SEAL warrior with an amazing sense of humor that kept us laughing
through the darkest of times. He was shot and killed in the midst of a
furious firefight in one of the largest single battles fought by U.S. forces
in South-Central Ramadi. Marc was my friend and brother. I was his
commander, ultimately responsible for his life. Yet I had received only a
minor gunshot wound that day, while Marc was struck and killed
instantly. I had come home and he had not. This was devastating beyond
measure.
I grieved too for Mike Monsoor, from Task Unit Bruiser’s Delta
Platoon, who, while not a member of my platoon, was also a friend and
brother. Mike had jumped on a grenade to save three of his teammates.
Mike was loved and respected by all who knew him. Like Marc, we
deeply mourned his loss.
On the same day Marc Lee had been killed, another beloved SEAL
from Charlie Platoon, Ryan Job, had been shot in the face by an enemy
sniper. He was gravely wounded and we weren’t sure he would live. Yet
Ryan, tough as nails, had survived, although his wound left him
permanently blind. Still, Ryan’s drive and determination were
unstoppable. He married the girl of his dreams and, after medically
retiring from the Navy, enrolled in a college program and earned a
business degree, graduating with a 4.0 GPA. Despite being blind, Ryan
successfully reached the 14,410-foot summit of Mount Rainier and
personally bagged a trophy bull elk (using a rifle fitted with a specially
designed scope with a camera for a spotter).^2 Ryan was an exceptional
SEAL, a wonderful teammate and a friend who inspired all who knew
him. Though he had as much right as anyone to be bitter about the hand
life dealt him, he was not. We laughed continuously every time we got
together. Ryan and his wife were expecting their first child, and he could
jeff_l
(Jeff_L)
#1