Two-Time Medal of Honor Marine Daniel J. Daly at Belleau Wood

Dec 19 , 2025

Two-Time Medal of Honor Marine Daniel J. Daly at Belleau Wood

The roar of gunfire swallowed the night, but Sgt. Maj. Daniel J. Daly stood unflinching. Alone or with handfuls of Marines, he faced death like an old friend—undaunted, relentless. Through mud thick as blood, and enemy lines closing in, Daly’s grit defined a generation of warriors.

Raised to Stand

Born in 1873 to Irish immigrant parents in Glen Cove, New York, Daniel Daly was forged in a furnace of struggle and faith. The streets weren’t kind. The campfires where old tales of valor burned bright shaped his code: stand your ground, protect your brothers, never flinch.

He found refuge in the Marine Corps at 17. The Corps became his gospel—brotherhood, honor, sacrifice. A devout Catholic, Daly carried his faith like armor, quoting scripture where others might curse.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.” — Matthew 5:9

This verse echoed in his mind, even as bullets sang death’s lullaby. Peace was an ideal, given shape only by those willing to pay the ultimate price.

The Boxer Rebellion and First Medal of Honor

In 1900, the Boxer Rebellion ignited in China—an anti-foreigner uprising spiraling into savage street warfare. Marines were dispatched to protect US interests and their embattled allies. Daly, a corporal then, proved himself a warrior of stark courage.

At Tientsin, surrounded by carnage, he led his squad into the fray. The enemy closed in. Darkness and smoke choked the city streets. The order was to hold ground no matter the cost.

Against this backdrop, Daly performed acts that would tattoo his name into Marine Corps history. His Medal of Honor citation reads:

“Distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in battle near Tientsin, China, July 13, 1900, in action against the Boxers.”

He braved machine-gun fire, led charges, and rallied Marines when the line threatened collapse. “Old Marine Dan,” they called him, a shield wall in human form.

The Battle That Defined Him: Belleau Wood

Fast forward 17 years to 1918—Belleau Wood, France. The Great War’s slaughterhouse. The Marines faced German waves in a maze of trees and hellish trenches.

Sgt. Maj. Daniel Daly, now seasoned and hardened beyond measure, watched his men battered by artillery. The enemy was relentless, and retreat impossible.

It was here that Daly famously uttered words immortalized in Marine legend:

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

The cry cut through the smoke, soul-firing courage into weary hearts. Acting as a platoon sergeant, Daly led a counterattack through sniper fire, rain of shells, and poison gas.

His Second Medal of Honor citation reads:

“For extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty during operations against the enemy near Bouresches, France, June 6–7, 1918.”

He held the line. No swagger. No bravado. Just steel and a relentless will to protect his men.

Beyond the Medals: Respect from Brothers in Arms

Two Medals of Honor. Rare. Twice earned under bullets and fire.

But what mattered most was the respect of his men. “Daly was the strongest rock in our defense,” said fellow Marine, Capt. Lloyd W. Williams. “He never asked a man to do what he wouldn’t do himself.”

His leadership was not born of rank alone but sacrifice and example. He paid his dues in blood, sweat, and sleepless nights. Bronze and silver medals hung on his chest, but his true decorations were the lives he saved and the legacy he left.

Lessons Etched in Blood and Faith

Daly’s story is not one of glory—it is one of duty carved deeply into flesh.

Heroism is not a moment; it’s a lifetime.

He reminds us that courage is raw, gritty, and sometimes quiet. You don’t have to wear a medal to live with valor. You just have to stand when others fall.

He lived by a creed older than the Corps itself: protect your brothers, serve with honor, and carry your faith between the thunder of guns and the silence after.

His life echoes Proverbs 21:31:

“The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord.”

Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly carried the legacy of the warrior as a sacred flame. His scars were testament—not wounds to hide but marks of honor. To know him is to understand that the true battlefield is inside—the fight to keep faith, hope, and courage alive long after the guns fall silent.

This is the heart of a Marine. The spirit that lives on, long after the smoke clears.

Sources

1. US Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Recipients: Daniel J. Daly 2. Walter G. Dawson, Jr., Two Medal of Honor Men, History and Museums Division, USMC 3. Allan R. Millett & Peter Maslowski, For the Common Defense: A Military History of the United States from 1607 to 2012 4. Jon T. Hoffman, The Marines at Belleau Wood: The Battle That Defined America’s Corps