On August 26, 2021, a U.S. Marine from Missouri and 12 other U.S. military heroes made the ultimate sacrifice. Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz of Wentzville was killed during the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.

A suicide bomber killed them and 170 Afghan civilians. Schmitz was 20 years old.

Since his death, his father has not wasted time finding a way to honor the military heroes. Gold Star father Mark Schmitz launched a nonprofit called The Freedom 13.

The idea behind it is to raise money to build a recreational retreat for military veterans and their families to kick back for one week. The property will have 13 homes and the families can enjoy swimming, hunting, fishing, biking, hiking, pickleball, and other activities.

It sits on 171 acres of land in eastern Missouri’s Bourbon. The

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