How Do You Remember a Fallen Hero? For Nick Xiarhos, Try Shotgunning Beers.

Nick Xiarhos lived his life as the guy that everyone knew, or at least, everyone wanted to know. He’d always offer a friendly “hello”. Or a high-five. Or a fist bump.

Xiarhos, a marine corporal originally from Yarmouth, Mass., was killed at age 21 in a roadside bomb attack on July 23, 2009, in the Garsmir District of Afghanistan.

Since his death, friends and family have organized Big Nick’s Ride for the Fallen, a yearly memorial motorcycle ride that honors Xiarhos and others from Cape Cod who died in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. At the 2010 memorial — which drew participants from all over New England — some of Xiarhos’ friends brought up the back-end of the motorcade sitting in the bed of a pick-up.

But the cops cracked down and prohibited the group from following the motorcade during this year’s memorial, which took place on Saturday. So instead, the group did what any good buddies would do: They stood on the side of the road, took a knee, and shotgunned beers in honor of their friend, a fallen hero: