Daniel Daly
Daniel Joseph "Dan" Daly (born November 11, 1873 in Glen Cove , Long Island , New York ; † April 28, 1937 ) was a sergeant major in the US Marine Corps and one of the few Marines to have been awarded the Medal of Honor twice were.
Military career
Daly joined the US Marine Corps in 1899. During the Boxer Rebellion in 1900, Private Daly climbed the wall of the bastion with Captain Newt Hall and positioned himself there with his rifle. On August 14th, Captain Hall left for reinforcements, leaving Private Daly alone. Chinese snipers fired at him and stormed the bastion, but Daly fought until reinforcements arrived. For this Private Daly received his first Medal of Honor .
On the night of October 24, 1915 , as Gunnery Sergeant, he was part of a group of 35 Marines who were ambushed by some 400 Haitian bandits. During the fight, he led one of three groups of men trying to reach a nearby fort . For this he received his second Medal of Honor.
Better known, however, is Daly's battle cry during the Battle of Belleau Forest in June 1918. The Marines suffered a defeat on the outskirts of Lucy-le-Bocage , near the Belleau Forests. They were outnumbered, devoid of ammunition and locked in position. Then Gunnery Sergeant Daly ordered the attack, ran forward and yelled to his tired men, Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever? (German: "Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?" The exclamation could also be seen ambiguously: "Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to become heroes (and live forever)?" - in the sense of Be a hero and you will live forever. ). For these and other acts during the battle, he was awarded the Navy Cross .
Daly was offered an officer license several times , but he always refused, because he would rather be an outstanding sergeant than just another officer . On February 6, 1929, Daly retired as a sergeant major and died on April 28, 1937.
His awards include a .: the Distinguished Service Cross , the Navy Cross , the French Medal Militaire and the French Croix de guerre with a bronze palm branch on the ribbon.
The destroyer USS Daly (DD-519) of the Fletcher class was named after him. This was in service with the US Navy from 1943 to 1960 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ A b William D. Parker: A Concise History of the United States Marine Corps 1775-1969 , Historical Division HQMC, Washington DC, 1970, p. 127.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Daly, Daniel |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Daly, Daniel Joseph (full name); Daly, Dan |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Sergeant major of the US Marine Corps |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 11, 1873 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Glen Cove , New York |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 28, 1937 |