Waukon Freedom Rock Veterans Memorial

Waukon Freedom Rock Veterans Memorial. Honoring Allamakee County Veterans. , The Allamakee County Freedom Rock , The Allamakee County Freedom Rock project was started in 2016 with an application submitted to the Freedom Rock artist, Ray "Bubba" Sorensen to have Allamakee County placed on his waiting list. Waukon, the County seat, was chosen to be the host city with the site to be at the Waukon City Park. It would be several years later before our rock would be finished. Allamakee County, known for limestone rock, made it more difficult to locate a granite rock for the project. Our rock was discovered and donated by North Iowa Sand and Gravel/Mike Graf out of Mason city, IA. Locating a rock and fundraising efforts finally paid off as the rock was painted and finished in August of 2020, and unveiled at a ceremony on Friday, September 11, 2020. The Allamakee County Rock is the 92nd of 99 rocks painted in the state and has the distinction of being one of the largest Freedom Rocks in Iowa. , The Allamakee Freedom Rock Committee submitted photos and stories of County Veterans to possibly put on the rock. The artist had the final say as to whom he would paint. However, it is noted that the Veterans selected for the rock represent not only themselves, but every county Veteran and branch of Service. Each Freedom Rock is draped with an American Flag and features an American Bald Eagle. A Sincere "thank you" to Bubba Sorensen for sharing his talents and vision as a way for all of us to honor and thank our veterans. , The Freedom Rock Tour , The artist, Bubba Sorensen, had a vision back in 1999 when he painted the very first Freedom Rock. Eight years ago, Sorensen began the Freedom Rock Tour in which aims to boost Iowa tourism and spread the message of thanking our Veterans, every rock would honor veterans from the county where the rock sat. The artist is quick to point out that each rock across Iowa does not include every era, branch, race, or gender, but does represent each of those things across the entire tour through county stories. He refers to each rock as a piece of a giant puzzle. For more information about the Freedom Rock Tour, please visit www.thefreedomrock.com. , The Freedom Rock® Story , Inspired by the movie "Saving Private Ryan," Iowa artist Ray "Bubba" Sorensen II began painting a large rock north of Greenfield, IA in 1999, when he was 19 years old. Sorensen wanted to give veterans a unique recognition on Memorial Day to say "Thank You" to our nation's veterans and to honor their service to our country. It has become known as The Freedom Rock® and he repaints it each year in time for Memorial Day. Since painting the original Freedom Rock®, Sorensen has been on a mission to create a Freedom Rock® in each of Iowa's 99 counties. Bubba reached this achievement in 2021. , , , , , , , , . Hugh Pratt Kidder , Hugh Pratt Kidder was born in Waukon on December 13, 1897. During world war one, he was serving in France with the 26th Infantry Regiment of the 2nd Infantry Division. October 2, 1918, Kidder led a small patrol into enemy trenches and captured two strong machine gun positions. The next day, in an effort to get his men into a better combat position, Kidder was killed by an artillery shell. After his death, Kidder was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism. In honor of the young lieutenant's heroic actions, the United States Navy launched a new Destroyer vessel, the USS Kidder, DD-319, on July 10, 1919. , Arthur Frederick Brandt , Arthur Frederick Brandt was born October 17, 1892, and later moved to Postville in 1899. Brandt served in the 168th Infantry as part of the 42nd Division, one of the first American units to arrive in France as world war one unfolded. During world war one, The Division took part in six major campaigns, being in direct combat for 174 days. On October 17, 1918, in the middle of the Meuse-Argonne battle, Arthur F. Brandt was killed in action. He was the first Postville young man to offer his services to his country and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his "extraordinary heroism in action." , James Bryson Hagen , James Bryson Hagen was born August 1, 1923 and enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1943. A year later, he received the silver wings of an Army Air Corps pilot and was assigned as a B-25 Bomber instructor before training on the C-46 Curtis Commando aircraft. Hagen left for overseas service on July 4, 1944, flying the C-46, where he served as a pilot flying supplies over the Himalayan Mountains to U.S. forces based in China. Hagen and his aircraft were reported missing in action September 22, 1944 after turbulent weather conditions. Hagen was awarded the Air Medal after he was officially listed as "Killed in Action" on September 23, 1945. , Roy Martin Vickery , Roy Martin Vickery was born August 25, 1924 in Postville and entered the U.S. Army in 1944. In July 1949, Vickery enlisted in the Army Combat Engineers and became part of the 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion. When the North Koreans invaded the South on June 25, 1950, the 2nd Engineers deployed to Korea. On December 1, 1950, the unit was only 50 miles from the Yalu River and China, when the Chinese sprung an attack that forced their unit to retreat. During the raid, Vickers was taken prisoner and never seen again. Corporal Vickery is among 140 Iowans who are still listed as "Missing in Action" (MIA). , David Wilson Reed , David Wilson Reed was born in New York on April 2, 1841, and later moved to Waukon in 1855. Reed enlisted in the Union Army in 1861 and served as part of Company C of the 12th Iowa Infantry Regiment during the Civil War. His regiment took part in the Battle of Shiloh, where Reed was wounded severely in the leg and had to be evacuated by Union forces. He went on to lead many more battles on his way to the rank of Major. After the war, Reed returned to Waukon, where he studied law and served as Allamakee County Recorder and Postmaster of Waukon. Major Reed died September 22, 1916 and is buried in Waukon. , James Isham Gilbert , James Isham Gilbert was born July 16, and later moved to Lansing in 1851. Gilbert joined the volunteer Union army in October 1862, being appointed colonel of the 27th Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He served as a Union general during the American Civil War, where he was honored as a regimental and brigade commander, and later to Major General of U.S. volunteers following his leadership at the battles of Tupelo, Nashville, Shy's Hill, and Fort Blakely. After the war, Gilbert returned to Iowa to sell timber, before moving to Colorado and Kansas to mine. General Gilbert died February 9, 1884 in Topeka, KS.