COOL DUDES I ADMIRE: SGT. MAJor DAN DALY

sgt. major dan daly

sgt. major dan daly was one of two united states marines to receive the medal of honor twice— he’s the only marine to be considered for a third, but it was deemed unacceptable as it would diminish the value of the award.

his first medal of honor was earned when he defended the us embassy during the boxer rebellion. completely alone, daly manned a squad machine gun to hold off a force of 200 invading boxers— the next morning, daly was found alive surrounded by the 200 dead enemy combatants. his second medal of honor was given to him during the occupation of haiti. daly, along with 40 fellow marines were ambushed by 400 haitian rebels. while pushing the enemy back to develop a defensive position, an american machine gun was lost in a river. that night, daly dove into the river to retrieve the drowned machine gun. with a little bit of elbow grease, american marines were able to hold off the HAITIAN rebels that ambushed them.

his navy cross and third consideration for a medal of honor came during the battle of belleau wood in france, 1918. american marines laid flat, taking on intense german gun fire as they waited for a moment to advance into the woods. the closest thing they had to concealment was a wheat field that stood about waist high— as soon as enemy fire broke, daly exposed himself to the enemy, and led the charge out of the field and into the woods while yelling "For Christ's sake men—come on! Do you want to live forever?"

receiving the Médaille militaire