Freedom Rock fueled by inspiration, thanks to vets

The Cerro Gordo County Freedom Rock, located at the corner of Main Avenue and 8th Street, was officially dedicated Sunday with a good number of veterans and others looking on.

Artist Ray “Bubba” Sorensen was on hand for the dedication and said his work is fueled by inspiration the stories from each county provide.

“Freedom Rock was created after I watched ‘Saving Private Ryan,’ gripping the arm rest and thinking that I had to find a way to say thank you for storming Iwo Jima,” said Sorensen.  As a 19-year-old  he painted a rock outside of his hometown of Menlo, in western Iowa.  His mural was defaced with graffiti, but veterans had so appreciated the work they asked him to repaint it.  He agreed to paint a different scene on the rock and has continued to do so each May for the past 21 years as his own personal gift to veterans.

In 2013 the Freedom Rock movement was launched, with Bubba setting a goal to paint Freedom Rocks in all 99 Iowa counties.  He is currently working on his 78th rock in the state,

“I want each Freedom Rock to be inspirational, like I was with Private Ryan.  I get inspired by the

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shape and stories from each county and I want to share those stories,” he said Sunday.

The flag is always a primary feature of each Freedom Rock, he said, saying that it represents all veterans, as well as all Americans. An eagle is another standard piece of each rock.

“The flag and eagles are my two favorite things to paint and the eagle is another symbol representing all of us,” he added.  “For me, on every rock, when I paint the flag on, we’re all represented, all our stories are in there. Painting eagles and flags are my two favorite things, I can get lost in painting them all day, every day.”

The service of Henry Irving Smith, the first man to enlist from Cerro Gordo County for the Civil War, is featured on the Cerro Gordo County Freedom Rock.  Sorensen said he hopes Smith’s story, told through his painting, will also inspire others.

Smith was awarded the Civil War Congressional Medal of Honor after saving one of his soldiers who was swept away by the floodwaters of the confederate-controlled Black River in North Carolina.

“I’m very visual, so I kind of wanted to kind of see how did he earn that Medal of Honor, or at least a piece of how he earned that medal. He took off his jacket and threw his sword to the side and jumped in to save his fellow soldier, and I wanted to see if I could portray that.”

Paint used on a portion of the local Freedom Rock also contains veterans’ ashes, noted Sorensen.

“For me, that really brings it home and makes it special— makes it a true memorial.”

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