By Robert Williams

Editor

The summer of 2024 has been a season of artistic installations around the region with Danish artist Thomas Dambo’s trolls collection bringing thousands of visitors to Frazee, Detroit Lakes, along with complementary pieces in Fargo and Perham, but Vergas now has a standout piece of art with a meaningful reason to visit.

Where Dambo’s work highlights nature, conservation and recycling, the work of Iowa-based Ray “Bubba” Sorenson’s Freedom Rocks features veterans, history and the research he does shines a light on local heroes depicted in his paintings.

Vergas Veterans Memorial Park Founding Committee members Lyle Krieg, Doug Safar, John Lotzer, Dennis Breitzman and Henry Ditterich unveiled the Freedom Rock on Monday, Aug. 5 and were working on accentuating the surrounding monuments with additional stone while continuing to work on the gazebo that houses the Freedom Rock.

“Like Bubba said, it’ll now be a destination with his tour,” said Safar. “If he would have done a bunch of clip art and if he didn’t have a story of our community it wouldn’t have been a destination rock.”

On the front facing portion of the stone that greets visitors Sorenson painted a rendition of Silver Star medal recipient Walter Fick, a name that caught Sorenson’s eye on a memorial pillar placed right near the entrance of the gazebo.

“I was walking by one of these pillars and I saw “SILVERSTAR” and it’s run together as one word and I thought, ‘there’s a Silver Star recipient they didn’t tell me about?’”

The Silver Star Medal is the United States Armed Forces’ third-highest military decoration for valor in combat and is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States.

Fick was killed in action while serving in World War II, along with his brother Harold Fick.

“The story he’s got is pretty touching and moving,” said Krieg.

Also featured is a representation of the U.S.S. Minnesota and the Black Hawk helicopter that crashed in December of 2019 that killed Charles Nord, who is buried in Vergas.

The Veterans Committee invited the Nord family out last week for an early look at the memorial rock.

The remainder of the rock includes an homage to Otter Tail County and Minnesota, along with a draping flag over the top of the rock, a bald eagle on the backside and a creed chosen by the committee.

Sorenson’s Freedom Rock tour includes one in each of Iowa’s 99 counties and a 100th rock in Altoona, Iowa. Vergas’ rock is the eighth to be placed in Minnesota joining Albert Lea, Big Lake, Blaine, Kasson, Lakeville, Norwood Young America, and Winnebago.

The plan for the tour is now nationwide – to complete a rock in all 50 states. There are currently 10 states with Freedom Rocks and an 11th booked in Ohio.

The Vergas rock is open to the public while the gazebo that houses it is still under construction. The committee is planning to add a maple tongue and groove ceiling accentuated by rope lighting for a soft ambience. Work continues around the memorial as well with new rock being added to the surrounding features for the upcoming Looney Days.

For more information on the project visit thefreedomrock.com/

Donations to the Vergas Veterans Memorial can be dropped off at the Vergas City Office or made online at www.wcif.org/fund/vcf/

Minnesota Freedom Rock Tour

1st Minnesota Freedom Rock: 212 West Main Street, Kasson, MN 55944

2nd Minnesota Freedom Rock: 8250 202nd St W, Lakeville, MN 55044

3rd Minnesota Freedom Rock: 710 Railroad St. E, Norwood Young America, MN

4th Minnesota Freedom Rock: 416 Lakeshore Dr, Big Lake, MN 55309 

5th Minnesota Freedom Rock: 140 S Main St, Winnebago, MN 56098

6th Minnesota Freedom Rock: 10802 Town Square Drive NE, Blaine, MN 55449

7th Minnesota Freedom Rock: 411 Broadway S, Albert Lea, MN 56007

8th Minnesota Freedom Rock:  Frazee Ave, Vergas, MN 56587