In the News

This article was originally published by AZFamily.com

SURPRISE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) – A Valley Gold Star mother hopes to carry on her son’s legacy by renaming a U.S. Post Office in Surprise .

Debbie Lee is the mother of fallen U.S. Navy SEAL Marc Lee. The purple heart recipient was the first SEAL killed in combat during the Iraq War on Aug. 2, 2006. In his last letter home, he asked for friends and family to “pass on the love and kindness and precious gift of human life.”

Lee said his story might sound familiar because of the movie American Sniper.

Since his death, she founded America’s Mighty Warriors, a nonprofit that supports troops and families of the fallen. The mission is to honor the sacrifices of our troops, the fallen, and their families by providing programs that improve quality of life, resiliency, and recovery.

Some of those programs include education, random acts of kindness, helping heroes with traumatic brain injuries and PTSD to receive therapy not covered by insurance.

Lee talked to Good Morning Arizona on Sunday which is also Gold Star Mother’s & Family’s Day, a day to honor mother’s and families who’ve had to answer the knock on the door, accept the folded flag and say goodbye to their absent fallen hero

Only Congress is allowed to change the name of a U.S. Post Office.

On September 16, U.S. Congresswoman’s Debbie Lesko’s (AZ-08) bill to rename the Surprise Arizona Post Office on Bell Road passed the House Committee on Oversight Reform. However, there are more steps to go to make it official.

“I thank the members of the House Oversight and Reform Committee for passing this important legislation to recognize a distinguished veteran who served our great nation valiantly and gave his life to protect his fellow service members,” said Congresswoman Lesko following the passage of the bill. “Marc Lee was a decorated Navy SEAL, and the first SEAL to lose his life in Operation Iraqi Freedom. It is my privilege to support legislation to honor his service and sacrifice and secure his legacy.”

Lee is trying to get the name changed approved by the end of the this year, before the next presidential administration takes office.