USMC Lance Corporal Jared Marcus Schmitz tragically died August 26, 2021 while deployed to Afghanistan. Jared, along with 12 other US service members -- three of whom were in his squad -- was killed in action while assisting with the heroic evacuation efforts that safely transported over 100,000 civilians out of the country from August 15 to August 30. He was 20 years old.
Jared was born February 25, 2001 to Sue Livingston-Schmitz and Mark Joseph Schmitz who lived in St. Charles, MO at the time. At 18 months of age, his parents separated and later divorced. His mother returned to her hometown of St. Louis while his father remained in St. Charles County. From 1st grade through junior high school graduation, Jared lived with his mother full time in the Tower Grove South neighborhood of St. Louis, MO. He attended elementary school at Shaw Visual and Performing Arts School, one year at Carr Lane Visual and Performing Arts Middle School, and finally graduating middle school from Premier Charter School. It was at PCS where he met one of his closest and dearest friends, Allen Lutz. Allen offered immeasurable support to Jared over the years, and would later attend his boot camp graduation in San Diego, CA in October, 2019.
Although by 3rd grade Jared had already expressed his interest in becoming a Marine, he was not as serious a person as this goal may suggest. From the moment he was born, Jared was a loving, silly boy who always had a wide smile on his face. He loved to make people laugh, himself a prolific giggler. He was always active and played several sports growing up, including basketball, soccer, football and hockey. He had a relentless thirst for life and always sought adventure, perhaps most notably the time he and a friend were caught by his mother Sue jumping back and forth from their roof to the neighbor's. It should be emphasized that he was six at the time. A born daredevil, indeed.
After graduating 8th grade in 2015, Jared went to live with his father Mark in O'Fallon, MO to attend Fort Zumwalt South High School. It was there he would formally commit to becoming a Marine, enlisting in the USMC Delayed Entry Program at age 17. Jared graduated high school on May 25, 2019; began the 13-week Marine Corps Recruit Training at MCRD San Diego on July 8; completed the Crucible and received his Eagle, Globe, and Anchor medal on September 20, and finally graduated MCRD on October 5, followed by SOI West on December 18, all that same year.
Being a Marine was ultimately Jared's proudest accomplishment, but he made space in his life for his many friends and interests. He loved goofing with friends and cheering on the Blues (LGB!). Oh, and video games of course.
Jared was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents Tom and Jean Livingston. He is survived by his parents Sue and Mark, paternal grandmother Sue Cook-Allen, older half brothers Jake (Betsy Mikel) Guidry and Cameron Schmitz, younger half brother Elijah (Schmitz) Childers, and younger half sisters Elle and Addison Schmitz.

Services: The family is being served by Baue Funeral Home. Visitation will be held Saturday, September 11, 2021, from 3:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. at Baue Funeral Home Cave Springs, 3950 West Clay Street. Funeral Services are private, Interment Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. Memorials to H.E.R.O.E.S. Care and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.