This New Hanover high school serves as a tribute to a Medal of Honor recipient

Eugene Ashley High School, located south of Wilmington near Carolina Beach, is the youngest of New Hanover County Schools' four traditional high schools. The facility was opened alongside New Hanover County Veterans Park in 2001.

The school was named after Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. Eugene Ashley Jr., a native of Wilmington and Army special forces, who died in 1968 at age 37 during the Vietnam War.

The school mostly serves students from the areas of Monkey Junction, Silver Lake, Carolina Beach and Kure Beach.

Notable alumni that attended Ashley are Alex Highsmith , an NFL player with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Trevor Kelley, pitcher with the Seattle Mariners.

The school appeared in several "One Tree Hill" episodes. In July 2007, Ashley High School students got a treat when actor Ben Stiller did their afternoon announcements during a break while filming "The Marc Pease Experience" at the school.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: This New Hanover high school serves as a tribute to a Medal of Honor recipient