Last month, Hurricane Michael left the Florida panhandle completely devastated. The Category 4 storm was the most powerful storm of it’s kind to ever hit the area, as it had 155 mile-per-hour winds and a ten-foot storm surge.
Panama City Beach was hit particularly hard by the storm, and the community is only just now starting to rebuild. Sonny Brewer is a veteran living in the area who managed to turn a fallen tree into a powerful symbol of hope that is helping his community to get through this difficult time.
Sonny converted a depressing looking stump into a monument of sorts that includes a bald eagle flying above a colorful American flag.
“It’s a symbol of courage, integrity, can-do attitude, will-do attitude,” Sonny explained.
Sonny enlisted the help of local chainsaw sculptor Chad Gainey to make this, and it has been inspiring members of the community ever since.
“I fought for this country. I have friends under that flag, and that flag means a lot to me,” said one veteran.
“The way this community has been devastated, this means so much to me. The feeling you have is just indescribable,” added another veteran.
Here’s what the tree looked like before:
And this is what it looks like now:
“One of the few beautiful things that survived Hurricane Michael. Proud to know the artist and wanted him to know it survived unscathed,” one person wrote when sharing a photo of the sculpture online.
This monument is a beautiful reminder of the tenacity of the American spirit. Find out more about it in the video below!
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