Memorial Day Message
from Gold Star Mom Debbie Lee

Hello, my name is Debbie Lee, and my son, Marc Alan Lee, was the first Navy SEAL killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom, so you can imagine that days like today - Memorial Day - are tough days for me.

I miss Marc so deeply, yet I am so proud of my Hero, my Mighty Warrior! He loved his country and was so proud to serve in the military and to dutifully undertake the missions he served on - he understood how important it is for America to win the war on terror.

Memorial Day is not a once-a-year holiday for me - every day is Memorial Day for me as I remember the little boy who grew into a Hero. I remember his smile, his love, his laughter, his hugs, but most of all, his sacrifice.

As a nation we have declared this as a day to remember those who have given their lives serving their country in the military. We can never fully repay their sacrifice.

I'm not sure if you've heard the news reports or not, but a contingent of liberal, spineless, gutless politicians in Congress have decided to hold up funding for our troops - and are using them as pawns in their political playground to force our military to surrender to the terrorists.

I spent last Christmas with our troops in Iraq (that's me in the Santa cap along with our great troops!), and I can't even put into words just how amazing these young men and women are.

It's such a dishonor and disservice to our honorable men and women in uniform to be thousands of miles away from family, friends and their homes, while here on the home front anti-military radicals and anti-war politicians are trying to undermine their missions.

My son gave up his voice [along with his life] in service to his nation -- but I can be his voice, and work to make sure that those still serving on the front lines of Iraq and Afghanistan have the support of Americans back home.

Let's show our troops that they are unconditionally supported by the American people - and let them know not to be distracted or depressed by the shameless acts of some Members of Congress.

Move America Forward, the nation's largest pro-troop organization, has put together an effort to send the largest number of care packages to U.S. troops in history. Between now and the 4th of July we are asking Americans to sponsor care packages that we will send to our heroic military men and women who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. We need you to join us by sponsoring care packages and helping us reach this historic goal.

My son gave up his life for this country because he knew that the series of attacks against Americans by Islamic jihadists/terrorists had to be stopped. Our country could no longer look the other way and pretend that there wasn't an enemy that was determined to destroy our nation. So Marc volunteered to serve his nation, as an elite Navy Seal, and he and so many others joined our military knowing that they might have to sacrifice their own lives for the freedoms of our nation, for you, for me.

The United States of America is a great nation thanks in large part to all those in uniform who have shed blood and given their lives to ensure that this remains the shining city on a hill that President Ronald Reagan once spoke of -- a land of freedom, of liberty, of decency, of opportunity.

Let's use this day to show our military men and women currently serving overseas how much we appreciate them. Please, join me in this wonderful effort to send the largest shipment of care packages in history to our troops.

Thank you for taking the time to read my note. I wish you and your family a blessed Memorial Day, and I thank all of you who have supported Move America Forward's pro-troop activities to date, and those to come in the future.

Debbie Lee (holding a picture of my hero, Marc)
Gold Star Mom, Move America Forward
www.MoveAmericaForward.org