Memorial Day has long been a day for remembrance. A day set aside to honor our nation’s heroes who have fallen, both in times of war and in times of peace.

This Memorial Day, some of Paragon’s heroes organized a march, and more to celebrate the day.

Dwarf Star, with the assistance of the rest of Freedom Factor and a few others helped to organize the event. With The Sly Fox handling security at the function, and a temporary cease fire of the “we won’t if they won’t” kind between the Skulls and the Hellions, it was sure to be a safe event for everyone. Section-8 spread some of his influence around to help out those veterans who’ve chosen to continue the fight as heroes of Paragon. Other heroes spoke about relatives and friends who have fallen in the fight to preserve freedom.

This was probably the single largest gathering of heroes the city has seen in some time. It showed how many truly care about our fallen heroes, and how many heroes still stand against the evils that continue to exist.

After the march lead by Dwarf Star, the heroes gathered beneath the statue of Atlas, who is probably Paragon’s most loved, most missed and most honored fallen hero. Mutants, magical beings, robots and cyborgs, and extraordinary humans in their myriad of different costumes stood and waited.

Ascendant came forward and the crowd settled in to listen to his words.

We’re here today to honor our fallen heroes.
Heroes.
It’s a word that gets bandied about all too often these days, it seems, especially in these times, when superhumans walk the globe.
But being superhuman doesn’t make you a hero.
It’s the latter part of that term
–The HUMAN in superhuman–
That gives birth to heroes.
Heroes like 2nd Lt. Robert Donald Leisy, who selflessly threw himself in front of a rocket propelled grenade to save his radio operator, and consequently, the rest of his platoon…
Heroes like Sergeant Troy McGill, who, alone and cut off from reinforcements, fired his weapon at the enemy until it stopped working, then used it as a club against oncoming forces…
Heroes like Seaman 1st Class James Ward, who held his post despite orders to abandon the USS Oklahoma, guiding the rest of his crew mates to safety at the cost of his own life.
Heroes like Petty Officer 3rd Class Natahan Bruckenthal
Who, earlier this year, gained the unfortunate distinction of being the first National Guardsman to be killed in action since the Vietnam War when his ship was attacked in the Persian Gulf.
And thousands upon thousands of others…
Men and women whose sacrifices are known and revered
As well as those who died alone and afraid and unremembered, in the cold, dark places far, far from home.
It is those Heroes…
Those members of the tragically and inexorably growing population that Lincoln said gave up the Last, True Measure of Devotion…
…that we are gathered here today to honor…
I choose to place myself in danger because the gifts I possess give me a unique edge against adversity.
To have these advantages, and just sit on the sidelines, is reprehensible to me…
But when I hear of the efforts of people who don’t have these gifts…
People who lack super strength, or hyper speed, or invulnerability…
Who are instead armed only with idealism and optimism and hope for a better day tomorrow…
People like The police officer who stares down the barrel of a criminal’s gun…
The fire fighter who charges into an inferno to save the lives of innocents…
The soldier who risks everything to protect the freedom which we so often take for granted…
I have to wonder if, under those circumstances, without my gifts, I’d possess that level of courage…
And I can’t find myself anything but awed and humbled to find myself counted among their company.
At this point, I’d like to request a moment of silence for those who are no longer with us.
If you know of someone who has died in the service of preserving freedom, please feel free to mention them so we all may include them in our thoughts.
[A moment of silence]
For those who have fallen in the service of peace and maintaining freedom, I can only say that we, the living, owe you a great debt
Because you’ve given up the most precious gift of all– life– in order to insure it for the rest of us.
And while it’s a debt we can never hope to repay, it is one that we should always strive to settle regardless.
Because, Lord willing, there’s always another generation that needs life…
and hope…
and heroes as well.
Thank you.
-Ascendant

To our heroes, past present and future, we salute you.