Marc Lee was born on March 20, 1978, in Portland, Oregon. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy on March 16, 2001, and attended basic training at NTC Great Lakes, Illinois, from May to July 2001. Lee next attended Aviation Ordnanceman School at NATTC Pensacola, Florida, from July to October 2001, and then began Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training at NAB Coronado, California, but developed Pneumonia and was rolled back a class. After dropping from the program, he was assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower (CVN-69) in dry dock for overhaul from May 2002 to March 2004, and then was given another chance at BUD/S training in late March 2004. PO2 Lee completed SEAL Qualification training in May 2005, and served with SEAL Team THREE at NAB Coronado from May 2005 to April 2006, and then deployed to Iraq with his Team until he was killed in action in Ramadi on August 2, 2006. Marc Lee was buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, California. He was the first Navy SEAL killed in action in Iraq.

His Silver Star Citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy as Assaulter and Automatic Weapons Gunner for Naval Special Warfare Task Group Arabian Peninsula in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 2 August 2006. Petty Officer Lee conducted clearance operations in South-Central Ramadi as a member of a Naval Special Warfare Combat Advisory element for the Iraqi Army. During the operation, one element member was wounded by enemy fire. The element completed the casualty evacuation, regrouped and returned onto the battlefield to continue the fight. Petty Officer Lee and his SEAL element maneuvered to assault an identified enemy position. He, his teammates, Bradley Fighting Vehicles and Abrams tanks engaged enemy positions with suppressive fire. During the assault, his team came under heavy enemy fire from an adjacent building to the north. To protect the lives of his teammates, he fearlessly exposed himself to direct enemy fire by engaging the enemy with his machine gun and was mortally wounded in the engagement. His brave actions in the line of fire saved the lives of many of his teammates. Petty Officer Lee's courageous leadership, operational skill, and selfless dedication to duty, reflected great credit upon him and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.