U.S. Army

Specialist Justin W. Pollard was born on October 12, 1982. He grew up in Southern California where he loved participating in sports and body boarding in the ocean. He attended Eastshore Elementary School and Lakeside Middle School in Woodbridge and was active in Irvine Pony Baseball and Irvine Charger Football. He later attended Trabuco Hills High School where he lettered in Varsity Football and Varsity Baseball. Shortly after September 11, 2001, Justin left college to join the Army. He attended basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, where he trained as an Army Scout. After completion of his training at Fort Knox, he was assigned to Grim Troop, 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Carson, Colorado. Justin was deployed to Iraq with his unit the first week of April 2003. During his time in Iraq he was the driver of a Bradley fighting vehicle, on which he logged over 4,500 hours of driving across the Iraqi terrain. He later became a gunner on the Bradley vehicle and eventually became adept at spotting IED’s (improvised explosive devices) planted by the Iraqi insurgency. He has been credited with saving over 150 of his fellow soldiers. SPC Pollard was killed in Iraq on December 30, 2003. For his outstanding service, bravery, and commitment to his country, Justin was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star. He is buried at Pacific View Cemetery in Newport Beach overlooking the ocean he loved.