Pottawattamie County Freedom Rock honors those who served, made the sacrifice – The Daily Nonpareil

OAKLAND The Pottawattamie County Freedom Rock stands as a tribute to the brave men and women from the county who have served and sacrificed to make and keep us free.

Looming 10-feet high, 13-feet long and 10-feet wide, the boulder reminds one of the enormity of the sacrifice service members have made for the good of the nation.

A dedication ceremony for the Pottawattamie County Freedom Rock is held at Chautauqua Park in Oakland on Tuesday, July 4.

The rock, painted by artist Ray Bubba Sorensen in March, was dedicated Tuesday at Chautauqua Park in Oakland. Sorensen is working to complete Freedom Rocks in all 99 Iowa counties, with the theme, Freedom Isnt Free.

The Oakland Friday Coffee Ladies organized the Pottawattamie County project after visiting the original Freedom Rock on June 10, 2011, in Greenfield, said group member Hazel Harvey.

Were grateful for all the hard work and dedication it took to get this done, Oakland Mayor Michael OBrien said during the dedication ceremony. This is a great tribute that all of us can visit and enjoy.

One of the four veterans featured on the rock is Sgt. Brent Maher of Honey Creek, who was killed by an improvised explosive device April 11, 2011, while serving in eastern Afghanistan with the Iowa Army National Guard.

Sgt. Caleb McLain with Iowa National Guard, second from right, escorts the family of the late Sgt. Brent Maher - his mother, Cheryln Tyner; his wife, Brenna; and their son, Nate, 3 - to their seats during a dedication ceremony for the Pottawattamie County Freedom Rock at Chautauqua Park in Oakland on Tuesday, July 4, 2017. The late Maher's image is one of four county servicemen who died in combat over the years who are honored on the rock.

Its pretty honorable to have his picture on this rock, said his wife, Brenna, after the ceremony. Its important to us that his memory is continued and preserved. Things like this make that happen.

Other veterans on the rock include:

Frank F. Everest, born in Council Bluffs, served as commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe and commander of the Tactical Air Command. He attained the rank of general.

Arnold W. Jacobsen, born in Walnut, served as commanding officer of the Marine Corps Supply Depots during World War II. He attained the rank of major general.

John S. McCain Jr., born in Council Bluffs, served in conflicts from the 1940s through the 1970s, including as the commander of the U.S. Pacific Command. He achieved the rank of admiral in the Navy. McCain was the father of Sen. John McCain III of Arizona.

A statue of a soldier salutes the Pottawattamie County Freedom Rock at Chautauqua Park in Oakland, where a dedication ceremony was held for it on Tuesday, July 4.

Joyce Clark, one of the Oakland Friday Coffee Ladies, said she was very pleased with the rock.

I think its wonderful I really do, she said.

Clark has had many family members serve in the Armed Forces. She said her husband served in the Air Force, one son was in the Navy, another son served in the Army and her son-in-law was in the Air Force. Her brother served with the Air Force in Vietnam and ended his own life in 1973 after returning home.

I think he needs to be honored even though he didnt die while serving, she said.

A large U.S. flag hangs over the entrance to Chautauqua Park in Oakland, where a dedication ceremony for the Pottawattamie County Freedom Rock was held on Tuesday, July 4.

Having so many family members involved in the military helped Clark dedicate herself to seeing the Freedom Rock project through to completion, she said.

The late LaDonna Applegate was the one who suggested the women try to get a rock for Pottawattamie County, Harvey said.

LaDonna Applegate said, we need to get that we need to do that, she said. LaDonna was the one who really had the passion for it.

She was always a real driver and pusher on any project, said her husband, Don.

Applegates brother-in-law served in the National Guard, and she had an uncle who served in World War II and another who worked on missiles, he said.

Rep. David Young, left, shakes hands with Cheryl Tyner, the mother of Sgt. Brent Maher, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2011, following the dedication ceremony for the Pottawattamie County Freedom Rock at Chautauqua Park on Tuesday, July 4.

The coffee group talked to OBrien about having the Pottawattamie County rock placed in Oakland. He and the City Council approved the project and took steps to cement Oaklands right to the rock. The city paid a $1,000 application fee and sent the application to Sorensen.

After shopping around, the ladies picked out a rock at Schildberg Rock Quarry near Macedonia and hired Scribs Moving and Heavy Hauling of David City, Nebraska, to move the 82-ton boulder to Oakland. They took it to its new home on April 13, 2015.

Other members of the Oakland Friday Coffee Ladies were Doris Bane, Martha Ruehle and Helen Sue Williams. Like Applegate, Williams died before seeing the fruits of their labor.

A statue of a soldier salutes the Pottawattamie County Freedom Rock at Chautauqua Park in Oakland, where a dedication ceremony was held for it on Tuesday, July 4.

Because of the artists schedule, the rock could not be painted until March 2017. Grants from the Pottawattamie County Community Foundation and in-kind donations from OSI Industries of Oakland, along with many individual donations, helped pay the cost of the project, including a bronze statue of a soldier saluting, the sidewalk, pavers, crushed rock, lighting and signage.

For more information, see thefreedomrock.com or thepottawattamiecountyfreedomrock on Facebook.

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Pottawattamie County Freedom Rock honors those who served, made the sacrifice - The Daily Nonpareil