The Avenue of 444 Flags Foundation was incorporated on April 25, 1990, as a charitable organization under the IRS Code § 501(c)(3). It has a multi-fold mission:
- To advance patriotic spirit and civic pride in our nation
- To construct and maintain monuments that honor our military veterans
- To educate the public not only about the Iranian Hostage Crisis which precipitated development of the Avenue of 444 Flags, but also about the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and their families throughout the history of our country.
- To provide a beautiful, permanent resting place for the cremated remains of veterans (and their families) who have honorably served in our armed forces. They can be interred in the Cremation Garden among the flags surrounding the War on Terror Veterans Memorial.
With the establishment of the Cremation Garden, the Foundation has started the Veterans Left Behind Project. Its purpose is to inter, at no cost, the cremated remains of thousands of veterans that lie unclaimed in funeral homes and crematories across the country. It is a joint project of the Avenue of 444 Flags Foundation, funeral homes, mortuary schools and students, and others wanting to provide honor to those who have been deprived of it, some for many years.
The land in which the Cremation Garden is located was deeded directly to the Avenue of 444 Flags Foundation by Hillcrest Memorial Park on February 1, 2013.
