User:Lit312/Dan Daly

Sergeant Major Daniel Joseph "Dan" Daly (11 November 1873 – 28 April 1937) was a United States Marine. He is one of only two Marines to receive the Medal of Honor twice for two separate acts of heroism (the other being Major General Smedley Butler).

Daly was born in Glen Cove, New York, on November 11, 1873. 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.

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 is perhaps best remembered for a famous battle cry delivered during the fighting in the Battle of Belleau Wood, in June 1918. Marines took a terrific pounding on the outskirts of Lucy le Bocage at the fringe of Belleau Wood. They were outnumbered, outgunned and pinned down. Then Daly made history. He ordered an attack. Leaping forward, he yelled to his tired men, "Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?" For this and other actions during the battle, he 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 on February 6, 1929, and died on April 28, 1937.

His medals include the Distinguished Service Cross, the French Medaille Militaire, the French Croix de Guerre with Palm, and the Fourragere.

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.