Service Of Reflection To Open Freehold Borough’s 151st Memorial Day Parade

FREEHOLD BOROUGH, NJ — Elected officials, residents, visitors, and veterans of the armed forces will gather at Elks Point on Monday, May 26, to honor those who died in service to the nation as Freehold Borough begins its annual commemoration of Memorial Day.

The Service of Reflection will open the borough’s 151st Memorial Day Parade at 8:30 a.m. on May 26, and former Borough Councilman George Schnurr will serve as the master of ceremonies for the reflection.

“I am deeply honored to be asked by the Mayor and Council and the American Legion Post #54 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,” Schnurr continued. “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.”

Following the Service of Reflection at 8:30 a.m., the parade will begin at 9:45 a.m. at Brinckerhoff Avenue and West Main Street.

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, Borough Councilman and Parade Committee Liaison Adam Reich said.

At 10 a.m., representatives of local veteran organizations will begin their march along Main Street, followed by the rest of the parade participants. Everyone is invited to visit Freehold Borough and to line up along West Main, Murray, and Schanck Streets to view the parade.

According to Reich, the borough’s Memorial Day Parade is New Jersey’s longest, continuously running parade of its kind.

“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!”

The lead veteran organization for this year’s parade is the American Legion Post #54 of Freehold. This year’s theme — as decided by the American Legion — is “Celebrating 250 Years of the U.S. Army.”

The Grand Marshal of the parade (also selected by the American Legion) will be Specialist-4 Kenneth A. Pulchlopek, Reich said.

Pulchlopek is an Army Veteran who was stationed in Mannheim, West Germany, with the U.S. Commitment to NATO during the invasion of Grenada, borough officials said. He was a helicopter mechanic who performed repairs on Chinooks during this active service.

In Pulchlopek’s retirement from military service, he has served the community as a 27-year member of the Freehold Memorial Day Parade Committee representing the American Legion Post 54 in Freehold.

As a 34-year member of the American Legion Post 54, he has also held many offices throughout Monmouth County and state American Legions — the highest being State Vice Commander and serving six terms as Commander of Post 54 in Freehold. Currently, Pulchlopek serves as Adjutant of Post 54.

As part of the Legion, and as a committed veteran, he has made multiple trips to three state veterans’ homes — Menlo Park, Paramus, and Vineland, as well as Lyons and East Orange Veterans Hospitals, officials said.

In addition to Pulchlopek’s duties as Post Adjutant, he has chaired the NJ Legion Coloring Contest at the Park Avenue School and the Safety Essay Contest at Eisenhower School, and has had two first-place winners of the NJ Legion Educator of the Year Award (one from Freehold Intermediate School and one at Eisenhower School in Freehold Township).

As Post Chairman, Pulchlopek has been instrumental in sending many local junior high school students to Boys State at Rider University, which is a weeklong American Legion program of study on citizenship and leadership training. The program focuses on the intricacies of local and state government operations.

Alongside his engagement with the local community, Pulchlopek has also been Exalted Ruler of the Freehold Elks twice, is a member of the Olive Branch Masonic Lodge #16, and the Freehold Township Lions Club.

His service to the community and to the American Legion demonstrates the Legion’s motto: “Veterans Strengthening America,” which encapsulates their mission and vision of emphasizing their commitment ot supporting veterans, their families and communities.

“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.”

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

Residents of all ages and communities are invited to attend the Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 26.

Parade goers should be aware that there will be road closures along and around the parade route starting at 6 a.m., and there will be a No Parking Ordinance in effect along the same streets from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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.

The Service of Reflection will take place at Elks Point, where Routes 79 and 537 converge.

To learn more, you can visit the Freehold Borough Memorial Day Parade website.