GREENFIELD — Ray “Bubba” Sorensen II, artist of the Freedom Rock in Adair County, has begun painting for the 17th year. In honor of Memorial Day, Sorensen repaints this 12-foot tall, approximately 60 ton boulder to pay tribute to military men and women.
Sorensen started painting the original Freedom Rock the first week of May and plans to be finished by Memorial Day 2015. This year’s front (highway facing side) of the Freedom Rock is Sorensen’s expanded version of the Gadsden Flag. It has a soldier shouldering the weight of our country including Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness, symbolizing the heavy responsibility each military person carries and defends during their service. Also on the front is a coiled rattlesnake with a ribbon flowing around his body reading, “Don’t Tread On Me.”
The south side features “The Four Chaplains” who were a calming presence after their troop transport ship, the USS Dorchester, was hit by a torpedo in the early morning hours of Feb. 3, 1943, and began to sink. After organizing an orderly evacuation the life vest supply ran out before everyone had. Selflessly, each chaplain removed their own life vests and gave them to others. The chaplains then locked arms, said prayers and sang hymns as the ship sank.
The back (east side) is the American flag laying on the rock, in the shape of that side of the rock.
On the north side is of course, the Huey helicopter that is painted with green paint containing the ashes (cremains) of fallen Vietnam veterans. Above that will be the famous Vietnam sniper Carlos Hathcock, also known as White Feather. He was famous for killing an enemy NVA sniper by shooting him through the enemy sniper’s scope at a long distance.
Although it is Sorensen’s 17th annual year of painting the original Freedom Rock, this is Sorensen’s third year on the Freedom Rock Tour across Iowa. This year, Sorensen has already painted ‘Freedom Rocks’ in Lewis (Cass County), Everly (Clay County), and Leon (Decatur County). This year, Sorensen will make stops in Maxwell (Story County), Whittemore (Kossuth County), Ackley (Hardin County), Dows (Wright County), Emerson (Mills County), Livermore (Humboldt County), Corydon (Wayne County), Cedar Falls (Black Hawk County), Manilla (Crawford County) and Solon (Johnson County).
Sorensen is not commissioned for his work on the original Freedom Rock in Menlo, but works as an independent mural artist for the Iowa Freedom Rock Tour. Sorensen is only able to complete about 10 rocks per year, because of scheduling and weather. At this time, Sorensen is booked into the 2020 year.
“I always say I have three goals with The Freedom Rock Tour and that is to honor America’s veterans, promote Iowa tourism and provide for my family,” Sorensen said.
The Freedom Rock Tour is sponsored by the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation of Iowa Falls and Aluma Trailers of Bancroft.
For a list of complete counties booked for the Tour and locations of already existing Freedom Rocks, visit www.thefreedomrock.com.
Sorensen plans to be at The Freedom Rock over Memorial Day weekend, including Memorial Day to meet with visitors. Calendars, as well as other merchandise, are also available to help offset costs for the project. For more information, contact Maria at 515.306.4290 or sorensenstudios@yahoo.com.