FREEHOLD, NJ — It's not unusual around the Shore to spot Bruce Springsteen jumping on stage during the summer months at a variety of venues.

On Monday, however, "The Boss" was seen in a setting where the attention isn't about him: the Freehold Memorial Day Parade.

The parade is the largest and longest consecutively running Memorial Day parade in New Jersey honoring those who gave their lives in military service to New Jersey, with Monday's parade being the 143rd edition of the parade, according to the parade's website.

More than 70 units march in the parade each year, including military units, veterans groups, bands, fire departments, EMS squads, and youth groups, along with custom-designed floats and civilian units, the website notes.

 

Springsteen, who was born and raised in Freehold and has drawn fire in the last few years over his political statements, was not participating in the parade but was merely a spectator, snapping photos of the parade along with thousands of others who lined the parade route.