Freedom Rock near Greenfield Iowa (Des Moines: 2009, homes, school)

[nebugeater]

On Sunday my family drove over from Nebraska and stopped at the dedication ceremony of the 10th anniversary of the Freedom Rock painting near I80 exit 86 on Highway 25 about a mile south of the interstate. This is the 10th year that local artist Ray (Bubba) Sorensen II has painted the rock as a tribute to serviceman and woman. He was 19 when he first did this.


Here is the web site for the Freedom Rock

Freedom*Rock (In Rural Iowa)



And some pictures that I took today of the 2008 version and the dedication














The National Guards Chopper was there, built by Orange County Choppers

[nebugeater]

The artist









The emotion of it all









Motorcycle procession back to Greenfield after the dedication




You can see the rest of what I took on Flickr if you like.

Freedom Rock 10th Anniversary Dedication - a set on Flickr

[El Rhino]

Thank you for sharing these photos, Nebugeater.

In that first photo at the bottom of the rock, I went to school with the guy depicted with the fake leg. I wasn't really friends (or enemies) with him, but I've been extremely impressed with his attitude towards losing a leg and his work with veterans. That Salute Heroes org also has a guy who was in my unit and wounded on our deployment to Iraq as a spokesperson. Both top notch dudes doing good work with that org. Those guys are true Iowa heroes in our midst.

The Iraqis have never killed a kid from Des Moines' South Side, although they've certainly had plenty of chances. Take that, Ali Baba!

[AmeliaJohn]

His work is so inspiring that I hate to see it painted over each year. Lord knows there's enough rocks down there,,,,can't the neighboring farmers supply him with new boulders every year?

Great stuff--I first heard about it through an EM from a friend in California!