Can you name the person who visited all of the 99 counties in the great state of Iowa and left his mark on each and every one? It’s not a presidential candidate. It’s Bubba. Well, that’s the name he answers to, but the name given at his birth was Ray Sorensen II.
Bubba is an artist. Each year, he paints a new Memorial Day tribute to veterans. Bubba’s “canvas” is a 65-ton, granite boulder located on Highway 25, north of Greenfield, Iowa. Veterans and all lovers of liberty, you gotta’ see The Freedom Rock!
Inspiration
Bubba Sorensen was inspired to paint his yearly tribute to our troops after seeing the movie “Saving Private Ryan.” Ever since that time (1999), Bubba faithfully says “Thanks!” to veterans all across the U.S. through his wonderful rock murals.
99 rock murals
Sorensen has been quite busy since completing his first Iowa Freedom Rock painting. There are now a total of 99 rock murals—one tribute to American soldiers in each of the 99 Iowa counties. But Bubba isn’t stopping there! He’s set his sights on making at least one Freedom Rock mural in every state in the U.S. That’s quite a commitment! To date, Bubba has at least one Freedom Rock painting in several Midwest states, with plans for more.
Purpose
Bubba Sorensen is clear about his purpose in painting these heartfelt tributes to veterans.
- Honor America’s veterans.
- Promote tourism in each state and across America.
- Make a living and provide for his family.
The artist’s overall vision
According to the Freedom Rock’s website: The goal is to be unique and tell area/state specific stories on each rock. The artist will not necessarily include every era/branch/race/gender etc. on each rock but rather, the goal is to represent all of that across the entire tour with those specific stories. Think of each rock as a piece of a puzzle, not all-encompassing until you step back and look at the entire project. If you don’t see something represented on a certain rock, that means it probably will be, or already is represented on another rock.  Please understand that the artist has control of the content/design of each rock, relying on each [location] for some of the ideas to inspire said designs.
Map of Iowa’s Freedom Rocks
You can download a free printable map that shows the location of every Iowa Freedom Rock here. I encourage you to visit one or more of Sorensen’s rock murals when visiting Iowa.
Have you seen any of Iowa’s Freedom Rocks? Can you recommend other interesting places to visit while RVing? Tell me in the comments, please.
##RVT1142
Freedom Rock in Bellevue, IA overlooking the Mississippi River at lock 12. Has over 1000 papers with Veterans names.
There are actually 100 Freedom Rocks. The 100th one is at Adventure Land in Polk County, which gives this county 2. My sister’s and I have visited 25 of them, and they are all unique and inspiring,
If you are in Albia, Iowa checking out their Freedom Rock, check out their Welcome Home Solider Memorial – TOTALLY AWESOME!
Thank you, Gail. Very inspiring.
Wow, how moving…wish I had known that when we went through Iowa. I will definitely keep an eye out for them on our travels! Thanks!
Beautiful
Thanks, Gail. I’ve saved this for a future trip around my home state
Thank you, Gail. The example of Bubba’s work that you included is impressive. One of his goals is to make a living (understandably so, paint is expensive, as is food, electricity, and other utilities). Does he get paid by the county when he paints a mural, or do the murals lead to commissioned work that pays the bills? Thank you, fascinating story! Safe travels! 🙂
Thank you Gail! This young man has an incredible talent. Too bad we can only rate these articles with a 5 – this one deserves a 10! Thanks again, with special thanks to Ray Sorensen II.
Iowa is not just farm land! When we make a pilgrimage to Forest City we often explore along the way. Did you know there’s Winterset IA, birthplace of John Wayne, and home of the Bridges of Madison County and a quilt museum that this year had a display of Ricky Tim’s quilts? Or that the Clear Lake Ballroom is still open and you can visit it along with the plane crash site of Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Richie Valens?
And there’s The Grotto of Redemption…the largest man made Grotto in the world in West Bend IA. Not to mention the Matchstick Marvels Museum or Field of Dreams or just hanging out with the locals at the HyVee Cafe! Iowa is a travel gem!
I wholeheartedly agree, Sandi. I grew up in the Hawkeye State and thoroughly enjoy my trips home!