Police Department Escorts 9/11 Walker Through Long Valley

LONG VALLEY, NJ — Members of Washington Township Police Department helped Jesse Johnson-Brower along a part of his journey recently, as he was headed to the Flight 93 9/11 Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, before his final destination to the Pentagon National Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Over a 30-day period, Johnson-Brower, a military veteran from West Michigan, plans to walk 500 miles, the start of his journey having begun at the World Trade Center Memorial earlier in August.

Johnson-Brower was one of the first on the scene at the Pentagon after it was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001, with the Army’s 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment.

Now the CEO of the non-profit LifeGR, an organization to help empower members of the military, veterans and first responders battling Post-Traumatic Stress, his walk will span the three memorial locations under attack that day and pass through six states.

While in Long Valley on Aug. 15, Johnson-Brower stopped to the police department, having had a police escort from East Mill Road to Pleasant Grove Road.

On the same day, Johnson-Brower also made his way through Chester on Route 24, having had a police and fire escort there.

According to statistics from Johnson-Brower’s LifeGR website, on Sept. 11, 2001, about 2,977 civilians perished, along with 343 first responders, in the terrorist attacks. Since then, more than 11,000 military members and contractors have been killed in combat, with over 100,000 injured.

More than 450 first responders have perished from cancers and illnesses related to 9/11, the website also states.

RELATED: Police, Fire Company Escort 9/11 Memorial Walker Through Chester

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.