1st AD units at Ramadi hit insurgents hard in largest battle of new campaign By Monte Morin

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Marc Alan Lee KIA in Fierce Firefight in Ramadi Iraq

Flags at public agencies across Oregon were lowered to half-mast on Thursday in honor of a fallen sailor from Hood River.

Gov. Ted Kulongoski decreed Aug. 10 as a day of mourning for Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Marc Alan Lee. The 28-year-old member of the elite Navy SEALs died Aug. 2 during a fierce fire fight in Ramadi, Iraq.

“Petty Officer Lee’s service and sacrifice for our country places us forever in his debt,” said Kulongoski. “The loss of this brave young leader is profound. Lee’s valiant service to risk his own life in defense of freedom in Iraq is a testament to his character. Our thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family at this very difficult time.”

Lee’s funeral service will take place today at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery at Point Loma in San Diego County, Calif. The SEALs will hold a service in his honor following the interment. Kulongoski, a former Marine who has vowed to attend the funeral of all active duty military personnel from Oregon, will be present at those ceremonies to pay his respects to the Lee family.

To date, SEAL Lee has been awarded the following commendations: Bronze Star with Valor, the Purple Heart, Silver Star and Combat Action Ribbon. His mother, Debbie Lee, said more medals will be assigned to her son for his bravery.

A memorial service will be held in Hood River as soon as the family has decided upon a date and location. Those decisions are expected to be made early next week and advertised so that community members have an opportunity to attend. (Hood River News will carry details.)

A Stars and Stripes article published the day after Lee’s death provided information about the fatal battle. It was described as one of the largest campaigns led by U.S. forces to seek out and eliminate insurgent strongholds in the heart of downtown Ramadi.

Army tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles joined soldiers and SEALs in cordoning off sectors of the city and then searching individual buildings. They were concentrating on a location where insurgents had holed up and killed four Marines the previous week.

The battle began just before 8 a.m. when an insurgent sniper hit the rifle carried by SEAL Ryan Job, who was on a rooftop. The stock of the gun shattered and crushed his cheekbone. Another SEAL, name unknown, was wounded in the shoulder but struggled with other team members to move Job out of harm’s way. Several men were pinned down inside the building by heavy fire.

Lee reportedly sized up the situation and opened fire on bunkered insurgents to cover the evacuation of the wounded SEALs. Half an hour later, he was killed by machine gun fire through a window, the only American casualty of the day.

Job is now recovering from serious injuries at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland. His mother, Debbie Job, is expected to attend the services for Lee in California on Aug. 12. Several friends from Hood River will join Debbie Lee, who relocated from Hood River to Arizona in December, Marc’s wife, Maya Elbaum, his brother, Kris, and sister, Cheryl Wells.

Marc Lee attended Summit Christian School (now Horizon Christian School) and played soccer for Hood River Valley High School. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy on May 21, 2001, and graduated from boot camp in Great Lakes, Ill., that September. He subsequently entered Naval Air Technical Training Center in Pensacola, Fla., where he became an Aviation Ordnanceman.

In October of 2001, Petty Officer Lee entered Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training in Coronado, Calif. It was the SEALs’ embodiment of the Navy Core Values of Honor, Courage and Committement that reportedly drew him to volunteer for arduous SEAL duties.

Lee’s courage and commitment were tested when he came down with pneumonia during his first attempt to complete the rigorous training. He returned to the Fleet for a time to regain his strength, and was stationed aboard the nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Dwight D.Eisenhower.

With renewed determination, he returned to BUD/S in March 2004 and graduated in November. He then completed the advanced SEAL courses, with parachute training at Basic Airborne School in Fort Benning, Ga. Lee also spent six months in Coronado for Qualifications Training and endured cold weather combat exercises in Kodiak, Alaska.

He was promoted to Petty Officer Second Class in May 2005 and was subsequently assigned to a West Coast-based SEAL team in July of that year.

In the ensuing months, Lee participated in specialized trainings to prepare for his SEAL team’s deployment earlier this year to support Operation Iraqi Freedom.

1st AD units at Ramadi hit insurgents hard in largest battle of new campaign

By Monte Morin, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Thursday, August 3, 2006

RAMADI, Iraq — Tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles with the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division pounded insurgent strongholds in the heart of downtown Ramadi on Wednesday morning in what commanders here described as the largest battle since U.S. forces launched a new campaign to tame the city two months ago.

“It was the biggest fight we’ve had by far,” said Capt. Michael Bajema, commander of Company B, 1st Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment. “We definitely hurt the enemy today.”

Sniper and machine-gun fire, as well as the low boom of 120 mm tank rounds, echoed throughout the city just after dawn as soldiers, Navy SEALs and veteran Iraqi soldiers kicked off a cordon-and-search operation in one of the most hotly contested sectors of Ramadi.

The battle began just before 8 a.m., when an insurgent sniper shot a Navy SEAL in the face, wounding him and pinning down the rest of his team. For roughly the next hour, tanks and Bradleys waged a hectic assault on buildings spread over a five-block area, killing at least a dozen insurgents.

Before the battle ended, a second SEAL was wounded in the shoulder and another killed by machine-gun fire as he and soldiers from the 1st Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division attacked bunkered insurgents.

In all, the tanks and Bradleys fired 11 main gun rounds, 6 TOW missiles, 100 25 mm cannon rounds and 2,000 co-axial machine gun rounds into bunkered insurgent positions and sniper perches.

Company B soldiers discovered the bodies of 12 enemies during the battle, but they reported that as many as 15 more had been dragged off by insurgents shortly after they were hit and could not be confirmed dead. “Usually they recover their dead within a couple minutes,” said Bajema, 32, of Seattle.

Ramadi, Iraq’s largest Sunni Arab city, has been a hotbed of insurgent activity for much of the war. Until recently, U.S. forces have focused on defending points along the city’s main thoroughfare as well as its embattled government office building, leaving large swaths of town open to insurgent activity.

In June, however, the 1st Brigade was transferred from northern Iraq to Ramadi, where the unit is now employing a hybrid variation of the U.S. military’s “clear, hold and build” strategy.

Instead of emptying the city of all civilians and taking on insurgents in an extremely violent and epic battle — as was done in Fallujah and Tal Afar — 1st AD troops are attempting to isolate and eliminate insurgents block by block.

The Friedberg, Germany-based unit uses a ring of combat outposts within the city to stage daily patrols and larger operations against insurgents.

The outposts, as well as the unit’s heavy armor, have allowed them to put unprecedented pressure on insurgents here and, according to some commanders, drive insurgents into the city’s violent center.

“You’ve heard of the chewy center of a Tootsie Roll Pop?” said Lt. Col. Peter Lee, the brigade’s executive officer. “Well, we’ve been putting constant pressure on the enemy, squeezing him out of his safe havens and what we’re down to now is the chewy center.”

Wednesday’s operation began just after dawn as troops and tanks began working their way toward an area where four Marines were killed a week ago. As dismounted troops searched residences a half-mile away, Navy SEALs, Iraqi troops and two Abrams tanks headed for an area near the insurgent mosque.

The first SEAL was struck by sniper fire from a three-story building. The bullet crushed his cheekbone but did not kill him. As troops responded with heavy machine-gun fire, 1st Platoon tank gunner Spc. Michael Ford fired a main gun round into the building.

“We fired one round and then we waited for the smoke to clear,” recalled Ford, 21, of Eufaula, Okla. “A few minutes later we put another one into the middle of the building.”

The driver, Pvt. Brian Stone, 20, of Topeka, Kan., said he was covered with a coating of fine dust that showered into the vehicle from ventilation hatches after the big gun fired. “It’s like being inside a revolver when it fires,” Stone said of the blast.

As Stone’s tank left the scene to escort the wounded SEAL back to COP Falcon, Bajema ordered another three rounds fired from his own tank, gutting the structure.

As tanks covered the SEAL team’s exit, a blue sedan closed in on their position along a major thoroughfare. The driver was preparing to fire an AK-47 when a tank opened up with a co-axial machine gun, setting the vehicle ablaze.

As troops scanned the streets for signs of a counterattack, a robot surveillance aircraft spotted eight men moving toward Bajema’s location carrying RPGs and assault rifles. Bajema said he discovered them in an alleyway, fired another main gun round and killed two of them.

By this time, the SEAL team and Bradleys were searching for the other men in the group. They found two of them in another building. The Bradleys unloaded 50 rounds at them with their 25 mm cannon, killing both.

The SEALs prepared to enter another building where insurgents had holed up. The insurgents opened fire, fatally wounding one SEAL who was hit with a blast of gunfire through a window. The rest of the team returned fire, killing the insurgents.

One more SEAL was wounded in the shoulder when insurgents began firing at them from another bunkered house. Bajema responded with four main gun rounds, destroying the building.

Bajema said he considered the operation a success, although he admitted to some mixed emotions.

“There’s a psychological effect of going into an area the enemy owns and causing so much damage,” he said. “I think that will pay dividends.”

Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class (SEAL) Marc A. Lee, 28, of Hood River, Ore., was killed during combat operations while on patrol in Ramadi, Iraq Aug. 2.
Lee was and a member of a West Coast-based SEAL Team.
Lee was awarded the Bronze Star Medal (with Combat V), the Purple Heart and Combat Action Ribbon for his heroic actions in battle.
Lee enlisted in the Navy May 21, 2001, and graduated from boot camp at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill., in September.
He subsequently attended training at Naval Air Technical Training Center, Pensacola, Fla., where he became an aviation ordnanceman.
In October 2001, Lee entered Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training in Coronado, Calif. It was the SEALs' embodiment of the Navy Core Values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment that drew Lee to volunteer for SEAL training.
His courage and commitment were tested when he came down with pneumonia during his first attempt to complete the rigorous SEAL training.
Lee returned to the Fleet for a time to regain his strength, and was stationed aboard the nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). With renewed determination, Lee returned to BUD/S in March 2004 and graduated in November.
Following graduation from BUD/S, Lee completed advanced SEAL training courses including parachute training at Basic Airborne School, Fort Benning, Ga., six months of SEAL Qualifications Training in Coronado and cold weather combat training in Kodiak, Alaska.
He was promoted to Petty Officer 2nd Class in May 2005, and was subsequently assigned to a West Coast-based SEAL team in July of 2005.
Lee is survived by his wife, mother, brother, sister and Naval Special Warfare Teammates.
For further information related to this release, contact Naval Special Warfare Command Public Affairs at (619) 522-2824. www.navsoc.navy .mil or www.seal.navy .mil

Second-Class Petty Officer Marc Alan Lee is the first Navy SEAL to die in Iraq. He was killed when he stepped into heavy enemy fire in the southern city of Ramadi on August 2nd. SEALs are among the most elite forces in the U.S. military. Lee was based in Coronado. He was laid to rest this weekend at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery. KPBS Radio's Andrew Phelps has this remembrance.

As a kid in Hood River, Oregon, one of Marc Lee's dreams was to become a professional soccer player. But as a freshman on the high-school team, his chances looked slim.

Talcott: "Marc was a horrible soccer player."

Pastor Chuck Talcott was Lee's soccer coach. He would become Lee's lifelong mentor and friend.

Talcott: "He worked so hard, and he had such a drive and determination to become an excellent player. He really wanted at first to become a professional, and he would ask me as he was growing up, 'Do you think I have what it takes? Do you think I have what it takes?'"

Apparently he did have it. Talcott says Lee eventually became a soccer star - a good team player and even a bit of a show-off. Later, he overcame hellish training and pneumonia to become a Navy SEAL. Lee went on to dominate Iraqi soccer fields in friendly matches against Iraqi soldiers.

But Lee's platoon mates say his ambition and courage never masked the size of his heart.

Nick: "You know he's just secure in himself that, you know, a bunch of big, tough alpha male dudes that are trying not to show any emotion at all -- he managed to do it, and that's rare."

That's Nick, one of several Navy seals who fought alongside Marc Lee in Iraq. They gathered at a family barbecue and agreed to speak to KPBS on the condition we only use their first names. They remember Lee as brawny and boastful, but he also spoke openly of his love for God and family. When the guys played country music and rock n' roll at base camp, Lee turned up his own soft rock. At the blackjack tables in Vegas, Lee drew big crowds with his boundless energy. Teammate Kevin says Lee had no problem wearing a certain pair of pajama pants -- a gift from his wife, Maya.

Kevin: "They were chick pants. I'm going to go ahead and say this. They were chick pants, but he really didn't care. I think Maya bought 'em for him, and he wore 'em without shame. And we'd give him such a hard time, but he didn't care."

Lee's platoon mates say the bond that formed in the first days of training makes them brothers. So when Lee was killed, it felt like losing family. While fighting insurgents, the team came under surprise fire from a nearby building. Lee stepped in front of them to fire his machine gun at the attackers. Then he was hit.

Nick: "You know, it's baffling."

Nick says each SEAL struggles with the loss.

Nick: "To see your friend do that and, uh, and then die. You know, it's like an emotional experience for every guy in this room, as well as the other guys that were there. Um, and it's hard to describe, really."

His buddies say Lee was a consummate professional, and the way he died is proof of that. Kevin says he hopes for the same ending if he meets his fate in combat.

Kevin: "He died with his buddies and it's hard to convey that to his family because a loss is a loss and you can't replace it. And I'm sure he's looking down happy that we were around him in his final moments."

Marc Lee's pastor, Chuck Talcott, once questioned Lee's ambition to join the military. Now Talcott says he is proud of Lee.

Talcott: "To me, war is the last step a nation has to take to protect itself, to defend itself. And yet glory can be found in war. What he did was glorious. He stood up for other people, and he died for other people. He died for a teammate. He died for us."

Marc Alan Lee was 28 years old. Lee was posthumously awarded a Silver Star for gallantry and is survived by two siblings, his mother, and his wife. For KPBS, I'm Andrew Phelps.

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