Oregon Community Says Goodbye to a Hero (VIDEO)

(HOOD RIVER) - The city of Hood River Oregon said goodbye to one of its own Saturday. Friends, family, active duty servicemen and veterans all joined together to recall the life of 28-year old Marc Lee, a young man who leaves many loved ones behind.

Marc was a Navy SEAL, one of the nation’s elite commandos that have been on the cutting edge when it comes to freedom and security, for decades. Marc was the first Navy SEAL to die in combat in Iraq.

When it comes to high level security and reconnaissance work, the Navy SEAL’s are among the best. During training, Marc almost failed because of pneumonia when he first went through the underwater demolitions program. After healing, he successfully became one of the Navy’s elite and it is a grueling and challenging life, even in peacetime.

Marc was killed while on operations in Iraq, and now the hundreds who gathered to pay their respects say the world has lost a real friend. And the sailors who knew him lost a brother in Marc, one who took his profession very seriously and a person whose character didn’t waiver.

It looked like most of the city of Hood River, Oregon turned out for the solemn event. A motorcycle escort group called the Patriot Guard was on hand to ensure that the funeral received a proper level of respect.

The Gold Star banner was presented to Marc’s family, it is the symbol of the ultimate sacrifice, and something that brings out the good in most people.

(Sorry the video is missing, the company we used to post it went out of business, we will try to replace the clip if possible, if you have a copy of the original that you downloaded then please let us know, thank you.)

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With almost 25 years of experience on the west coast and worldwide as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor, Tim King is Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor. His background includes covering the war in Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007, and reporting from the Iraq war in 2008. Tim is a former U.S. Marine who follows stories of Marines and Marine Veterans; he's covered British Royal Marines and in Iraq, Tim embedded with the same unit he served with in the 1980's.

Tim holds awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing from traditional mainstream news agencies like The Associated Press and Electronic Media Association; he also holds awards from the National Coalition of Motorcyclists, the Oregon Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs; and was presented with a 'Good Neighbor Award' for his reporting, by the The Red Cross.

Tim's years as a Human Rights reporter have taken on many dimensions; he has rallied for a long list of cultures and populations and continues to every day, with a strong and direct concentration on the 2009 Genocide of Tamil Hindus and Christians in Sri Lanka. As a result of his long list of reports exposing war crimes against Tamil people, Tim was invited to be the keynote speaker at the FeTNA (Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America) Conference in Baltimore, in July 2012. This is the largest annual gathering of North American Tamils; Tim addressed more than 3000 people and was presented with a traditional Sri Lanka ‘blessed garland’ and a shawl as per the tradition and custom of Tamil Nadu

In a personal capacity, Tim has written 2,026 articles as of March 2012 for Salem-News.com since the new format designed by Matt Lintz was launched in December, 2005. Serving readers with news from all over the globe, Tim's life is literally encircled by the endless news flow published by Salem-News.com, where more than 100 writers contribute stories from 23+ countries and regions.

Tim specializes in writing about political and military developments worldwide; and maintains that the label 'terrorist' is ill placed in many cases; specifically with the LTTE Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, where it was used as an excuse to slaughter people by the tens of thousands; and in Gaza, where a trapped population lives at the mercy of Israel's destructive military war crime grinder. At the center of all of this, Tim pays extremely close attention to the safety and welfare of journalists worldwide.

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Anna Lay August28,2006 8:05 August 28, 2006 8:10 pm (Pacific time)

Everything done to Honor Our Heroes is another step towards Heaven.Thank You all. Anna Lay

Lela August 28, 2006 6:12 pm (Pacific time)

Great video. Tim you do journalism an honor by the work you do. Keep it up. Salem-News.com is filling a need in news coverage.

RoxPeaches August 28, 2006 5:41 pm (Pacific time)

I was very pleased with this piece of coverage. I support all that Q does and wish like him that more media would cover or do what you have done here. It cannot go unrecognized.

Rev. Terry Wells August 28, 2006 2:04 pm (Pacific time)

Thank God for great reporting and your love of country to show this tragedy not only of the death but the ignorance of hate.

Q Madp August 28, 2006 11:46 am (Pacific time)

That was a great piece. Thank you. I wish more media could do this. Q www.IraqWarHeroes.org

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