As we approach Memorial Day, our hearts go out to our fallen military warriors, their families, and their friends. Our prayers especially go out to the wives and mothers of our lost heroes, for they have lost so much. In the case of Debbie Lee, however, she has taken that loss to fuel what she has to give back, and her work of generosity is driven by the final wishes of her son, Marc Lee, the first Navy Seal to lose his life in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
"Pass on the kindness, the love, the precious gift of human life to each other so that when your children come in contact with a great conflict that we are now faced with here in Iraq, that they are people of humanity, of pure motives, of compassion." Marc Alan Lee in his last letter to his mother, Debbie Lee.
Marc Alan Lee was the first Navy Seal killed in the war in Iraq. He lost his life in Operation Iraqi Freedom on August 2, 2006. The moments before his death he single-handedly held off enemy fighters as his team rescued a wounded soldier from a rooftop. Debie Lee, his mother, has experienced a torrent of emotions since the day she lost her son. In Marc's final letter to home he wrote of his wish for Americans to support each other with random acts of kindness. With this idea in mind, Debbie began to implement Marc's dream.
In his final letter home, 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? . . . Think to yourself and wonder what it would feel like when the bill for the meal came and you were told it was already paid for. More random acts of kindness like this would change our country and our reputation as a country."
Since Marc's death, Debbie Lee has been touring America to honor her son's final wish. She recently established America's Mighty Warriors dedicated to random acts of kindness for military personnel and their families stateside and overseas.
Her first random act of kindness raised money that she included in a condolence card to the family of another fallen soldier. She then took a wife (who was battling breast cancer), daughter, and granddaughter of a deployed soldier to Easter dinner. Debbie Lee heard of a Marine unit in San Diego scheduled to deploy without essential EOD power lock tools, and thanks to America's Mighty Warriors the unit will be traveling with the tools.
On Mother's Day, Debbie took other Gold Star Moms to lunch, followed by a limo ride to a mall where she organized an event based on the hit show "Amazing Race." Clues led moms to retail stores who donated gifts to pamper these women who have lost so much. Plans for a similar Father's Day event is in the works.
Debbie Lee met with President Bush, and appeared onstage at the 2007 Country Music Awards, where Tim McGraw performed his new song "If You're Reading This" which honors those in the U.S. military who gave their lives in service to this nation. she has also traveled to Iraq and Guantanamo Bay to personally thank troops serving overseas.
Tonight, Debbie Lee joins Political Pistachio Radio. Join us live at 7:00 PM Pacific, or listen to the archive later, HERE.
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