The father of a Marine Corps lance corporal killed in Afghanistan is urging people to reach out to veterans with support for those who served in combat.
Two Marines visited Mark Schmitz’s family at 2:40 a.m. and informed them that their son, Jared, was killed. Initially, he thought they were there to tell him his son had been injured, he said, and it “took forever” for them to get him to comprehend that they were there to “deliver the most horrific news of his passing.”
Jared Schmitz, whom his father called “a hell of an American — a true hero,” was one of 13 U.S. service members killed in Kabul amid the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.
“Jared was an energetic little guy — he was constantly happy … He was just always an upbeat, positive kid — a lot of energy,” Schmitz said. “I could see that he was turning into a very compassionate young man and kid, and he’s always been so selfless.”
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“When this attack happened, I had this gut-wrenching feeling for our military and their families. Somebody just lost their life over this,” Schmitz told National Public Radio. “In the back of my mind, though, of course I was thinking, ‘Well my son is OK at least — thank God for that.'”
It’s important to reach out to service members to offer love and support at this time of national grief, he added.
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“I’ve got so many people saying, ‘What can we do, what can we do?'” he said. “The best I could come up with is for everybody out there to reach out to a service member … Call them, just let them know you’re thinking about them. These guys need as much love and support as they can possibly get for everything they’re doing for us.”
