Franconia honors army veteran on his wedding day

Army Capt. Steve Walters received the hero’s welcome home he deserved Sunday, with his blushing bride at his side.
The 25-year-veteran, who served multiple combat tours during the first Gulf War, and more recently in Iraq and Afghanistan, was escorted with wife, Michele, on their wedding day Oct. 12 by his fellow members of the American Legion Riders Post 234. Walters is set to retire from the army next year.
The large procession into the parking lot of Family Heritage Restaurant in Franconia for the wedding reception was quite a memorable site. Members of the Telford and Souderton Fire Companies parked two fire trucks facing each other and used the trucks’ ladders to hang a 30 by 40 foot American flag into the air, in order for the procession of motorcycles and cars to travel underneath. A band of bikers then pulled into the lot, playing patriotic music, followed by the newlyweds inside their purple Dodge Challenger, a few more bikers and the rest of the wedding party bringing up the rear.
“I’ll tell you what,” the 45-year-old Walters began, after the procession ended, “what our local fire fighters, what our Legion Riders have done here, the support that we have gotten has been absolutely amazing. We could not ask for a better day all the way around.”
The couple, who’ve been together for almost five years said this was an incredible way to celebrate one of the most important dates in their lives.
“I had no idea,” Michele said. “So I got a little teary eyed because it’s very awesome to see our flag anywhere, but that size on our special day is just awesome.”
While Walters admitted to helping plan the escort with the Legion Riders, he didn’t expect the overwhelming show of support they received.
“I had asked for a four to six man detail,” Walters said. “We had 60 riders. It was absolutely amazing. And their chief, they said to us, ‘we have something a little extra planned for you.’ So what we have here is that something little extra with this tremendous flag and all the support you could ever ask for.”
American Legion Rider member Nancy Buck, who helped organize the event, said the escort was about celebrating the special day and honoring Walters for his service.

“That’s his career. He’s military. He’s been awarded the silver star,” she said. “And he’s been with this woman for a long time and they finally got married. And he is a member of our post, so we’re definitely going to honor him. That’s why we did this.”