21 Mile Salute
The Last Salute Prayer Box has been honored at Arlington and the Battleship New Jersey. It has been flown by Blackhawk helicopter from Fort Dix to Vineland for the renaming of the middle school after the first Army Ranger to die in the Blackhawk Down battle. It has been held and prayed over by countless clergy and dignitaries, Senators, Congressmen, Police Chiefs, Fire Chiefs,…. the Attorney General of the United States and most notably, many Medal of Honor recipients.
We continue to honor those placed inside the Prayer Box by starting what we plan to be an annual 21-mile foot march mission on Memorial Day. Uniformed guard members will carry the Prayer Box in a military backpack the entire 21 miles.
Last Salute has made a solemn promise to the families we serve. We will continue to honor their loved ones that they have placed into our Prayer Box.
The 21-mile march on Memorial Day is an opportunity to honor our fallen, reflect upon the true meaning of Memorial Day and to bring awareness to our fellow Americans of the sacrifice and service provided for them.
You can read more about the story and history of the Last Salute Prayer Box HERE
We invite those who wish to join us to walk any portion or the entirety of the march. Those that cannot walk far are invited to walk between the Brigantine American Legion Post and the Brigantine VFW Post with us once we arrive there.
We are also asking civic groups to set-up water and aid “check-points” along the route.
Details concerning the route will be posted very soon. The plan is to step off at the Absecon Veterans Memorial after the parade and Memorial Day ceremony. We will be marching to our halfway point at the VFW Post in Brigantine and back to the VFW Post in Absecon.
Members of the Brigantine VFW will be meeting us as we cross over the bridge and leading us into Brigantine with their WW2 military truck.
We also want to post individual personal signs honoring loved ones. These signs will be the same 18 x 24 coroplast signs that you see many realtors use on front lawns. We were able to secure double sided signs with the “H” post to stake the sign into the ground for $21 each. If you would like to get one for us to put along the route, let us know at our email below.
We have had a number of people ask to march with us. People may march behind members of Last Salute for any length of the march they desire. We are absolutely not responsible for your safety, comfort or transportation. If you “fall out” of the march at any point and do not wish to continue, it is your responsibility to secure transportation from whatever point along the route you decide to stop. NO ONE will be allowed to sit in or on Last Salute’s vehicles or trailers at any time. It is strongly suggested that you consider this before attempting to march along. The organization of the march, its management and its execution extends only to Last Salute members. Anyone else marching along is doing so as an independent person at their own discretion under their own direction as the route is a public access roadway.
NO FEE IS REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE BUT DONATIONS ARE EXTREMELY APPRECIATED AS OUR OPERATIONAL COSTS TO COMPLETE CEREMONY MISSIONS IS SUBSTANTIAL.
Please use the link below to support Last Salute.
Please contact us at [email protected] to get involved or if you have any questions.
TENATIVE PLAN OF THE DAY