The Freedom Rock in Stratford

Three new Freedom Rocks, painted by Ray “Bubba” Sorensen of Greenfield, will be dedicated in three Iowa communities this Saturday — on Veterans Day.

Sorensen says one of them is in the Hamilton County town of Stratford and it will feature a series of soldiers’ faces, men and women, which all look like they could be related.

“What I tried to do was illustrate from the Revolutionary War, kind of like the same family that has served in the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, all the way through to current,” Sorensen says. “I have them all looking similar but a little different and then there are changes in their headwear.”

The rock in Hamilton County also pays tribute to a Tuskegee airman who was killed in action in World War Two.

“Not only are the Tuskegee airmen rare, but they have incredible stories and incredible acts of heroism fighting not only the enemy but racism at that time,” Sorensen says. “It’s just a neat story as well.”

The dedication ceremony will be held this Saturday afternoon at 3 PM in Stratford. Other ceremonies will be held in Cresco in Howard County and Murray in Clarke County.

There are now 68 Freedom Rocks across the state with the goal of having the rocks located in all 99 Iowa counties by 2020.

By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City