Near the museum’s “Iron Mike” statue, four-legged heroes are also honored with the memorial to Special Operations Forces (SOF) K9 soldiers killed in action. A life-sized, bronze statue of a Belgian Malinois dressed in full combat gear is surrounded by stones listing dogs killed in action. These SOF dogs are selected, trained and equipped to serve in roles not expected of the traditional Military Working Dog.

This museum is just one of the many stops along the Patriots, Past & Present Trail that winds through Fayetteville and Cumberland County. The trail features spots from the Revolutionary War up to today’s modern military. Other stops include the North Carolina Veterans Park (across from the museum), the Revolutionary Liberty Point, Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex, JFK Special Warfare Museum, and Cross Creek Cemetery, which contains graves of soldiers from the Revolutionary War through the Spanish-American War.