A Cause Greater than Self: The Journey of Captain Michael J. Daly, World War II Medal of Honor Recipient

Introduction

xvii World War II, the so-called good war, continues to fascinate the public even as the “greatest generation” fades from the scene before our very eyes. Certainly the torrent of books, articles, films, museum exhibits, conferences, and oral-history projects over the last twenty-five years has added immensely to our understanding of America’s armed forces during that titanic struggle. The Army History and Education Center proudly proclaims as its goal “Telling the Army’s Story . . . One Soldier at a Time.” This book attempts to do just that by recounting the story of Medal of Honor recipient Michael J. Daly, one of the bravest of the greatest generation. In doing so it explores, in the life of one man, the questions many of us have about the members of that storied fraternity who have received the Medal of Honor—those men and one woman whose actions seem to define bravery: What factors shaped them? What motivated them? What was the nature of their courage? What happened to them after their feats of heroism? What, if anything, did they have in common? What do their stories teach us? The book also uses the prism of Daly’s experiences on the platoon and company level, where battles were fought and won, to highlight key aspects of the war in Western Europe, especially the challenges faced by American troops, not only in well-known battles such as Omaha Beach but also in lesser-known and often-ignored campaigns in the Colmar Pocket, in Eastern France, and in central and southern Germany. In the closing months of the war, a defeated yet still dogged and resourceful foe tried to spill as much Allied blood as possible. Men such as Daly helped make possible the final destruction of the Third Reich. Michael Daly was raised in privilege, but his father, Paul G. Daly, a highly decorated veteran of World War I, set him on the path to selfless heroism. Paul expected much from his son, but as a teenager, Michael frequently disappointed him. Failing to live up to expectations led Mike into the infantry in late 1943. In the cauldron of war during 1944 and 1945, serving first as an enlisted man and then as an officer in two of the most storied infantry divisions (the 1st and the 3rd) in the US Army, Daly redeemed himself from the irresponsibility and failures that had plagued his teenage years. He proved himself on the battlefield, forging an identity separate from that of Introduction xviii Introduction his larger-than-life father even as he traveled much the same path and drew upon the values and skills that the older man had imparted to him. Michael Daly found a sense of purpose and mission in a socially and ethnically diverse citizen army. Seemingly afraid to show fear, he proved himself a brave, fierce, and skillful warrior-leader, receiving numerous decorations for gallantry, including three Silver Stars, a Bronze Star with V device for Valor, two Purple Hearts, and finally the Medal of Honor. Many men in his company described him as the best officer and bravest person they had ever encountered. By the tender age of twenty he had become a captain and company commander. In the process he discovered his best self: a man for others, a “protector-rescuer” devoted to his men both on and off the battlefield. He ardently believed in the justness of the Allied cause, possessed an intuitive ability to adapt to conditions on the battlefield, and displayed a mastery of fighting skills and small-unit tactics. He modeled the infantry motto, “Follow Me!” and embodied a quality absolutely crucial to ultimate Allied victory: the initiative to close with and aggressively engage the enemy. All the while, in addition to accomplishing his unit’s mission, Daly made the welfare of his men a top priority and sought to bring home as many as possible. To that end he repeatedly placed himself in harm’s way. He believed that aggressively pressuring the enemy by setting him back on his heels would ultimately save men by bringing the war to a speedier end. Like so many veterans returning home from war, Daly faced the challenges of readjustment, a task made trickier by his war-hero status at such a young age. For a while he reverted to the irresponsibility that characterized his prearmy years. Eventually, however, he found new direction and meaning in his life, starting...