Writer Joseph J. Airdo // Photography Courtesy of Debbie Lee
In July 2006, while on deployment in Iraq, Navy SEAL Marc A. Lee sent a letter to his family back home. In it, he briefly acknowledged the horrors and sorrows he had witnessed before contemplating the implications of not only how we view those born in a third-world country but also how we treat one another in the U.S.
“Ask yourself when was the last time you donated clothes that you hadn’t worn out,” Marc wrote. “When was the last time you paid for a random stranger’s cup of coffee, meal or maybe even a tank of gas? When was the last time you helped a person with the groceries into or out of their car? More random acts of kindness like this would change our country and our reputation as a country.”
They were among the final words Marc’s family would receive from him for, on the night of Aug. 2, 2006, Marc became the first SEAL to lose his life in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
“In life, we often find ourselves in overwhelming circumstances where we feel like we will never see the light at the end of the tunnel,” says Debbie Lee, Marc’s mother. “When Marc died, I had no choice about the news that I was given. I could have refused to accept it, but that would not have changed the fact that he was gone. We often do not have control over our circumstances, but we do have a choice in how we respond. We can have a pity party, or we can choose to carry on, making a difference to honor those we love.”
Though devastatingly heartbroken, Debbie chose the latter, founding America’s Mighty Warriors — a nonprofit organization whose mission is to honor the sacrifices of our troops, veterans and Gold Star families by providing programs that improve quality of life, resiliency and recovery.
“Marc courageously stood in the direct line of fire three different times to save the lives of his teammates during an intense two-hour firefight in Ramadi,” Debbie says. “This August will mark 18 years since that young man gave his life. There is not a day that goes by that I do not miss him. But through our foundation, I see Marc still saving his teammates’ lives.”
The Battle of Ramadi
From a very early age, Marc brought an immense amount of joy into the lives of his family.
“Even as a baby, his infectious laughter and smile filled our home with warmth,” Debbie explains. “As he grew older, his playful spirit never faded. He became known as the class clown, not necessarily for his jokes themselves, but for his relentless enthusiasm and ability to laugh at himself. Marc was also fiercely protective of those he loved, readily intervening in situations of bullying and often using humor to de-escalate tense situations.”
Pursuing a degree in Bible and theology studies at The Master’s College in California, Marc dreamed of one day playing professional soccer and was extremely close to achieving that when he blew out his knee and required surgery on his ACL and meniscus. While recuperating, he began researching the requirements for becoming a Navy SEAL. He then returned to The Master’s College, where he switched his major to law while playing on the university’s soccer team.
“My eldest son, Kris, joined the Marines in 2000, followed by my son-in-law, who joined the Army,” Debbie says. “Witnessing their commitment likely inspired Marc to join the Navy [in 2001] and pursue the challenging path of becoming a Navy SEAL. He was incredibly competitive and, perhaps, wanted to surpass their achievements.”
After some initial challenges, including a bout with pneumonia and pulmonary edema, Marc eventually found himself in the running for honor man in his class. He learned the day before graduation that he had placed second in his class. In April 2006, he was deployed to Ramadi, Iraq.
Less than four months later, during a cordon and search operation, Marc’s teammate Ryan Job was critically wounded by an enemy sniper while providing cover from a rooftop. Marc and other team members fearlessly exposed themselves to enemy fire to evacuate Job.
After getting Job to life-saving medical aid, Marc and his teammates entered a compound in pursuit of enemy fighters. While clearing the compound, they were heavily engaged from close range from an adjacent building. Marc again boldly moved directly into the line of fire to engage the enemy and protect his teammates. He was then struck by enemy fire and killed instantly.
Marc was posthumously awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart for his heroic actions on Aug. 2. He was also awarded the Bronze Star with Valor for heroic actions on July 18, when he exposed himself to direct enemy fire to provide cover for his teammates. His headstone reads, “Loved deeply, deeply loved.”
“As a parent, it is surreal to see your kid’s name on a headstone or memorial wall,” Debbie says. “When we have heroes like Marc, their stories need to be told. People need to understand the depth of the sacrifice they made so that we can live free. There is a deep price paid for our freedom.”
Debbie founded America’s Mighty Warriors in Marc’s honor. Inspired by the words in his final letter to his loved ones, she dedicated her life to venerating our service members and the families of the fallen, defending our defenders and battling to keep the freedoms for which our troops have fought.
Helping Heroes Heal
In addition to education and advocacy, America’s Mighty Warriors puts Marc’s words directly into action, honoring our troops and their families with various acts of kindness — such as paying for meals, coffee, gas and gift cards.
The nonprofit organization also reaches out to the immediate families of the fallen to offer them hope, respite, encouragement and resiliency. Through its Gold Star program, families of the fallen are invited to stay at Heroes Hope Home in Arizona or Serenity Hope Home in Florida or attend one of its retreats that are held throughout the year, where they can reflect, relax and have fun with other families that share a special bond that cannot be explained.
However, the hallmark of America’s Mighty Warriors’ efforts is its Helping Heroes Heal program.
“The healthcare issues at the VA are absolutely heartbreaking,” Debbie says. “Most of our veterans do not even want to go there anymore because they are not receiving the help they need. They are being pumped with pills that mask the symptoms but do not actually heal them. They are being subjected to exposure therapy where they are forced to relive traumatic events in agonizing detail. These approaches can be incredibly harmful, driving some veterans to the point of suicide.”
Debbie recounts the story of one veteran who was on a staggering 53 prescription drugs from the VA. She happened to call him on the morning he had planned to commit suicide.
“That is simply unacceptable,” she says, noting that the veteran is now one of America’s Mighty Warriors’ success stories. “It is a vicious cycle. You take an opioid to numb pain, then need another drug to counteract the side effects and another to help you sleep, which makes you groggy, and so on. Instead of treating the root issue, we are just managing symptoms with a cocktail of drugs. Whether it is veterans self-medicating or the VA overprescribing, this madness needs to stop. We need to focus on healing them, not drugging them.”
America’s Mighty Warriors provides funding for those diagnosed with traumatic brain injury to receive hyperbaric oxygen therapy as well as hormone and vitamin therapy. The nonprofit organization also works with providers whose therapies help with post-traumatic stress disorder.
“On average, it costs about $20,000 per veteran for one year of treatment,” Debbie says. “We currently have 175 veterans in the program. Most therapies just mask the symptoms of PTSD and traumatic brain injury, but the therapies that we provide are actually healing them.”
Staying in the Fight
Although America’s Mighty Warriors welcomes donations year-round, it has also, for the past decade, hosted a spring fundraiser around the time of Marc’s birthday. This year’s event — which includes dinner, drinks, auctions — will take place Saturday, April 6, at Scottsdale Gun Club.
“Marc would have been here in his cargo shorts and flip-flops,” says Debbie, noting that this year’s auction items will include customized firearms honoring Marc, paintings, sports memorabilia and a guitar signed by Tim McGraw.
The event will also include veteran and Gold Star family testimonials as well as a presentation from guest speaker Kevin Lacz — a former Navy SEAL medic who was with Marc when he died and now works as a physician assistant, collaborating with America’s Mighty Warriors to provide hormone and supplement therapy to his fellow veterans.
“I am excited to bring people together to continue celebrating how Marc lived his life and gave his life,” Debbie says. “His final selfless actions saved lives, and we are keeping that legacy going. Would I rather have him back? In a heartbeat.”
Debbie pauses to reconsider her statement.
“It is important to remember that our foundation would not exist without the loss of my son,” she says. “So, on second thought, if having Marc back would mean taking away all of the good that has been done for others, then I do not think that I can really say that I want that anymore.”
Debbie recalls a conversation she had several years ago with a Navy SEAL who had gone through America’s Mighty Warriors program and completed hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
“I called to find out how he was doing,” she explains. “He shared with excitement how he had been changed and described how all the previous symptoms had improved. He then said, ‘You saved my life.’ I quickly replied my feelings, ‘You were willing to give your life for me, it was the least that we could do.’ He then raised his voice and shouted, ‘Stop!’ With deep emotion in his voice, he said, ‘I would not be alive today if it was not for you, your foundation and the therapies you have provided. You literally saved my life.’ His bold statement was the first time that I truly understood: Marc is still saving his teammates’ lives.”
In Marc’s last letter, he wrote that his service to the U.S. was only a small percent of what would keep the country great, with the remaining being solely in our hands.
“I think the truth to our greatness is each other,” Marc explained. “Purity, morals and kindness, passed down to each generation through example. So to all my family and friends, do me a favor and pass on the kindness, the love, the precious gift of human life to each other so that when your children come into contact with a great conflict [like] we are now faced with here in Iraq, they are people of humanity, of pure motives, of compassion. This is our real part to keep America free.”
That is exactly what Debbie is doing through America’s Mighty Warriors.
“I know where Marc is, and I will see him again one day,” she says. “But until then, I have chosen to put on his boots, pick up his weapon and stay in the fight.”
Marc’s Birthday Bash
Saturday, April 6 // 5:30 p.m. // Scottsdale Gun Club // 14860 N. Northsight Blvd., Scottsdale // $150+ // americasmightywarriors.org
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