Daniel Daly

Daniel Joseph Daly
November 11, 1873(1873-11-11) – April 27, 1937 (aged 63)
Dan Daly, two-time Medal of Honor recipient
Place of birth	Glen Cove, New York
Place of death	Glendale, Queens, New York
Place of burial	Cypress Hills National Cemetery, New York
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Marine Corps
Years of service	1899-1929
Rank	Sergeant Major
Unit	5th Marines
Battles/wars	Boxer Rebellion *Battle of Peking Banana Wars *Second Battle of Veracruz *Battle of Fort Riviere World War I *Battle of Belleau Wood
Awards	Medal of Honor (2) Navy Cross Distinguished Service Cross Croix de Guerre Medaille Militaire

Sergeant Major Daniel Joseph "Dan" Daly (November 11, 1873 – April 27, 1937) was a United States Marine and one of only 19 men (and seven Marines) to receive the Medal of Honor twice. Of the Marines who are double recipients, only Daly and Major General Smedley Butler received their Medals of Honor for two, separate actions.

Dan Daly is well remembered for his famous cry during the Battle of Belleau Wood, when, besieged, outnumbered, outgunned, and pinned down, he led his men in attack, shouting, "Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?"^[1]

Daly was described by his fellow Medal of Honor double award recipient, MajGen Smedley Butler as,"The fightenist Marine I ever knew!" Daly reportedly was offered an officer's commission twice to which he responded that he would rather be, "...an outstanding sergeant than just another officer."^[2]

Biography

Daly was born in Glen Cove, New York, on November 11, 1873. By size he was a small man (5'6" in height, 132 lbs),^[2] but had established himself as an amateur boxer.

Marine Corps service

Hoping to participate in the Spanish-American War, he joined the Marine Corps in January 1899. However, the war ended before he finished training.

In 1900, during the Boxer Rebellion, he received his first Medal of Honor for single-handedly defending his position against repeated attacks and inflicted casualties of around 200 on the attacking Boxers.

His second Medal of Honor came fifteen years later. On the night of October 24, 1915, he was part of a group of 35 Marines who were ambushed by a force of approximately 400 Cacos (Haitian bandits). He led one of the three groups of men during the fight to reach a nearby fort, and was awarded the medal for his conspicuous actions.

Daly's battle cry, delivered during the fighting in the Battle of Belleau Wood, in June 1918, came as the Marines were taking a terrific pounding on the outskirts of Lucy le Bocage at the fringe of Belleau Wood. Daly chose to order an attack, and, leaping forward, yelled to his tired men, "Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?"^[1] (Daly was, perhaps unknowingly, paraphrasing Frederick the Great who asked, on June 18, 1757 at the Battle of Kolin, "Kerle, wollt ihr denn ewig leben?") (Men, do you want to live eternally?). For this and other actions during the battle, Daly was awarded the Navy Cross.

Daly was offered a commission on several occasions, but he always refused, on the grounds that he would rather be "an outstanding sergeant than just another officer".

Dan Daly retired from the Marine Corps on February 6, 1929.

Death and burial

Sgt. Maj. Daly is buried in New York City in Cypress Hills National Cemetery.

Daly died on April 27, 1937. He is buried in New York City in Cypress Hills National Cemetery, Section 5, Grave No. 70.

Decorations and honors

Medals

A complete list of Sergeant Major Daly's decorations and medals includes two Medal of Honor (The Medals of Honor are on display at the National Marine Corps Museum in Triangle, Virginia); the Navy Cross; Distinguished Service Cross; three Letters of Commendation; Good Conduct Medal with two bronze stars; China Relief Expedition Medal; Philippine Campaign Medal; Expeditionary Medal with one bronze star; Mexican Service Medal; Haitian Campaign Medal; World War I Victory Medal with Aisne, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne and Defensive-Sector clasps; Medaille Militaire; Croix de Guerre with Palm; and the Fourragere (the last three awards from the French government).

Honors

The destroyer USS Daly (DD-519) was named for him.

On November 10, 2005, the United States Postal Service issued its Distinguished Marines stamps in which Daly was honored, along with three other Marine Corps heroes. Besides Daly, these stamps honored John Basilone, John A. Lejeune, and Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller.[1]

Medal of Honor citations

First award — 1901

DALY, DANIEL JOSEPH

Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: November 11, 1873, Glen Cove, Long Island, N.Y. Accredited to. New York. G.O. No.: 55, July 19, 1901. Other Navy Awards: Second Medal of Honor, Navy Cross. Citation: In the presence of the enemy during the battle of Peking, China, August 14, 1900, Daly distinguished himself by meritorious conduct.^[3]

Second award — 1915

DALY, DANIEL JOSEPH

Rank and organization: Gunnery Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: Glen Cove, Long Island, N.Y., November 11, 1873. Accredited to: New York. Other Navy awards: Second Medal of Honor, Navy Cross.

Citation:

Serving with the 15th Company of Marines on October 22, 1915, GySgt. Daly was one of the company to leave Fort Liberte, Haiti, for a 6-day reconnaissance. After dark on the evening of October 24, while crossing the river in a deep ravine, the detachment was suddenly fired upon from 3 sides by about 400 Cacos concealed in bushes about 100 yards from the fort. The marine detachment fought its way forward to a good position, which it maintained during the night, although subjected to a continuous fire from the Cacos. At daybreak the marines, in 3 squads, advanced in 3 different directions, surprising and scattering the Cacos in all directions. GySgt. Daly fought with exceptional gallantry against heavy odds throughout this action.^[4]

Navy Cross

Citation:

The Navy Cross is presented to Daniel Joseph Daly, First Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps, for repeated deeds of heroism and great service while serving with the 73d Company, 6th Regiment (Marines), 2d Division, A.E.F., on June 5, and 7, 1918 at Lucy-le-Bocage, and on June 10, 1918 in the attack on Bouresches, France. On June 5, at the risk of his life, First Sergeant Daly extinguished a fire in an ammunition dump at Lucy-le-Bocage. On June 7, 1918, while his position was under violent bombardment, he visited all the gun crews of his company, then posted over a wide portion of the front, to cheer his men. On June 10, 1918, he attacked an enemy machine-gun emplacement unassisted and captured it by use of hand grenades and his automatic pistol. On the same day, during the German attack on Bouresches, he brought in wounded under fire.

Distinguished Service Cross

Citation:

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to First Sergeant Daniel Joseph Daly (MCSN: 73086), United States Marine Corps, for repeated deeds of heroism and great service while serving with the Seventy-Third Company, Sixth Regiment (Marines), 2d Division, A.E.F., on 5 June and 7, 1918 at Lucy-le-Bocage, and on 10 June 1918 in the attack on Bouresches, France. On June 5th, at the risk of his life, First Sergeant Daly extinguished a fire in an ammunition dump at Lucy-le-Bocage. On 7 June 1918, while his position was under violent bombardment, he visited all the gun crews of his company, then posted over a wide portion of the front, to cheer his men. On 10 June 1918, he attacked an enemy machine-gun emplacement unassisted and captured it by use of hand grenades and his automatic pistol. On the same day, during the German attack on Bouresches, he brought in wounded under fire.^[5]

See also

World War I portal

United States Marine Corps portal

• List of Medal of Honor recipients
• List of Historically Important U.S. Marines

In popular culture

In Starship Troopers, a 1959 science fiction novel of social commentary written by Robert A. Heinlein in support of civic duty and martial service, the first chapter includes the paraphrase, "Come on you apes! You wanna live forever?"

A similar famous quote was made by Frederick the Great to his retreating army in 1757: "Kerle, wollt ihr denn ewig leben?" "Rogues, would you live forever?"^[6]

A similar line turns up in the Gaunt's Ghosts series of novels: "Men of Tanith! Do you want to live forever?"

Notes

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.

• Sergeant Major Daniel "Dan" Joseph Daly, USMC, Who's Who in Marine Corps History, History Division, United States Marine Corps. Retrieved January 19, 2005.
• "Double Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient Sergeant Major Daniel Joseph Daly"
• Daniel Daly at Find a Grave Retrieved on 2007-12-13

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Daniel Daly

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Daniel Daly

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