On September 5, 2008, in a statement of support for the nations military men and women, US Congressman Robin Hayes and local dignitaries declared Fayetteville/Cumberland County, NC the Worlds First Sanctuary for Soldiers and Their Families, at a groundbreaking ceremony at the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry Armory and Museum. In response, Colonel John McDonald of Pope Air Force spoke of the “dedicated care” shown to him by the people of Cumberland County. “It’s just not rhetoric. It lives and breathes right here in Fayetteville.”