Walk into Mecklenburg County’s Veterans Services office and you might notice something in the lobby—a statuette of a heroic service member.

The sculpture depicts Scott Dayton, Senior Chief Petty Officer and Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) tech in the U.S. Navy. You may ask: why is it here?

It’s long, but heroic story. A story that winds from Virginia to Syria, to Mecklenburg County, and finally back to the U.S. Navy base in Norfolk, Va.