Sgt. Major Daniel Daly

I will be very interesting to see if anyone can turn anything.  I have been research Daly for years, but his life pre-Corps is shrouded in mystery.  Several accounts state he was a bit of an Amateur boxer and sold Newspapers, the last Census I could find prior to joining the Corps listed his profession as "Laborer" which was the same as his father. The Census list both Parents as being Irish Born, but there is no town nor County information.

Note that Daley was actually nominated for a third Medal of Honor for Belleau Wood , and the NY Times actually reported he was to receive it, but someone put a capricious limit of two on the number of times extraordinary valor could be recognized.  They tried to make up for it by offering him an officer's commission which Daly declined stating “I would rather be an outstanding sergeant than just another officer”.  General Smedley D. Butler, the other Marine to be awarded two Congressional Medals of Honor,  called Daly “The fightinest Marine I ever knew.”

Hi Dee,

I have no experience with this site so I don't know how accurate it is but it seems good. It says that his parents were both born in (Co.) Cork and married in Bandon:

http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Daly-434

It doesn't say their birthplaces but at least it's a start. It does list his siblings birthplaces also, as Kinsale, Timoleague and South Cork which are all pretty close to Bandon. Apparently he was the only "Yank" in the family!

Further down it says the father was baptized in Boherbue but not his mother.

I'm not sure why each of them was born in different places, but perhaps one of those areas was where say, his grannie still lived and that's where his mother (went to give birth and) was born. You know how those clues lead to hunches which lead to guesses lol. I guess you could check the Cork 1841 census records with their names against some of these towns.

Anyway, I hope this helps. He's a really interesting guy and [along with (Irish-American) General Butler of "War Is a Racket" and anti-coup fame], one of my boyhood heroes.

John

I'm intrigued by his Glen Cove place of residence, which in the early 20th century was part of what was known as "The Gold Coast" on Long Island, a setting for grand estates that served as summer homes for Manhattan's rich and famous, including JP Morgan. 

 HI DEE ! COPIED THIS FROM THE OFFICIAL  USMC TOGETHER WE SERVED SITE.    DROP ME A LINE, I MAY HAVE MORE INFO FOR YOU AS DALY's MARRIED INTO MY MOTHERS SIDE OF THE FAMILY " DANIEL JOSEPH DALY WAS A NEPHEW BORN ABOUT 1925 IN NEW YORK  { sullivansjohn@comcast.net }

  Last Known Activity

Medal of Honor

First award — 1901

Awarded for actions during the China Relief

General Orders: War Department, General Orders No. 55 (July 19, 1901)

Action Date: 14-Aug-00

Service: Marine Corps

Rank: Private

Battalion: Captain Newt Hall's Marine Detachment

Regiment: 1st Regiment (Marines)

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 award — 1915

Awarded for actions during the U.S. Invasion and Occupation of Haiti

Action Date: 24-Oct-15

Service: Marine Corps

Rank: Gunnery Sergeant

Company: 15th Company (Mounted)

Regiment: 2d Marines

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.
 

Distinguished Service Cross

Awarded for actions during the World War I

General Orders: War Department, General Orders No. 101 (1918)

Action Date: June 5, 7, & 10, 1918

Service: Marine Corps

Rank: First Sergeant

Company: 73d Company

Regiment: 6th Regiment (Marines)

Division: 2d Division, American Expeditionary Forces

Citation:

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to First Sergeant Daniel Joseph Daly (MCSN: 73086), United States Marine Corps, for repeated deeds of heroism and great service while serving with the Seventy-Third Company, Sixth Regiment (Marines), 2d Division, A.E.F., on 5 June and 7, 1918 at Lucy-le-Bocage, and on 10 June 1918 in the attack on Bouresches, France. On June 5th, at the risk of his life, First Sergeant Daly extinguished a fire in an ammunition dump at Lucy-le-Bocage. On 7 June 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 10 June 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.
 

Navy Cross

Awarded for actions during the World War I

Action Date: June 5, 7, & 10, 1918

Service: Marine Corps

Rank: First Sergeant

Company: 73d Company

Regiment: 6th Regiment (Marines)

Division: 2d Division, American Expeditionary Forces

Citation:

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to First Sergeant Daniel Joseph Daly (MCSN: 73086), United States 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 10 June 1918 in the attack on Bouresches, France. On June 5th, at the risk of his life, First Sergeant Daly extinguished a fire in an ammunition dump at Lucy-le-Bocage. On 7 June 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 10 June 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