A crumbling veterans memorial needs community help

FORT DODGE, Kan (KSNT) – Just off the highway in Fort Dodge, people pass by a fountain every day and one man is looking to restore the memorial for the veteran community.

“This piece right here is basically being held on by paint,” said Liberal VFW Post Commander James Langley.

The fountain is in disrepair. 

A mother who lost her son in a Japanese POW camp built it in his honor and gifted it to Fort Dodge.

“Unfortunately, I was notified by the administrator here in Fort Dodge that this is one thing that they can no longer put a lot of money into because budgets are cut,” he said.

But Langley feels it’s his duty to restore the memorial.

“This is one of our heroes from the greatest generation of World War II,” he said.

He said the community has reached out to help donate concrete, paint, and other materials, but they still need $3,000 to go towards the fountain.

He also said they are searching for relatives of the memorial so they can work together to restore it.

“This needs to be a big part of the community once again,” he said.

If you want to donate, Langley said to write checks out to the VFW Post 3166 Ft. Dodge Foundation Fund and to mail it out to: James Langley, P.O. Box 5, Rolla, KS 67954.