014 Debbie Lee

About this video

Mike Ritland interviews Debbie Lee, the Gold Star mother of Marc Lee, the first Navy SEAL killed in action in Iraq. Lee recounts her son’s upbringing, including a difficult childhood marked by family dysfunction, single parenthood working multiple jobs, and eventually homeschooling her three children. She describes Marc as a humorous, loving child who became an exceptional soccer player and ultimately made the selfless choice to sacrifice his life to save his teammates in Ramadi on August 2, 2006, for which he was posthumously awarded the Silver Star.

Key takeaways

• Debbie Lee shares that Marc Lee was posthumously awarded the Silver Star after he fearlessly exposed himself to enemy fire to protect his teammates and was mortally wounded in the engagement
• Lee recounts raising three children as a single mother in poverty, sometimes working three jobs and 96 hours per week, choosing perseverance over welfare assistance
• Lee describes Marc as naturally humorous and loving from early childhood, earning class clown honors in high school and maintaining close bonds with family despite difficult circumstances

Episode details: published September 11, 2018 · 25.4K views · 2:00:16 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Stories told by Mike Ritland’s podcast guests are the guests’ own accounts, attributed to them — not independently verified. Commentary is Ritland’s, presented as his analysis.

← Previous: 013 Jeff Gonzales · Next: 015 Mike Ritland Q & A Part II →

All Mike Ritland videos · Mike Ritland profile · Mike Drop (official site)