Freedom Rock

Iowa artist Ray "Bubba" Sorensen found a large rock at the entrance to an old rock quarry in rural Iowa that was normally covered with graffiti and decided to use it as a canvas to honor our military heroes.  Every year since, starting on memorial day, he paints the rock over.  These are the pictures when I was there

The writing is a poem from Eleanor Roosevelt from WW II:

Dear Lord,

Lest I continue My complacent way,
Help me to remember that somewhere,Somehow out there
A man died for me today.  As long as there be war,                                                      I then must ask and answer  Am I worth dying for?

The 2nd picture shows a Muslim American soldier in prayer and his headstone.

Side 3 shows an Iowa hero named Glenn McDole who survived this:

During World War II, in order to prevent the rescue of prisoners of war by the advancing allies, on 14 December 1944, the Japanese herded the remaining 150 prisoners of war at Puerto Princesa into three covered trenches which were then set on fire using barrels of gasoline. Prisoners who tried to escape the flames were shot down. Others attempted to escape by climbing over a cliff that ran along one side of the trenches, but were later hunted down and killed. Only 11 men escaped the slaughter and between 133 and 141 were killed

It also honors a veteran of the Vietnam war.  I regret that I don't know what it says above him

The last side honors a female soldier.

Amazing.

The images on the rock are the sole property of Ray Sorensen.  He has
a website www.thefreedomrock.com.