Jessy was here — he was here in these halls, in these classrooms.

Cpl. Jessy Pollard, a 2003 Glendale graduate, served as an Army Ranger in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He died in Iraq on Aug. 22, when the Black Hawk helicopter he was traveling in crashed due to mechanical failure.

On the first day of school students and staff took part in a moment of silence for him just after the Pledge of Allegiance, and a memorial was placed on a stand outside of the main office. Sophomore Christie Lee, Pollard’s cousin, was touched by the remembrances offered by her peers and teachers.

“I thought it was really sweet,” Lee said. “I didn’t expect people to make a big deal about it, I mean, if I didn’t know the kid who had died, it would just pass right over my head. It was really sweet.”

Also among those who honored Pollard’s memory were members of the Patriot Guard (also known as the Freedom Riders), a group of motorcyclists dedicated to paying tribute to fallen soldiers. Grizzled and solemn, they stood at attention outside of the church where Pollard’s funeral took place. Each guardian held an American flag.

“It was amazing,” Lee said. “There were so many of them. Jessy would have thought that was so cool.”