A SOLDIER'S PERSPECTIVE
THE WEB'S LEADING MILITARY BLOG SINCE 2004
I apologize for spamming the site today, but I have to share one more thing with you before I hit the sack. The following was sent to me by Debbie Lee, the mother of Marc Allen Lee who was the first Navy Seal to be killed in Iraq:
Veterans Day 2007
It is with great respect and deep understanding that I write this letter to honor each and every Veteran that has served or is serving our great Country! I understand and appreciate all who have given so much for me so that I could enjoy my daily freedoms. I was able to sleep well in the safety of my bed last night because you served.
I was able to pray before my meal this morning in a public place without fearing arrest, because you gave.
I am able to freely speak my mind and voice my opinion without fear of retaliation against me or my family, because you cared.
I am able to stand up for what I believe in and not have a Dictators thoughts and opinions forced down my throat, because you stood up to the call to defend.
I am free to worship the God who created me in His image, because you were selfless in your actions.
To each one of you I speak from the bottom of my heart when I say Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!! You are my Heroes and I want to remember and honor you this Veterans Day. Not a single day goes by that I don’t think of the sacrifices you and your families have given!
I am actually on North Island Naval Base as I write this. My room looks out over the ocean and Point Loma where Ft RoseCrans National Cemetery is located and where my son Marc Alan Lee was laid to rest on Aug 2nd 2006. Many of you knew Marc or know his story and remember that he was the first Navy Seal to give his life in Iraq. I also remember him today and his sacrifice. Thank you son! His headstone says “Loved deeply, Deeply loved.” I deeply love and miss him, and am so proud of him. “Greater love has no one than this than he laid down his life for his friends.” John 15:13 The love doesn’t go any deeper than that! He loved deeply! He loved his brothers he served with, he loved me, he loved his family, he loved this nation, he loved his freedoms, he loved God, and he gave. He gave it all! That’s what a hero does. They are willing to give their lives for others. Each one of you are my heroes!
Each one of you have deeply loved this country too! Thank you!
Each one of you were willing to give your life if required for this country. Thank you!
Many of you have given your blood, and been wounded for this country. Thank you!
Many of you have known your friends and brothers who paid the ultimate sacrifice just like my son Marc! Thank you!
As I have traveled around this country speaking out in support of you ‘our defenders of freedom,’ I have met many of you and have been so deeply touched by your stories and your sacrificial service to this nation. I don’t take for granted our freedom which isnt’ free, it comes at a cost and you willingly paid that for me. So please remember this Veteran’s Day that I am your biggest fan and that you are deeply appreciated and loved.
From a grateful Gold Star Mom and Proud American,
Debbie Lee
PS: Please help me by forwarding this to everyone you know who is serving or has served!
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Jeff
We should be observing this holiday now more than ever. This weekend is the time to be thinking about issues confronting our troops and their families. A good way to get involved is to check out the the Wounded Warrior Project. It’s a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness for U.S. troops severely wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. It really puts a face on the cost of this conflict. Here’s a link:
http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/aarwebshow
Jeff
CJ
Jeff,
I greatly appreciate your comment. I highly agree with you that we should be celebrating Veterans Day “now more than ever.” And a good way to celebrate the day is to get involved in troop support organizations, especially those geared towards helping wounded troops.
I don’t know what your position is within the WWP, but I have some bones to pick with the organization. As you may or may not know, I’m an active duty First Sergeant who was wounded in Iraq. I’ve volunteered many hours at Walter Reed and Fisher House and organized thousands of dollars worth of care packages for them. I even have a WWP banner on my sidebar. However, lately I’m not very proud of my association and support of the organization.
Their decision to sue Wounded Warrior, an organization that has been around as long as WWP, contradicts their entire mission. By their own admission, the purpose of WWP is to “raise the awareness and enlist the public’s aid for the needs of severely injured service men and women, to help severely injured service members aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs.”
They have filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to forbid the use of our name “Wounded Warriors” in “advertising, marketing, promoting and operating its organization”. Now, how does shutting down an organization whose own website declares quite obviously at the bottom “Wounded Warriors, Inc. is not affiliated in any way with the Wounded Warrior Project.”
So, I say that I have a WWP banner up on my site, but I actually removed it when I learned of this frivolous lawsuit. Don’t get me wrong, the people that support WWP, like yourself, are caught in the middle of this. You are trying to do what’s right by the people who truly deserve it – the Wounded Warriors (can I legally say that in an email?). But, the people running the show for the WWP, John Melia and the board of directors, have a lot to answer for. Until they withdraw their lawsuit and cease their harassment of smaller non-profits, I will never support them. They’ve become a multi-million dollar organization bent on maintaining their donation base instead of focusing on their initial mission.
I have urged ALL my readers to actually BOYCOTT WWP until this is accomplished. I will no longer send another dollar, something I’m becoming ashamed of doing in the past, to them. As a “wounded warrior”, I don’t want their help.
Keep doing good things, Jeff. I would counsel you to question the thinking of those you are supporting and ask them the tough questions that I’m trying to get answered myself. If anyone from the WWP board of directors or John himself would like to be interviewed on record with me to clear this up, I am available, willing, and able. They just need to say the word. Please don’t take this personally as my criticism is not directed at you. It’s mainly targeted at John Melia.
SSgtJ
CJ, thanks for sharing this one with us.
Debbie Lee, that is an awesome letter. As you know, most of us were/are proud to serve. And you are welcome. But let me thank YOU for all that you have done. We can never repay you for your lose. We can never stop the hurt or ease the pain. But we can and will do all that we can to ‘Continue the March’. With the support of people like you, our military can sleep better at night also, just knowing that you have their backs.
Most of the Gold Star Mothers that I have met share Debbie Lee’s love and respect of our military. It is such a shame that the MSM can only find the Cindy Sheehan’s to talk about instead of the equally hurting mothers like Debbie Lee. I suspect that Debbie’s pain might be a little less if the MSM quit trying to demonize her son and his mission.
Thanks again Debbie. We appreciate you and pray for God to give you strength and peace.
MissBirdlegs
I don’t have her eloquence, but I’m so very grateful for all who have served and all those still serving. I’ve lived a long, free life, thanks to all of you! You all have my love and respect. Katy
chris
Soldier Dedication – original song and video
spreading the love and appreciation by honoring those who serve…thank you veterans!!!!