Warrior Wednesday 3-4

Today's edition of Warrior Wednesday features one of the most rare feats accomplished by any American Warrior ever. 

Sergeant Major Dan Daly 

His early life is fairly unknown to even those who have studied him, he was born and raise in New York and was small in stature but still known as a fighter and amateur boxer. Born in 1873, he enlisted in the USMC in 1899 and was shipped off to fight in the Spanish-American war but enroute, he was sent back stateside as the war had ended before arrival.

First awarded MOH
Daly was part of the U.S. Embassy Guard in Peking when the Boxer Rebellion broke out in 1900. In one of the most memorable acts of that war, the Boxers surrounded the compound of the foreign legations in Peking and laid siege to it for 55 days. At one point, when German Marines of the German embassy were forced back, Daly by himself took a position in a bastion on the Tarter Wall and remained there throughout the night. Armed wiht only a bolt action rifle and bayonet Subjected to sniper fire and numerous attacks, when relieved in the morning Private Daly was still holding his position with the bodies of numerous attackers surrounding his position attesting to his bravery. (source)

Second awarded MOH
On October 24, Daly was part of a patrol of 35 Marines that was ambushed by about 400 of the bandit Cacos while making its way through a deep ravine. With great effort, the marines fought their way to higher ground and a more defensible position, but while crossing a river under heavy fire, the patrol was forced to abandon several horses, including the one carrying its only machine gun. During the night the patrol was subjected to continuous fire, and the patrol commander called for the machine gun. Daly promptly volunteered to return to the river and retrieve the weapon. Making his way back past enemy positions, Daly located the dead horse (or mule), cut the gun away, strapped it to his back, and returned to the patrol's position. The next morning the patrol broke free in a daring assault on the Caco positions, killing 75 rebels and scattering the rest.  (Source)

Do you want to live forever?
His real heroics were saved until they were needed most. The 44-year-old continued to write his name into the history books during June 1918’s Battle of Belleau Wood, a month-long offensive that was one of the first major World War I battles fought by U.S. troops. On June 5, Daly bravely extinguished a fire on the verge of igniting a cache of explosive ammunition. Two days later, as his Marines were being shredded by enemy machine gun fire, Daly urged them to leave their cover and counterattack by supposedly screaming the famous words, “Come on, you sons of bitches! Do you want to live forever?!”

Daly’s near-suicidal courage was put on display once again on June 10, when he single handedly charged a German machine gun nest, killing its commander and taking 14 prisoners. That same day, he made several trips into “no man’s land” to drag wounded troops to safety. Daley was wounded later that month during a second solo rescue mission, and suffered two more injuries during the Meuse-Argonne offensive in October 1918. 

While he was again recommended for the Medal of Honor for his actions at Belleau Wood, the military balked at the prospect of any soldier receiving the award three times, and he was instead given the Distinguished Service Cross and the French Medaille Militaire. Perhaps the greatest compliment was paid by General Smedley Butler himself a double Medal of Honor winner would later describe Daly as, “the fightingest Marine I ever knew.”  (Source)

Source

First citation:

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor (First Award) to Private Daniel Joseph Daly (MCSN: 73086), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism while serving with the Captain Newt Hall's Marine Detachment, 1st Regiment (Marines), in action in the presence of the enemy during the battle of Peking, China, 14 August 1900, Daly distinguished himself by meritorious conduct.

Second Citation:

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor (Second Award) to Gunnery Sergeant Daniel Joseph Daly (MCSN: 73086), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with the 15th Company of Marines (Mounted), 2d Marine Regiment, on 22 October 1915. Gunnery Sergeant Daly was one of the company to leave Fort Liberte, Haiti, for a six-day reconnaissance. After dark on the evening of 24 October, while crossing the river in a deep ravine, the detachment was suddenly fired upon from three 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 three squads, advanced in three different directions, surprising and scattering the Cacos in all directions. Gunnery Sergeant Daly fought with exceptional gallantry against heavy odds throughout this action.

Full list of citations for valor:

http://projects.militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/recipient.php?recipientid=571