Schools
Abraxas High Students to Honor Poway Fallen Hero in Parade
Abraxas High School will remember former student Lance Cpl. Jason Hill, who died in Afghanistan at age 20.
The is all about honoring the men and women who serve our country, our state and our community. This year, Abraxas High School will have a float remembering a special local loved one who died as he was protecting and serving our country.
Lance Cpl. Jason D. Hill, 20, was a 2008 graduate of . After completing training at , the Marine was deployed to Afghanistan where he was killed on June 11, 2011. Students from Abraxas pitched the idea of a float to honor Hill while the community, including local churches and council members, funded the project. Abraxas Student Services Specialist Cathy Kosich helped make the first Abraxas float happen.
“I personally felt compelled to recognize Jason for his service to our country,” Kosich said in an email to Patch. “He came back to visit Abraxas on leave between bootcamp and his deployment."
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Kosich met Hill when he was a student at Abraxas and said she remembers his focus on joining the Marines, as his family has a history in the service.
“He couldn’t wait to enlist, too,” Kosich said.
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The school's float is a stake bed truck decorated to honor Hill and carrying Abraxas High students and some of Hill's classmates from the class of 2008. Accompanying the float will be the Kearny Mesa Local Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3788 Honor Guard and two Humvees from Camp Pendleton carrying Hill's family.
Hill’s younger brother, Dylan, who also has plans to join the Marines, will be riding with the students.
Bringing up the school parade will be the Patriotic Guard Riders, who will follow Abraxas with patriotic music and a banner listed with other local heroes who have fallen in the service of our country, including Kenny Necochea Jr. from Poway High, Andrew Chris, Jason Paton and David McDowell.
“The Patriot Guard Riders [will have] windshield banners representing the five fallen heroes from Poway that will be on the five lead bikes,” said Patriotic Guard Rider and Southern California Regional Ride Captain Steven McRoberts in an email to Patch. “I felt that all these brave warriors and their families needed to be honored on such a patriotic day.”
McRoberts has a personal connection with Hill, as he was the ride captain for two important and somber events.
“The Patriot Guard Riders greeted Lance Cpl. Hill's angel flight when he returned home at MCAS Miramar and provided his family with an escort to the mortuary,” McRoberts said. “We [also] provided an escort and flag line to Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery for burial.”
Hill “gave his all for our country and our freedom,” McRoberts said.
While there were some hitches along the way to creating the float, namely with what vehicle the school could use that was large enough to carry the amount of supporters they had, the float is ready to roll down Poway Road with honor and remembrance.
”The community came together to help and support our efforts,” Kosich said. “Abraxas and our community are proud of Lance Cpl. Jason Hill Class of 2008, Kenny Necochea Jr. of Poway High and all our heroes: yesterday, today and tomorrow.”
The Patriotic Parade begins at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 10. The parade will run along Poway Road, beginning at Pomerado Road and ending at Bowron Road.
