Aug 2nd 2006 a day that forever changed my life, our family, the SEAL community, those who knew Marc Alan Lee and all who would come to know him through his heroic sacrifice and final challenge left in his “Glory letter,” to pass on the kindness, the love, the precious gift of human life.
As I sit at his grave the emotions overwhelm me and I lay face down over the soil where his body lays longing to be close one more time to my son, to hear his voice, see his smile, hear his laughter, listen to his thoughts. My tears erupt into the parched grass. How could it have been 5 years? Oh how I long to embrace him and tell him how much I love him and how proud I am of him and his courage. Yes Marc, you were right. Life is a precious gift, and we never know how long we will have it.
Emotionally depleted I sit up and wipe my tears. I reflect back to the day Marc willingly gave his life and the courage he displayed as three different times that day he chose to expose himself and stand up into direct enemy fire to defend his buddies and the freedoms we are blessed with as Americans.
It is only natural that as a Mother there is a huge hole in my heart left by his absence in physical form. Yet that young man’s spirit 
continues to live and surrounds so many as we remember him. His headstone says “Loved Deeply, Deeply Loved,” and we remember that deep love, his love for life, his family, his friends, and his teammates.
Marc’s faith in Christ was reflected in how he lived each moment with, courage, compassion, perseverance, purpose, and determination and selflessly gave to meet other’s needs. His sense of humor impacted people in an amazing way and you always knew when Marc had been in a room.
I still can’t comprehend how you can fight in an intense fire fight for two hours, in extreme temperatures of 120 degrees, carrying 150-180 lbs and still have the mental focus and strength to make the decision to do the right thing and risk your life for others. Courage like Marc displayed doesn’t just happen. It is engrained in you by your creator, it is the choice to follow the Biblical morals and values taught to you, it is the opportunity to practice in other difficult circumstances that life brings you or your BUD’s instructors produce.
Our American History is rich in examples of patriots who displayed courage in numerous circumstances, willing to give everything if need be for what they believed in, to provide liberty and a better life to those they left behind.
Courage (also bravery, fortitude, or intrepidity) is the ability to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. “Physical courage” is courage in the face of physical pain, hardship, death, or threat of death, while “moral courage” is the ability to act rightly in the face of popular opposition, shame, scandal, or discouragement.
Marc displayed physical and moral courage often witnessed on the battlefield, but courage need not be displayed only in the battlefields of combat as we fight and defend America and the freedoms we have been blessed with.
As Americans many of us have lost our fortitude and have no spine. We are not willing to confront our fears, our pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation.
If I refused to confront my pain when I was notified Marc had been killed, I would still be curled up in the fetal position, relying on drugs or alcohol to take away the deepest pain a mother could experience.
We have become a nation of cowards who are too busy living life and enjoying the freedoms we have that others have fought and died for. We have expected someone else to stand for what we believe in and defend our rights. We have buried our heads in the sand and are clueless of the downward spiral to destruction our country is headed in if we don’t courageously stand in the face of uncertainty and adversity and take our country back.
The Tea Party Movement has inspired, educated and equipped many individuals to stand just as Marc did armed with courage to confront our government, willing to do battle to protect and defend our freedoms that our Founding Fathers envisioned and declared in our Constitution.
We boldly came together and made a difference in the elections of 2010 and recently have stood our ground on our financial crisis and the debt limit. We were fed lie after lie that unless we increased the debt limit Aug 2nd would be doomsday and seniors wouldn’t receive their checks.
Fear-mongering is a strategy coming from our White House, hoping we will put our head between our tails and cave in to the liberals on the Hill. They are counting on Americans to continue to allow them to manipulate and control us. I cringed every time I heard them talking about Aug 2nd, Aug 2nd, Aug 2nd, another reminder of that dreadful day when Marc left this earth.
It disgusts me to hear the Vice President of the United States has likened me to a terrorist? I’m the Mother of a hero who defended America, sacrificed his life and had the flag, he willing gave his life for, draped over his coffin … and I am being called a terrorist. I
‘m standing on Biblical morals and values and our constitution and founding documents and I’m a terrorist?????? Despicable!!!! I demand an apology!
It’s a sad day in America when this is the attitude and thinking of our leaders. This is the battle cry and it is time for all of us to stand up with courage at your side, facing your fears standing for America, reclaiming the liberties and freedoms that our military has fought, bled and many have made the ultimate sacrifice just as my son did.
Folks, we are now in an intense firefight in America to reclaim her and restore her. As the SEALs say “Failure is not an option.”
As you remember the sacrifice my son made five years ago today, honor him by reading his last letter home. I know it will inspire you to arm yourself with courage and conquer whatever battles you are facing and to stand courageously for America.
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