With a year of work into the former VFW building, south of Mandan, a great amount of progress has been completed. A before and after photo. Submitted photo.

It has been a year since local businessman, Fred Berger, gifted the former VFW building, located west of Mandan, to the local Marine Corps League organization, the Dakota Leathernecks Detachment. These local Marines are celebrating a major milestone while also hosting a fundraising event to support the next phase of improvements.

The Dakota Leathernecks are holding a Marine House Fundraiser, Saturday, Sept.17, from 11-2 p.m. at the Marine House located two miles west of Mandan on Highway 10. The event includes an elk burger and bison brat feed, a brief program and access to the 101-year-old iconic facility being renovated by this group of Marines. Cost is $10 per plate and is open to the public.

“We need this event so the community can see the progress we have made but to also generate financial support for the next phase of renovations,” Ray Morrell, Commandant of the Dakota Leathernecks, said. “We have over 2,500 Marine-Hours invested to date and more than 24-ton of garbage and debris have been hauled out of this building since last fall. We have come a long way with this renovation project but we have a long haul to go before we can make it serviceable once more.”

Local Marines, and a handful of community volunteers, have completely stripped the building interior to its stud walls, while spending countless hours reinforcing, reconstruction and repurposing the building that once served as the local VFW post from 1959 to the late 1980s. Prior to that, it served as the Price Consolidated School, originally constructed in 1915.

Morrell says that the community involvement has been overwhelming and contributes the progress to the generous support the project has received.

“Many area businesses and individuals have given, graciously, to this renovation project. This fundraising event is a way in which we can honor their contribution but also seek additional support so we can complete this project,” Morrell said. “We look forward to the opportunity when we can open our doors for our members and engage our community through various events and activities.”

The Dakota Leathernecks is a local Detachment of the Marine Corps League, the only Marine Corps specific Veteran service organization chartered by Congress.