Bruce Springsteen Honors Veteran Father In NJ Hometown

FREEHOLD BOROUGH, NJ — It was a special day for The Boss of New Jersey and his family as they honored their veteran father in their hometown of Freehold.

On Veterans Day 2026, Bruce Springsteen's father, Douglas Springsteen, was honored as part of the borough's Veteran Sign Recognition Program, which aims to recognize the service of local veterans with honorary street sign toppers throughout town.

• Read More: New Initiative Aims To Honor Military Veterans In Freehold Borough

On Wednesday, Douglas was one of seven Freehold Borough veterans to be honored, and now has his own street sign topper at McLean Street & Randolph Street.

The other veterans honored by the borough and the location of their street sign toppers are:

• Rocco Tomazic (U.S. Navy) — Park Avenue School Complex, in front of the FIS entrance doors

• George Taylor (U.S. Army) — Broadway Road & Dutch Lane Road
• Robert "Bob" Higley (U.S. Navy) — Murray Street & Oak Street
• Harry Young (U.S. Army) — East Main Street & Zlotkin Circle
• Ronald Reich (U.S. Army) — Hance Boulevard & Braun Place
• Frederick Iossa (U.S. Army) - West Main Street & Hull Avenue

"This is a very important day for us," Dan Xavier, founder of the borough's Veteran Sign Recognition Program, said at the ceremony. "We do this three times a year, and it's our 250th this year. So as our country celebrates its great anniversary, this has been a very special year for us to do this."

The idea behind the Veteran Sign Recognition Program came out of the borough's Veterans Initiative Subcommittee, Mayor Kevin Kane said.

With over 300 street signs throughout the corners of Freehold Borough, the program aims to create an abundance of opportunities for the town to honor its veterans.

"We don't do enough for our veterans," Kane said. "We need to do more, and in Freehold Borough, this is one small thing that we could do to honor and recognize people who serve."

For the Springsteen family, McLean Street & Randolph Street (where their father's street sign topper is now located) holds its own special significance, as it's close to their former family home at 87 Randolph Street.

"Doug had a typical Freehold childhood; playing with neighborhood friends and enjoying the closeness of nearby cousins," Xavier told attendees of Douglas Springsteen at the ceremony.

On June 29, 1943, he was inducted into the U.S. Army and later departed from the Court Street Armory in Freehold for basic training at Fort Dix.

Douglas Springsteen would go on to become part of the largest contingent ever to leave Freehold at one time, with more than 100 men.

While in service during World War II, he was assigned to the 2250th Quartermaster Truck Company as a truck driver attached to the 416th bomb group.

The unit served in England and France by transporting bombs, aviation fuel, rations, and personnel to keep the 416th bomb group flying, and supported the bomb group during the Battle of the Bulge.

Once the war had ended, Douglas completed his military service at Camp Lee, Virginia, and was discharged on Feb. 15, 1946.

He went on to receive the Good Conduct Medal, American Service Theatre Medal, Victory Medal, and East Africa Middle East Theatre Service Medal.

In 1946, he became a founding member of the Freehold Veterans of Foreign Wars and shortly thereafter was introduced to Adele Zerilli, who would later become his wife and the mother of their three children: Bruce, Virginia and Pamela.

"Douglas Springsteen's induction into the Borough of Freehold's Military Veterans Sign Recognition Program ensures that his contributions, both in uniform and at home, will be remembered for generations to come," Xavier said.

Prior to the unveiling of their father's new street sign, Bruce and his sister Virginia shared a few words with attendees in recognition and remembrance of their father.

"I have no speech, but the only thing I can think of is I'm shocked that my father won the Good Conduct Medal," Bruce joked with the crowd. "That seems nearly impossible to the man that I knew, but needless to say, this corner and this neighborhood is one of the most formative and important places of our lives."

Bruce went on to describe their father as "a tough guy with a sweet heart." Though he had a rough life, "there were plenty of good times also," he said.

"I know he would have loved this," Bruce said of the recognition program. "Thank you."

To watch a recording of the street sign unveiling for the Springsteen family, you can watch here.

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• New Initiative Aims To Honor Military Veterans In Freehold Borough