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Daniel Daly

Sergeant Major Daniel Joseph "Dan" Daly (November 11, 1873 – April 27, 1937) was a United States Marine and one of only 19 men (and two Marines) to receive the Medal of Honor twice. (The other such Marine was Major General Smedley Butler).

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?"

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 the he would rather be, "...an outstanding sergeant than just another officer."

Marine Corps service

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), but had established himself as an amateur boxer. 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?" (Daly was, perhaps unknowingly, paraphrasing Friedrich der Große who asked, on June 18, 1757 at the Battle of Kolin, "Kerls, 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, and died on April 27, 1937.

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 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.

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.

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, G/Sgt. 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. G/Sgt. Daly fought with exceptional gallantry against heavy odds throughout this action.

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.

In popular culture

In the movie Starship Troopers, the protagonist calls out to his fellow troopers, "Come on you apes, do you want to live forever?" This line is from Daly's famous cry at the Battle of Belleau Wood in France.

The quotation was originally featured in the book, Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein, written in 1959. A similar famous quote was made by Frederick the Great to his retreating army in 1757: "Rogues, would you live forever?