A surgical stapling apparatus comprising: a jaw assembly including an anvil assembly and a staple cartridge assembly, at least one of the anvil and staple cartridge assemblies including a surgical buttress retention system; and a surgical buttress (110, 120) releasably secured to a tissue facing surface (48, 56) of the anvil assembly or the staple cartridge assembly via the surgical buttress retention system, the surgical buttress retention system including: proximal guide slots (43, 73) defined in opposed sides of the anvil assembly or the staple cartridge assembly; and a retention member (130a, 130b) including a central portion (132a, 134a) extending across a proximal portion of the surgical buttress, second portions (132b, 134b) positioned within the proximal guide slots, third portions (132c, 134c) extending across a distal portion of the surgical buttress; characterized in that the proximal guide slots have a generally U-shaped configuration that are mirror images of each other; in that the surgical buttress retention system includes a plug (47, 77) coupled to a distal portion of the anvil assembly or the staple cartridge assembly and in that the retention member includes end portions (132e, 134e) coupled to the plug. a jaw assembly including an anvil assembly and a staple cartridge assembly, at least one of the anvil and staple cartridge assemblies including a surgical buttress retention system; and a surgical buttress (110, 120) releasably secured to a tissue facing surface (48, 56) of the anvil assembly or the staple cartridge assembly via the surgical buttress retention system, the surgical buttress retention system including: proximal guide slots (43, 73) defined in opposed sides of the anvil assembly or the staple cartridge assembly; and a retention member (130a, 130b) including a central portion (132a, 134a) extending across a proximal portion of the surgical buttress, second portions (132b, 134b) positioned within the proximal guide slots, third portions (132c, 134c) extending across a distal portion of the surgical buttress; characterized in that the proximal guide slots have a generally U-shaped configuration that are mirror images of each other; in that the surgical buttress retention system includes a plug (47, 77) coupled to a distal portion of the anvil assembly or the staple cartridge assembly and in that the retention member includes end portions (132e, 134e) coupled to the plug. proximal guide slots (43, 73) defined in opposed sides of the anvil assembly or the staple cartridge assembly; and a retention member (130a, 130b) including a central portion (132a, 134a) extending across a proximal portion of the surgical buttress, second portions (132b, 134b) positioned within the proximal guide slots, third portions (132c, 134c) extending across a distal portion of the surgical buttress; characterized in that the proximal guide slots have a generally U-shaped configuration that are mirror images of each other; in that the surgical buttress retention system includes a plug (47, 77) coupled to a distal portion of the anvil assembly or the staple cartridge assembly and in that the retention member includes end portions (132e, 134e) coupled to the plug.