#NeverForget

Help Us Make A Difference.

Whether you attend an event like the upcoming 2nd Annual Jared Schmitz Memorial Pub Crawl, participate in a Fundraiser like the new Remembering the 13 on the 13th Campaign or shop in the Freedom 13 Store, you're making a difference in our Veteran's lives, and bring us 1 step closer to building a Freedom 13 Recreational Retreat in all 50 states!

Remembering Heroes. Supporting Veterans.

The Freedom 13 Veterans Recreational Retreat

We've got their six.
Join us!

A 501(c)3 (application pending) Non Profit Organization, The Freedom 13 Organization was created to building Veteran Recreational Villages across the US to help US military veterans, their families and fellow veterans rediscover themselves.  

Click the button below to learn more about the Recreational Retreat Project and how you can Join The Mission!

How You Can Help

Our Story ...

26 Aug 21

17:50 local time.

The day and time that shook our world to the core.

Our son, LCPL Jared Schmitz, along with 12 other of America’s brave troops, made the ultimate sacrifice, being killed by a suicide bomber while overseeing the evacuation operation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan at the end of Operation Freedom's Sentinel. He was 20 years old.

2nd Annual

Lcpl Jared Schmitz
Memorial Pub Crawl

A nationwide fundraising event Honoring, Remembering & Supporting America's Heroes

Raise a glass!

Join us for The 2nd Annual LCPL Jared Schmitz Memorial Pub Crawl benefitting TheFreedom13.org the weekend of Feb. 24th, 25th (Jared's birthday), 26th.

Bars and restaurants from across the U.S. will participate to raise money for The Freedom 13 Recreational Retreat Project.

Last year's inaugural event saw 198 bars and restaurants from 25 states and raised over $122,500!

To sign up and see who participating, click the button below.

Whether your signing up, slinging drinks or raising a glass, help us on our Mission by clicking a quick link below. 

Freedom 13 Store

Perfect way to Remember & Support

From tees, sweatshirts and corporate wear to flags, drinkware and unique gifts, we've got some great options!

Have a product or service you'd like to sell and support The Freedom 13? Add your company and products to The Freedom 13 Business Partnership featuring The Freedom 13 Online Marketplace.

All proceeds directly benefit TheFreedom13.org.

Remember The 13 Business Partnership 

Remember.  Honor.  Support.

All money raised supports the The Freedom 13 Veterans Retreat Project.

The Freedom 13

May we always remember the Heroes that made the ultimate sacrifice by
Remembering and Supporting the Veterans and their families that are still with us.

F13 Online Marketplace

Looking for a great gift idea and support America's Heroes at the same time?

Check out our Business Partners in The Freedom 13 Online Marketplace.
Tees, outerwear, drinkware accessories & more!

The F13 Blog

The Latest from The Freedom 13

Keep up to date with latest news, events and products!

Carrying On ...

Oct 30, 2022 Mark Schmitz

A year has past. Over a year, actually. 365+ days have gone by since we lost our son Jared, a Marine Lcpl, and the other 12 warrior souls on 26 AUG 21 at the Abbey Gate at the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan.The withdrawal was a debacle. Information and answers are slow coming, if at all. 365+ days later and my my wife, children and I are all doing as well as can be expected. The interviews have settled down, but here is not a day that goes by that we don't remember all 13 amazing heroes lost that day.We wanted to, knew we had to, do something. After much thought we decided the best way we can honor and remember The 13 was to create a non-profit with a simple Mission:To Remember the Heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice by supporting the Veterans still with us.Once had our Mission, our focus turned to “How?”The answer? The Freedom 13 Recreational Retreat Village Program.Each village will be a great place for veterans and their families to reconnect and recharge. To learn more or donate, click here.We’re also planning the 2nd Annual Lcpl Jared Schmitz Memorial Pubcrawl, a nation-wide fundraising event held over Jared’s birthday weekend (2/25). Proceeds from the event directly supports the Recreational Retreat program.Last years inaugural event was a huge success – 198 bars and restaurants from 25 states raised over $278,000! If you own a bar or restaurant, we'd love to have you be part of the crawl - click here for more information and to sign up. Click here to see who's participating. More news and announcements are coming, so please make sure to bookmark TheFreedom13.org and sign up for our News Letter!God Bless You, Our Troops & God Bless America.Thank you for your support.Mark Schmitz

Join The Mission

If you're a business and are looking for a great cause to support, please consider supporting TheFreedopm13.org, an organization created to not only Remember, but Support.

If you're a retailer, consider adding your products to your own collection in The Freedom 13 Online Marketplace. Or partner with us through The Freedom 13 Business Partnership, a great way to to reward and outfit your employees and say thanks to those that help you throughout the year.

Remember, whether you buy coffee or BBQ sauce in the marketplace, or outfit your crew with tees, a minimum of 13% of from each item directly supports The Freedom 13 Recreational Villages Project.

Every little bit helps.