Eric and I recently had the opportunity to visit the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum when I was in Florida for SOFIC a few months back. It was an awesome experience and one I’ll never forget.

It was my first visit to the museum and it was great seeing the completed memorial to all the fallen UDTs (Underwater Demolition Teams,) NCDUs (Naval Combat Demolition Unit,) Office of Strategic Services Maritime Units, Amphibious Scouts & Raiders and SEALs.

The memorial encompasses all those lost in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, the Cold War, Desert Storm and the current War on Terror. It was also an honor to have one of the museum staff guys volunteer to help me out in creating a rubbing of the guys I knew while I was at BUD/s. I got a bit choked up remembering their heroism and camaraderie.

When ITS was still in its infancy, we donated to help fund the memorial by purchasing a memorial brick that you’ll see pictured below. It’s inscribed with “ITS Tactical, In Memory of Our Fallen.” I also got in a few pull-ups for Marc Lee, Alex Ghane, Ryan Job and Jason Workman while I was there. They had a pull-up bar out back and it was hard not to knock out a few.

Check out the photo collection below from our tour of the museum grounds and interior. The last photo in the set shows our Geocache “In Memory of Our Fallen” that Eric set up at Ft. Pierce where we launched our ITS Travel Bugs from. We made sure to restock it while we were there.

I’d highly recommend a visit to the museum if you’re ever in Fort Pierce; it’s not everyday you get to see the birthplace of Navy Frogmen.

National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum

Today marks the fourth year I’ve been able to remember Marc Lee here on ITS Tactical. Marc Lee was the first Navy SEAL killed in Iraq on August 2nd, 2006 and I had the honor of serving with him in the Navy while I was at BUD/s.

Marc was awarded the Silver Star posthumously for his brave and unselfish actions on a Ramadi rooftop. As stated in his award citation, he was conducting clearance operations in south-central Ramadi with members of a Naval Special Warfare Combat Advisory element.

This is also the second year we’ve been able to raise money for Marc’s mother’s charity, America’s Mighty Warriors, thanks to your help in purchasing 5.1.11 Morale Patches. It was designed to commemorate May 1st, 2011 and the fantastic operation that Marc’s teammates from DevGru executed in killing Osama Bin Laden. 

America’s Mighty Warriors

If you haven’t heard of Debbie Lee’s Non-Profit 501(c)(3) Charity, America’s Mighty Warriors, it was founded to help our military, their families and those that have fallen through their loss. Inspired by Marc’s last letter home, the Glory Letter, Marc challenged the world to commit random acts of kindness and hoped for a brighter future for this country. Debbie has undertaken that goal with a passion for giving back to those in our military who desperately need it.

I continuously recognize Debbie Lee’s charity over other equally worthy charities, for one very important reason, she needs our help! Debbie runs AMW full time by herself. I completely understand what it’s like to develop something bigger than you and how rewarding it can be.

There are many great charities that I’ve personally contributed to both during my time in the Navy and after, like the Navy SEAL Foundation, Special Operations Warrior Foundation, Lone Survivor Foundation and Wounded Warrior Project. What I want to mention here is that these organization, while being extremely worthy of any help we can give them, are large and well funded compared to America’s Mighty Warriors.

Thank you to everyone that’s purchased a 5.1.11 patch and all that you’ve allowed us to give back to America’s Mighty Warriors!

Please also visit America’s Mighty Warriors on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

This last week as I attended SOFIC in Tampa, Florida, I had the opportunity to visit the UDT/SEAL Museum in Ft. Pierce. It was my first time to visit the museum and the first time I had the chance to look at the memorial wall that was erected to remember each member of the UDT/SEAL community that has fallen since they born in the waters of Ft. Pierce.

Out of these men on the wall, I knew four during my time in the Navy and at BUD/s, Marc Lee, Alex Ghane, Ryan Job and Jason Workman. Before I left my visit at the museum, I went inside to ask if they had a piece of paper that I could use to make a rubbing on the wall of my friends. The man I asked said “I can do better than that” and proceeded to grab a large piece of felt-like material, a big black crayon-looking puck and head towards the door. He said, “I’d be honored to help you” and I admit that my allergies got to me a bit as I thanked him.

I’m not comfortable with that fact that my friends are up on that wall and I’d rather be able to pick up a phone, or see these men in person again one day. They gave their tomorrows so that we could have today and this is what Memorial Day is all about to me. Honoring their sacrifice and never forgetting.

This is why I’ll be at the Carry The Load event in Dallas today and tomorrow, walking for 20 hours and 12 minutes with a brick for each of these warriors. Rather than try to express the meaning of Memorial Day here, I’d like to present an excellent article written this week by Debbie Lee, Marc Lee’s mother and founder of America’s Mighty Warriors, a charity that’s near and dear to us at ITS Tactical.

Fallen But Not Forgotten

Memorial Day weekend has kicked-off and people all over the nation are jumping into their cars, RVs and Motor homes to take advantage of the three-day weekend. Everything is packed and ready to go after weeks of focused planning. Many have anticipated this weekend for months and planned for camp-outs, parties, fun at the lake or beaches and just a little R&R.

For those who choose to stay home you can take advantage of the “Huge Blow Out Sales” on everything from mattresses to cars, oh and don’t forgot all those sales at the market for that big BBQ. Many kids are cheering as this marked the end of their school year and the swimming pools are opening for the season.

It seems every ad in the newspaper, commercial on TV or banner reminds us to “Celebrate Memorial Day” or wishes you Happy Memorial Day! The majority of Americans don’t even find those statements conflicting, or understand what Memorial Day is really about.

Celebrate….Memorial??????

Let’s check the dictionary, a memorial is an object which serves as a focus, for memory of something, usually a person (who has died) or an event, day a unit of time. Memorial Day was always the 30th of May until 1968 when Congress changed it to the last Monday in May so to allow for a three day weekend, now known as Memorial Day weekend. As a nation we have set aside this time to reflect (to think seriously) and remember (to recall to the mind by an act or effort of memory) our brave military heroes who gave their life in combat. This requires effort and serious thoughts not celebration and happiness.

As I child I remember getting together with family for picnics or BBQs and we looked forward to camping trips or trips to the lake. There were a few trips I remember to the cemetery, but it was to place flowers on deceased relative’s graves who had never served in the military. I thought Memorial Day was to remember loved ones who had died. I wasn’t taught and therefore I missed the opportunity to teach my children that Memorial Day is to remember those who paid the ultimate price. Freedom comes with a price, it isn’t free.

It really was my son, Marc Alan Lee who taught me about Memorial Day. Please take a momemt to watch this tribute video.

I have been on a campaign for years to Reclaim Memorial Day and educate and challenge people about what Memorial Day is really about. Many well meaning people still choose to make their speeches or advertising about thanking and honoring our troops on Memorial Day. As a nation that’s why we have Veterans Day and Armed Forces Day to do that. Personally, I’ve made it my mission to honor and thank the troops everyday, but our focus, our speeches, our thoughts of remembrance are to be on our brave warriors who gave their final breath defending everyone in America and what we stand for.

If you are a Gold Star family member everyday is Memorial Day for you, not a day goes by that we don’t remember our son, daughter, mother, father, brother, sister, or spouse who gave all of their tomorrows so we could have today. We remember them with pride and pain.

I don’t have to focus or use effort to remember Marc’s smell, his laughter, his grin, his hugs, his playful antics and sense of humor, his voice or who he was and how he impacted every life he touched. He was a gift that God gave me for 28 years and I was blessed that God picked me to be his mother. That young man did more in his 28 years than most do if they live to an old age. Marc successfully completed his mission and I know where he is and I will see him again one day.

I founded America’s Mighty Warriors in response to Marc’s last letter home and our mission is to honor and support our troops and the families of the fallen. I understand Freedom is not Free! I will be that voice for our troops and those who have laid down their weapons and left their boots behind and have no voice.

Have we as a nation placed our priority on fun and self fulfillment for Memorial Day weekend and forgotten our fallen heroes who died in combat?

Not only will I be remembering my son Marc whose name means Mighty Warrior, but I will be remembering every one of America’s Mighty Warriors who gave their lives, no matter what conflict, what branch of military they served in, how old, married or single, enlisted or officer. I will remember their sacrifice and their families and will live my life in a way that would honor them and make them proud!

I’m challenging you to make the effort this Memorial Day Weekend and REMEMBER those who died so you could have the freedoms you have. EDUCATE yourself, your family and those in your sphere of influence as to what this weekend is really about and then HONOR our fallen heroes and their families left behind. Attend a memorial event near you, stop and decorate the grave of a fallen hero, watch a movie or read about a fallen war hero, begin conversations reflecting and remembering, find a Gold Star family or teammate of a fallen servicemember and thank them and show your gratitude and remember to pray for them.

I remember when I was driving from Phoenix to San Diego for Marc’s funeral and we were stopped in traffic because of a bad wreck that had shut down the freeway. I had an envelope with pictures of Marc for the service and remembered looking at people in the cars next to me. Their lives were going on normally and had no clue that my son had just given his life in Ramadi and ours would never be the same. I had this urge to get out of the car and show them Marc’s picture and tell them his heroic story. I remembering questioning my thoughts, how weird, I thought to myself. Since then I’ve heard that from so many Gold Star families, they feel the same, we just don’t want you to forget our loved ones. As a nation we owe it to our fallen heroes, they gave it all for us.

“A nation who forgets it’s defenders will itself be forgotten” ~ unknown author

Remembering our fallen,
Debbie Lee
www.americasmightywarriors.org

In the wake of President Obama using the SEALs raid on Bin Laden’s Abbottabad, Pakistan compound for political gain, I’d like to ask that we all remember the bigger picture. The world’s most wanted terrorist is dead and today should be one of celebration.

Celebration you say? Yes, the fact that US HUMINT (human intelligence) led us to Bin Laden’s door step should be celebrated for all those that have perished leading up to the operation and those that are still falling in support of continuing operations that deconstruct the terrorist network overseas. Bin Laden’s death certainly didn’t change the battlefield, but it did serve to unite the country in the toppling of a keystone.

One year ago at 23:36 Eastern time, President Obama addressed the nation and announced that US Special Operations conducted an operation deep inside a compound in Aboottabad, Paskistan that left Osama Bin Laden dead after a firefight.

Here at ITS Tactical, we created a 5.1.11 Prevail Morale Patch days after the operation in partnership with America’s Mighty Warriors. AMW is run by Gold Star Mom Debbie Lee, mother of Marc Lee, the first SEAL killed in Iraq on August, 2nd 2006. We continue to donate the profits from the 5.1.11 patch sales to America’s Mighty Warriors.

Marc perished during house-to-house clearing in Ramadi, Iraq and earlier that day put him self in the direct line of fire not once, but twice, to draw attention away from an injured teammate. The second time to allow a medic to reach the fortified position on the rooftop they were on.

Debbie Lee’s Non-Profit 501(c)(3) Charity, America’s Mighty Warriors, was founded to help our military, their families and those that have fallen through their loss. Today I’m celebrating Bin Laden’s death for Marc Lee, Alex Ghane and Jason Workman, who I was in BUD/s with and who I know are celebrating themselves as they look down over us from Valhalla.

We’ve been wanting to create something for a long time now on ITS Tactical to honor all those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our country and our way of life. I often get asked about the memorial bracelet I wear on my right wrist and its significance.

I’ve actually been alternating memorial bracelets in remembrance of three SEALs I went to BUD/s with that have lost their lives since the beginning of the war. Marc Lee, Alex Ghane and Jason Workman. It’s my way of never forgetting them, striving to do good and living life to its fullest each and every day. I know that’s what they’d want, to never forget them and what they died for.

After not being happy with the quality of the first two memorial bracelets I had, I purchased a custom bracelet from HeroBracelets.org after Jason Workman perished in the 8.6.11 tragedy. I was so impressed with their quality and craftsmanship, I reached out to them about creating a bracelet for ITS Tactical to remember our fallen.

By partnering with HeroBracelets, we’re able to offer these black anodized aluminum memorial bracelets on ITS and donate $2 from the sale of each bracelet to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. Each bracelet is made in the US and will fit almost any size wrist with their inherent adjustable design. The bracelets feature the words “IN MEMORY OF OUR FALLEN” with the HeroBracelets logo and ITS Tactical logo on the reverse side.

Please help keep our fallen in your thoughts, even if these bracelets are not for you. Remember their sacrifice and all that they’ve done for each and every one of us.

Today, I’d like to offer my thoughts and perspective on the recently released Act of Valor movie. I’m not a movie critic, or even someone who’s got any operational experience outside of BUD/s (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Training) and what I was taught there. What I do offer with my write-up is the perspective of someone who has been through and overcome adversity side-by-side with members of the Naval Special Warfare community I’m proud to call my friends.

Words will never fittingly describe, nor do justice to the adversity that each one of these guys encountered in training and faces every day of their lives. What I mean by this is the continuous training, workup and deployment cycle they go through and all they sacrifice on a daily basis that most will never understand.

“We sleep safely at night because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would harm us.” ~ Sir Winston Churchill

Act of Valor

The opening line of Act of Valor starts with the statement that the movie is based on “real acts of valor.” As you’ll read in this write-up I was able to spot at least three different occurrences that were based on real life incidents that the Teams encountered. Before I go any further, I wanted to mention that the Navy SEALs are commonly referred to as “the Teams” or an individual SEAL as a “Team Guy.” Just a heads up in case you didn’t know.

I went into this movie expecting to see one of the most realistic movies ever produced about the Teams and I wasn’t disappointed. I knew going into it that all the SEALs in the movie were active duty Team Guys. I had mixed feelings about this and whether it was a publicity stunt from the NSWC PAO (Naval Special Warfare Command Public Affairs Officer) office to help push enlistment of guys going to BUD/s. Back in 2007 it was announced that by this year the command wanted to have an additional 500 SEALs.

I have no doubt that this movie using active duty SEALs was allowed to be made to help up the numbers. That’s certainly not to discount the active duty guys and their involvement, but having their faces on the big screen would definitely preclude them from ever being in certain SEAL units. I say this for the reader’s knowledge, not theirs.

I’m a strong believer in the SOF Truths, particularly that “SOF cannot be mass produced.” We’re still seeing this with the NSWC’s new numbers of guys going into BUD/s. When I was in, our class (251) started with around 170 guys and we wound up with 70 after Hell Week. This was also a very high number around the time I was there (2004). Funny thing is that the larger classes that are going through now, which have upwards of 250 guys, are still getting these same numbers after Hell Week. I mention this just to say that upping the numbers isn’t going to necessarily get the result the command is looking for. There will always be gatekeepers in the community who rightfully refuse to relax the standards. All BUD/s instructors are active duty Navy SEALs with the exception of a few Navy Divers in 2nd Phase and other select positions.

Something I appreciated reading was that this movie was produced at no cost to taxpayers. With most military movies, the usage of equipment, etc. is agreed upon and set up particularly for that film. With Act of Valor everything was shot in the training cycle and nothing was officially scheduled, which is why they’d been filming since 2006, as the “actors” still had to deploy and they shot where and when they could. Every battle scene utilized live fire and I was really glad to see the only use of automatic fire was for the purpose of suppressive fire as it should be.

One of my biggest gripes with Hollywood is the overabundance of fully automatic fire and with how many people I run across think that our troops run around dumping magazine after magazine (not clips!) into a bad guy. Ammunition is scarce and why you’ll only see fully auto used to suppress enemy fire.

Real Act’s of Valor

I’ll try to summarize the plot without giving away too much of the movie, but if you want to stay totally in the dark and see this for yourself first, it’s probably better that you stop reading at this point. Again, I’ll try to not give away too much.

The plot of Act of Valor is based on real exploits by the Teams and the premise is based on the overall global anti-terrorism mission that the Teams are currently chest deep in. This is portrayed with a mission to rescue a kidnapped CIA agent that leads to the discovery of a terrorist plot to funnel suicide bombers into major US cities with a new “undetectable” mass destruction technology.

The Bandito Platoon, that really seems to be more of a single squad in most scenes, is dispatched to stop the terrorist attack that “will make 9/11 look like a walk in the park.” Something I really appreciated throughout the movie was that the Team Guys were allowed to speak as they normally would. You could tell they weren’t actors, but I actually appreciated the candor that came across. I particularly liked the familiar language and talk I remember so fondly from the community.

My favorite SEAL/actor was the salty Senior Chief that threw out some great terms of endearment that made me smile and laugh my ass off. I especially enjoyed the interrogation scene dialogue between Senior and the terrorist cell financier, Cristo. The constant purposeful name mispronunciation and quotes like “shit filter’s full,” was exactly how I remember a certain Senior Chief I knew talked. Actually I heard worse come out of his mouth, but I won’t repeat it here.

Throughout the initial rescue of the CIA agent and successive operations to stop the terrorist cell, a SEAL is shot in the eye, another jumps on a grenade to save his teammates and finally one is shot dozens of times and continues to fight. These are the real acts of valor I recognized from the film.

The SEAL that was shot in the eye I believe to be the recently departed Ryan Job, whom I got to know while we were in BUD/s together. Job was a true hero and an inspiration to everyone, I’ll never forget his kindred spirit and his dive sup check dance that always had everyone laughing in Second Phase with Class 251. As in the movie, the shrapnel that struck him in the face didn’t kill him, but cost him his eye and eventually his complete vision. Job unfortunately passed because of a mistake in a facial reconstruction surgery more than three years after the original incident. A great quote from the movie was after the SEAL was evacuated from the operation, a teammate is trying to help calm him down and says “You took one to the face, you’re a hard m*****f*****!”

Later in the movie, the LT (Lieutenant) is the first to see a grenade that’s thrown into a room with himself and his teammates. He subsequently dives on top of it with his body armor and is killed in the blast, but saves the lives of his teammates. This act of valor is based on Michael Monsoor‘s unselfish act that saved his teammates lives and saw him posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. While I only had talked to Monsoor for a brief time in BUD/s, he was in the BUD/s class ahead of me in Class 250, he was a dedicated and stand-up guy. The rooftop incident took place in Ramadi, Iraq during his deployment with SEAL Team Three that also included Ryan Job and Marc Lee, the first SEAL killed in Iraq and who’s charity we’re very involved in here at ITS, America’s Mighty Warriors.

The final act of valor I recognized was portrayed by the SEAL Chief who was shot multiple times engaging the leader of the terrorist cell in the underground tunnels. In the movie he survives, as did the SEAL this was based on, when he was shot 27 times. I’m not sure whether this SEAL is still active duty or not, so I’ll leave off any additional information.

During the filming of Act of Valor, Aaron Vaughn, a SEAL that appears in the movie was killed in the tragedy that brought down a helicopter carrying 31 service members on August 6, 2011. In case you needed a reminder that these were really active duty Team Guys who were still doing their jobs while filming.

Final Thoughts

Something else to remember if or when you’re watching Act of Valor is how calm and collective the Team Guys appear throughout the movie, especially during the action scenes. They did an excellent job portraying this in the editing of the movie and it really showed the attention to detail that Act of Valor stuck to. There also weren’t an abundance of tactics revealed that would violate the OPSEC (Operational Security) of the Teams.

What really shone through to me in the film is the sacrifice these guys really go through on a daily basis, which as I mentioned earlier, is hard to put into words. The balance of duty to country, duty to their teammates and duty to their families back home is an emotional roller coaster. This is what being thankful for the service of our military personnel is all about.

I really loved the narration of the SEAL Chief throughout the movie and I won’t spoil the why for you. This particular quote by Chief Tecumseh, the Native American leader of the Shawnee, is one I remember hearing while I was in the service and one that I hope will speak to you as it did for me when I heard parts of it during the movie.

“So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people.

Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide. Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and bow to none. When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and nothing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision.

When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.”

One last thing I’ll mention is how moving the final scene of the movie was as each SEAL took off his Trident and drove it into the departed teammate’s casket as was publicized with Monsoor’s funeral. Between that and the tasteful crawling list recognizing those we’ve lost from the Naval Special Warfare community was all I could take before it brought a tear to my eye.

While I’ve been gone from my involvement in the Naval Special Warfare community for many years now, I still very much feel attached to the good friends I keep in touch with, those I don’t and some that I had the good fortune of knowing before they gave their lives for this country. The camaraderie that I reflect on so often with this group of guys who would do anything for you and I for them, will never be forgotten. Act of Valor brought out these feelings for me and why the authenticity that shines through the movie wouldn’t have been possible if it was done any other way.

Remember the fallen…

Photo Credit: Relativity Media