by Kendall Tietz
A Marine who was killed in Thursday’s terrorist attacks in Kabul has been identified as a 20-year-old man from St. Louis, his father told local affiliate KMOX.
Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz is one of 13 marines who lost their lives in Thursday’s ISIS-K terror attacks at Kabul airport, his father Mark confirmed to St. Louis’ KMOX Friday. Schmitz was notified early Friday morning that his son had died.
“The Marines came by last night at two-forty in the morning to give us the horrific news,” Mark Schmitz told KMOX. Lance Cpl. Schmitz was a part of the group that was sent back to Afghanistan in the last two weeks to help with evacuation efforts.
“This was something he always wanted to do and I’ve never seen a young man train as hard as he did to be the best soldier he could be,” his father told KMOX. “That’s a big part of why, obviously we are all devastated and sad, but there’s so much anger right now because he wasn’t even given that opportunity to demonstrate all the skills he had perfected and learned while in the Corps.”
Schmitz sounded the alarm on a “lack” of leadership in the Biden administration following Thursday’s attacks, advising Americans to put their faith in the armed forces who are the “only ones” that “have our backs.”
“Be afraid of our leadership, or lack thereof, pray everyday for the soldiers that are putting their lives at risk and doing what they love, which is protecting all of us,” Mark Schmitz told KMOX. “I think they are the only ones that we can honestly say have our backs.”
“He was probably one of the coolest, unique individuals I’ve ever met. I’m very honored that I could call him my son,” he said through tears. “I don’t have words for how upset we are… this has just been absolutely devastating.”
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Kendall Tietz is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation.
Background Photo “Kabul Airport” by Abraxas Spa.
