The man behind the Freedom Rock project found even more respect for the soldiers he honors this summer.

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Ray "Bubba" Sorensen has made headlines for years first with painting of the Freedom Rock and now painting rock memorials in counties around Iowa -- all to honor veterans.

"For him to be able to have this talent and share it in this special way is just really wonderful," said Pat Eberly of Clarinda.

Sorensen started painting the Freedom Rock every year, 15 years ago.

"Maybe kids going by the rock, maybe they'd ask their parents about it. Maybe they'd learn something about it," Sorensen told KCCI in 2004.

That interview was before 9/11 and before Iowans convinced Sorensen to create other Freedom Rocks around the state like in Earling, Diagonal, Bondurant, Corning and more. Eventually, he wants a Freedom Rock in all 99 counties.

"You know my three goals in starting the tour were thanking our veterans, promoting Iowa tourism and feeding my family," said Sorensen.

He has been on the road all summer working to add a new county every couple of weeks, but on the Fourth of July that all changed when his 3-year-old daughter, Independence, had a seizure.

"I looked at her face and her eyes were just darting to the left and her left side was just shaking," said Maria Sorensen, Ray's wife.

The rest is here:

Story behind Freedom Rock that you haven't heard