Wallowa County Veterans Corner: Freedom and sacrifice is a call to all of us

Published 11:39 am Wednesday, May 25, 2022

With Memorial Day approaching on Monday, May 30, I thought it would be prudent and contemporary to highlight a young Oregon warrior who made the ultimate sacrifice for this great nation: Marc Lee.

Historically, Memorial Day is a national holiday set aside to remember our military members who fought and died. Typically, the World War II generation is highlighted, and rightly so. However, the service and sacrifice of those who died in the Korean War and Vietnam War should never, ever be forgotten.

I would also contend that since the terrorist attacks on 9/11, our country has been at war for over 20 years. Men and women, who entered the military service after 9/11 and chose to do a military career, have spent 20 years at war. As a retired military person, this fact is staggering to me and should be to every citizen of this county.

Lee, grew up in Oregon, enlisted in the Navy after 9/11, and became a Navy SEAL. He was a special person as you will find out when you read his last letter home, which follows. His maturity and insight to life, death, war and citizenship was beyond his years. But I would also contend that Lee was also simply a good example of his generation of volunteer warriors and patriots. Young people who have been volunteering to go in harm’s way for you and for me, for over 20 years now. Please read Marc Lee’s last letter home, let it sink into your soul, and just perhaps, do what he recommends.

Thank you.

Lee’s last letter home (written July 2006):

Glory is something that some men chase and others find themselves stumbling upon, not expecting it to find them. Either way it is a noble gesture that one finds bestowed upon them. My question is when does glory fade away and become a wrongful crusade, or an unjustified means by which consumes one completely?

I have seen war. I have seen death, the sorrow that encompasses your entire being as a man breathes his last. I can only pray and hope that none of you will ever have to experience some of these things I have seen and felt here. I have felt fear and have felt adrenaline pump through my veins making me seem invincible. I will be honest and say that some of the things I have seen here are unjustified and uncalled for. However, for the most part we are helping this country. It will take more years than most expect, but we will get Iraq to stand on its own feet.

Most of what I have seen here I will never really mention or speak of, only due to the nature of those involved. I have seen a man give his food to a hungry child and family. Today I saw a hospital that most of us would refuse to receive treatment from. The filth and smell would allow most of us to not be able to stand to enter, let alone get medicine from. However you will be relieved to know that coalition forces have started to provide security for and supply medicine and equipment to help aid in the cause.

I have seen amazing things happen here; however I have seen the sad part of war too. I have seen the morals of a man who cares nothing of human life. … I have seen hate toward a nation’s people who has never committed a wrong, except being born of a third world, ill-educated and ignorant to Western civilization. It is not everybody who feels this way only a select few but it brings questions to mind. Is it OK for one to consider themselves superior to another race?

Surprising we are not a stranger to this sort of attitude. Meaning that in our own country we discriminate against someone for what nationality they are, their education level, their social status. We distinguish our role models as multimillion dollar sports heroes or talented actors and actress who complain about not getting millions of dollars more then they are currently getting paid.

Our country is a great country, don’t get me wrong on this, otherwise none of us would be living there. My point of this is how can we come over here and help a less than fortunate country without holding contempt or hate toward them if we can’t do it in our country. I try to do my part over here, but the truth is over there, United States, I do nothing but take.

Ask yourself when was the last time you donated clothes that you hadn’t worn out. 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?

Think to yourself and wonder what it would feel like if 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.

It is not unknown to most of us that the rest of the world looks at us with doubt toward our humanity and morals.

I am not here to preach or to say look at me, because I am just as at fault as the next person. I find that being here makes me realize the great country we have and the obligation we have to keep it that way.

(July Fourth) has just come and gone and I received many emails thanking me for helping keep America great and free. I take no credit for the career path I have chosen. I can only give it to those of you who are reading this, because each one of you has contributed to me and who I am.

However what I do over here is only a small percent of what keeps our country great. I think the truth to our greatness is each other. 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 that we are now faced with here in Iraq, that they are people of humanity, of pure motives, of compassion.

This is our real part to keep America free! HAPPY 4th Love Ya.

Marc Lee

P.S. Halfway through the deployment can’t wait to see all of your faces.

Lee was killed the very next month (August 2006). He was the first Navy SEAL killed during the war in Iraq. His story is shared in the book, “American Sniper” by Chris Kyle, the movie “American Sniper” with Bradley Cooper, and in one of his teammates books, “The Last Punisher” by Kevin Lacz.