Medal of Honor recipient to lead National Poppy Day event

Medal of Honor recipient and Navy SEAL Edward C. Byers Jr. will lead a poppy-themed motorcycle ride of hundreds of American Legion Riders on Friday, National Poppy Day.

Throughout the day, American Legion Family members will distribute poppies for the public to wear or display in honor of military service. The symbolism of the poppy dates back to World War I when the flowers flourished in fields amid the rubble in France and Belgium. The red flower came to symbolize fallen soldiers in the classic wartime poem, “In Flanders Fields,” written by Lt. Col. John McCrae, who served on the front lines.

After serving as keynote speaker for the first Poppy Day, Byers will lead the delegation as it leaves American Legion Post 177 in Fairfax, Va., to ride to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial for a candlelight vigil on Friday night.

Byers received the Medal of Honor from President Barack Obama during a White House ceremony in February 2016 for his efforts during a hostage rescue while deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2012. He is only the 11th living servicemember to be awarded the medal for bravery displayed in Afghanistan.