150th Memorial Day Parade In Freehold Honors Military Sacrifice

FREEHOLD, NJ — Freehold Borough officials are inviting veterans, visitors and residents to help honor those who gave their lives in military service at the borough's 150th Memorial Day Parade and remembrance ceremony on Monday, May 27.

The parade, the longest-running Memorial Day parade in New Jersey and 11th oldest in the United States, follows the Service of Reflection ceremony, set for 8:30 a.m. at Elks Point, where Routes 79 and 537 converge, Borough Councilman Adam Reich said in a news release. Reich is the parade committee liaison.

In addition, there are events in the borough on Saturday and Sunday to commemorate the sacrifices of members of the armed forces.

At 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 25, the Orchestra of St. Peter by the Sea, led by Father Alphonse, will be performing a concert at the First Presbyterian Church, 118 West Main St., Freehold. Tickets are $20 each. Contact the committee at FreeholdMemorialDayParade@gmail.com to reserve tickets.

At 1 p.m. Sunday, May 26, there will be a free reenactment of the Grand Army of the Republic Service at the gravesite of U.S. Army Capt. James W. Conover at Maplewood Cemetery, 169 West Main St. Conover died from a wound received at the Battle of Monocacy, Maryland, in 1864. As part of the program, Freehold Borough Historian Kevin Coyne will share the history of the Freehold parade and Conover's biography.

On Monday, there will be road closures along the parade route beginning at 7:30 a.m. and no parking along the parade route from 6 a.m. until 1 p.m., officials said.

There will be free parking available in the Market Yard parking lot off Center and Mechanic streets; in the Monmouth County Hall of Records Annex parking lot off East Main and Lafayette streets, and in an auxiliary lot on Lafayette Street behind the Hall of Records Annex parking lot.

Former Borough Councilman George Schnurr will serve as the master of ceremonies for the Service of Reflection.

The parade begins at 9:45 a.m. at Brinckerhoff Avenue and West Main Street, where a horse-drawn caisson wagon transporting a casket covered by an American flag will be accompanied by military personnel as it heads down the parade route.

At 10 a.m., representatives of local veteran organizations will begin their march along Main, Murray, and Schanck streets, followed by the rest of the parade participants.

Reich said the 150th parade will be the largest in recent memory with almost 100 units participating.

"The Freehold Memorial Day parade is one of the signature events of our community," Reich said. "When this parade honoring our servicemen and servicewomen started, there were only 37 states in our nation. It is as old as the Kentucky Derby and is the 11th oldest parade in the country!"

"I am deeply honored to be asked by the Mayor and Council and the Cpl. Philip A Reynolds Detachment 203 Marine Corps League of Freehold to be the master of ceremonies for the Service of Reflection," Schnurr said. "The traditional Elks Point Service of Reflection is held in memory of all Freehold and other American servicemen and servicewomen who lost their lives defending our nation. Every one of our veterans and the ones who made the ultimate sacrifice represented by the crosses and Stars of David at Elks Point have honored us through their brave commitment to our country."

The theme of the 2024 parade, as decided by the Cpl. Philip A Reynolds Detachment 203 Marine Corps League, is "Honor our Fallen."

Korean War era veteran Marine Cpl. Joseph Arcoleo, who is 93, is the grand marshal. Joseph Arcoleo was born in Brooklyn, NY, in 1931 and moved to the Freehold area when he was 2 years old. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in March of 1951 and trained in Parris Island, South Carolina. His first duty station was in Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base — Montford Point Camp in Jacksonville, North Carolina, with the Motor Transportation Division. He was then transferred to Arlington, Virginia, for his second duty station during the Korean War era, where he attended to and assisted dignitaries and generals in and around Washington D.C. He ended his enlistment in March 1954. During his active duty, Corporal Arcoleo was awarded the National Defense Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, and the Marine Corps Rifle Sharpshooter Qualification Badge.

After returning to Freehold, he married Elizabeth McMahon and they built a home together in the borough, literally and figuratively. He started a construction company that was well-established for more than 45 years. Arcoleo is the oldest member of the Cpl. Philip A. Reynolds 203 Marine Corps League detachment. He joined in 1991, served as post commandant in 2003 and 2004, and is a past "Pound Keeper" of the Military Order of the Devil Dogs Pound 227, the League’s Fun and Honor Society which provides entertainment at league gatherings, fundraises for the league’s charities, and above all, maintains the league’s principles and ideals while fostering American institutes of freedom and defending America.

"The parade has grown exponentially over the years under the direction of our many dedicated volunteers, most notably Memorial Day Parade Committee chairperson Alice McCobb and vice-chair and secretary/treasurer Amanda McCobb, without whom, the parade would not be as grand and as momentous as it is today," Reich said.

"Freehold Borough’s mayor and council would like to thank them, and all the members of the Memorial Day Parade Committee, for all their hard work and dedication throughout the entire year," he said.

"We would also like to thank the Department of Public Works, and the Police Department for helping us get Freehold Borough ready for the parade," Reich said. "They do a tremendous job making Freehold beautiful and coordinating the various law enforcement agencies that assist us on Memorial Day, respectively."