sgt. Major Daniel J. Daly Twice Awarded the Medal of Honor

Dec 10 , 2025

Sgt. Major Daniel J. Daly Twice Awarded the Medal of Honor

Sgt. Major Daniel Joseph Daly stood at the razor’s edge of chaos with a rifle in one hand and an unyielding will in the other. Blood soaked the earth beneath his boots, but his eyes never wavered—not in China’s streets ablaze in 1900, and not in the muddy trenches of France two decades later. He was the iron spine of the Corps when everything else was falling apart.

The Making of a Warrior

Born in Brooklyn, 1873, Daly came from rugged roots where steel met sweat. The son of working-class immigrants, he earned his stripes through sheer grit and absolute loyalty. Faith was his compass. Raised Catholic, his prayers were whispered in foxholes and trenches alike.

“God loves a fighter,” he once said. For Daly, honor wasn't a neat word—it was bloodied flesh, a rough code etched into memory. The Marine Corps became his family. It demanded sacrifice. It shaped a soldier who could hold his ground when none should stand.

“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been tried, he will receive the crown of life...” — James 1:12

The Boxer Rebellion: Valor in the Firestorm

In 1900, the Boxer Rebellion erupted in China. Daly’s unit was part of the multinational relief force marching into Beijing to rescue besieged diplomats. The streets were a war zone—natives armed with deadly intent, foreign powers scrambling for footing.

Amid sniper fire and barricades, Daly made his mark. He hauled a wounded comrade through open ground on two separate occasions. Twice he braved bullets and bayonets that would’ve stopped lesser men.

His Medal of Honor citation is stark:

“For distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy in China... he distinguished himself by his heroic conduct.”

Not once, but twice—Daly would earn the nation’s highest military decoration for separate acts of gallantry, first in 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion and again in 1918 on the brutal battlefields of France. That rare double-etched honor signals a warrior both fearless and consistent under fire.[¹]

The Great War: Fighting the War to End All Wars

World War I threw Daly into hellhide trenches—mud, blood, and endless artillery. As a Sergeant Major, he wasn’t just a fighter; he was the backbone for younger Marines caught in the carnage.

In the Battle of Belleau Wood, 1918, American forces faced near annihilation at the hands of German machine guns. That’s where Daly’s legend took on mythic proportions. “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” he roared, rallying Marines to savage charges against entrenched enemies.

His leadership wasn’t just about fury; it was tactical will. Leading by example, Daly pushed forward through withering machine-gun fire, driving back an advance that could have broken the entire line.

A fellow Marine later said, “Daly was the one who gave us courage when everything else failed.”

Recognition Under Fire

Daly’s second Medal of Honor came for his heroism on October 26, 1918, near Blanc Mont, France.[²] His citation highlights his “extraordinary heroism while attached to the 6th Regiment (Marines, 2nd Division, A.E.F.).” Facing heavy enemy fire and with no regard for his own life, he managed to inspire and lead his men into position against seemingly impossible odds.

Two Medals of Honor. One rare Corps career. Someone once wrote that Daly was “the Marine’s Marine—every bit of hard and steady as a ship’s hull in storm.”

Above rank or medals, he earned respect because he never stopped grinding down the enemy or shielding his brothers in arms.

Legacy Etched in Valor

Daly’s battle scars tell stories far beyond medals. In the annals of Marine Corps history, his name reverberates as a symbol of relentless courage, unshakeable faith, and fierce leadership.

His life teaches this: Valor isn’t a moment; it’s a lifetime commitment. It’s showing up when fear claws at your guts. It’s risking everything for the man beside you. It’s walking through hell knowing the real fight is for legacy—not medals, but for those who come after.

“For though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil, for You are with us...” — Psalm 23:4

Sgt. Major Daniel Joseph Daly died in 1937. His story isn’t just battlefield glory; it’s the pulse of sacrifice and redemption steady in every Marine’s soul.

No man gets to write his story clean or easy. Daly’s blood stains every line—proof that courage carved in fire outlasts the fleeting roar of battle.

Let every fallen brother’s sacrifice remind you: to stand, to fight, to endure… that is how we live forever.

Sources

[1] U.S. Marine Corps History Division – “Daniel J. Daly, Two-Time Medal of Honor Recipient” [2] Medal of Honor Recipients 1863-1918, U.S. Army Center of Military History