Gold Star Memorial groundbreaking ceremony at Wesley Bolin Plaza

PHOENIX - It will be the newest memorial in front of the Arizona State Capitol -- a special tribute to Gold Star Families and the loved ones they lost in the wages of war.

"We just had the Fourth of July and our freedoms are not free. There's a price that's paid for that," Debbie Lee said. "We understand the sacrifice that's made and we want these families to know we'll never forget their hero and we won't ever forget them."

Lee became a Gold Star mother when she lost her son on August 2, 2006 -- Marc Alan Lee was the first Navy SEAL killed in Iraq.

Now, Lee says this new memorial will serve as a way to not only honor loved ones lost while defending our country, but also their families.

The memorial is also serving as a way to educate the community.

"This is a way for us to honor all of our Arizona Gold Star Families," Lee said. "A place where school buses come down here to visit the war memorial and a way to be able to educate them on what a Gold Star family is and the honor and respect that's due to those families."

America's Mighty Warriors
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