Navy SEAL Marc Lee (KIA): ‘Leading from the Front’

Navy SEAL Marc Lee, Team 3, was killed during a firefight in Ramadi, Iraq, on August 2, 2006, the first SEAL to die during the combat operations that began in 2003.

He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, and the Military Times published an excerpt from the award citation:

During the operation, one element member was wounded by enemy fire. The element completed the casualty evacuation, regrouped and returned onto the battlefield to continue the fight,” the citation reads. “Petty Officer Lee and his SEAL element maneuvered to assault an unidentified enemy position. He, his teammates, Bradley Fighting Vehicles and Abrams tanks engaged enemy positions with suppressive fire from an adjacent building to the north.

To protect the lives of his teammates, he fearlessly exposed himself to direct enemy fire by engaging the enemy with his machine gun and was mortally wounded in the engagement. His brave actions in the line of fire saved the lives of many of his teammates.

Lee was 28-years-old when he was killed and his mother, Debbie, responded by forming America’s Mighty Warriors in honor of her son. America’s Mighty Warriors maintains special programs for former military personnel, including those battling PTSD, and holds an event each year on March 20, Lee’s birthday, or within days of that date (in the event that business is closed on the 20th). They do this as a way to honor Lee and those like him, who sacrificed so much for this country.

The annual America’s Mighty Warriors’ event is held at Scottsdale Gun Club, in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is attended by military personnel from various walks of life who either knew Lee, served with him, were impacted by his sacrifice, or all of the above.

Jocko Willink commanded SEAL Team 3’s Task Unit Bruiser, to which Lee was attached at the time of his death. Willink spoke at the March 23, 2019, Scottsdale event and talked of how Lee would climb into the dangerous position of turret gunner again and again as the team rolled out into the city.

Willink noted that it was common to rotate people in and out of that position but explained that Lee would take the position as they rolled out at night nonetheless, grinning as he took solace in the knowledge that he was sparing others in the team from opening themselves up to that danger.

Willink talked of Lee taking that position “over and over,” night after night:

Lee’s mother, Debbie, spoke to Breitbart News about her son and the upcoming event. She explained how proud she is that Lee is remembered for “leading from the front” and made clear she hopes that there will be a lot of people attending and rallying behind our military personnel going forward.

Debbie said that when she speaks to individuals and groups, she always encourages them to get involved by saying, “I made my Marc, he made his Marc on the world, what mark are you going to make?”

America’s Mighty Warriors will hold their annual event on March 20, 2021, at Scottsdale Gun Club this year, featuring J.P. Dinnell of SEAL Team 3’s Task Unit Bruiser. (Information on the even available HERE.) Those who cannot attend but wish to remember Lee’s sacrifice via backyard barbecues, social gatherings, or even by offering a toast, are encouraged to take photos of their personal events and post them with the hashtag #CelebrateMarcLee.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.