(Menlo) In honor of Memorial Day, Ray Sorensen repaints a 12-foot tall, approximately 60-ton boulder to pay tribute to our military men and women. Sorensen started painting the original Freedom Rock® the first week of May and plans to be finished by Memorial Day 2021.
“This year’s front side features an up-close look at the grief of losing a loved one in service. A lady sits at the base of her loved one’s headstone at Arlington, while the ghosts of those who made the ultimate sacrifice come to console her. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is in the distance, with a folded American flag faintly visible in the sky, with a portion of the Mrs. Bixby letter that President Lincoln wrote. On the south side, the Twin Towers and a fireman (in honor of the 20th anniversary) paired with Pat Tillman, who was inspired to forgo his 3.6-million-dollar NFL contract to join the Army Airborne Rangers. On the east side is Major General John Clem, who joined the Army at the ripe old age of 9, making him the youngest noncommissioned officer in Army history. On the Northeast side is Oscar Austin, a Marine who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for throwing his, already injured, self between his fellow soldier and an enemy’s attack. The north side features the Huey Helicopter in which the paint contains the cremains of over 120 Vietnam Veterans from around the country. On the northwest side is Bud Schultz, a local WWII Veteran who was a MIA and a POW until the end of the war.”
Sorensen plans to be at The Freedom Rock over Memorial Day weekend, including Memorial Day, to meet with visitors. Calendars and other merchandise will be available to help offset costs for the project. Social distancing practices will be implemented.
Sorensen noted that The Freedom Rock Tour in Iowa will be concluding soon.
For a list of complete counties booked for the Tour and locations of already existing Freedom Rocks®, please visit www.thefreedomrock.com.
Although it is Sorensen’s 23rd year of painting the original Freedom Rock®, this is Sorensen’s eighth year on the Freedom Rock® Tour across Iowa. This also marked the fourth year since Sorensen began the 50 State Freedom Rock® Tour with rocks already painted in Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Washington. Freedom Rocks® have been booked for the states of North Dakota and Nebraska.
