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{{Ratings}}
{{Status|Canon}}
{{Era|RE|FOR|FS|GOO|TCP|HE}}
{{New content|[[Halo: Legacy of Onyx]]}}
{{Human Character Infobox
{{Character infobox
|variant=Human
|name=Franklin Mendez
|name=Franklin Mendez
|image=
|image=[[File:Enc22 Mendez.jpg|300px]]
|homeworld=
|homeworld=[[Sigma Octanus IV]]<ref name="universe">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/characters/chief-mendez '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Franklin Mendez'']</ref>
|birth=Before 2500
|birth=[[2492|March 21, 2492]]{{Ref/Reuse|universe}}
|death=
|death=
|rank=[[Senior Chief Petty Officer]]
|causeofdeath=
|parents=
|siblings=
|spouses=
|children=
|species=[[Human]]
|gender=Male
|gender=Male
|height=
|height={{Convert|188|cm|ftin}}{{Ref/Reuse|universe}}
|weapons=*[[MA5B Assault Rifle]]
|mass={{Convert|93|kg|lb|sigfig=3}}{{Ref/Reuse|universe}}
*[[Magnum|M6 Pistol]], unknown model
|hair=Silver,<ref name="Onyx69">'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 69''</ref> formerly black<ref>'''Halo: Blood Line'''</ref>
*[[Combat Knife]]
|eyes=Brown
|equipment=
|affiliation=*[[UNSC Navy]] {{C|retired}}
|vehicles=[[Missile Warthog]]
*[[Onyx United Research Project]]
|hair=Silver<ref name="Onyx69">''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]'' page 69</ref>
|rank=[[Senior chief petty officer]]{{Ref/Reuse|universe}} {{C|retired}}
|eyes=
|sn=22926-11908-FM{{Ref/Reuse|universe}}
|cyber=
|era=
|types=
|notable=
|notable=
*A set of scars going from brow to chin.<ref name="Onyx69"/>
*Taught the [[SPARTAN-II]]'s and [[SPARTAN-III]]'s.
|affiliation=[[UNSC]] [[UNSC Navy|Navy]]
}}
}}
{{quote|Nothing can kill the Chief.|A young [[John-117]] refers to Mendez}}
{{Quote|Nothing can kill the Chief.|A young [[John-117]] refers to Mendez}}
'''Senior Chief Petty Officer Franklin Mendez''' is a legendary [[UNSCDF]] NCO who was involved in the training for every Spartan soldier in the [[Spartan-II]] and [[Spartan-III]] programs, and it has been implied that he was a [[Spartan-I]]. His career is extensive and he has earned numerous medals and commendations fighting the [[Covenant]] and the [[Insurrection]].


==History==
'''Senior Chief Petty Officer Franklin Mendez''' ([[service number]] '''22926-11908-FM'''){{Ref/Reuse|universe}} is a retired [[UNSC Navy]] [[non-commissioned officer]] who was involved in the training of every [[SPARTAN programs|supersoldier]] of both the [[SPARTAN-II program|SPARTAN-II]] and [[SPARTAN-III program|SPARTAN-III]] programs. His career is extensive and he has earned numerous medals and commendations fighting in the [[Insurrection]] and the [[Human-Covenant War]].
===Early Career===
It has been implied throughout the series that he was a [[SPARTAN-I]] in the [[ORION Project]]. It has also been implied that augmentations he underwent during the SPARTAN-I project have kept him strong into his old age, allowing him to take an active role in training and combat. Before teaching the [[Spartan-II]]s, Mendez was a hand-to-hand combat and physical training DI (drill instructor) as a [[Chief Petty Officer]].


===[[SPARTAN-II]] Training===
==Biography==
He was the Spartan-II's training leader during their first years on [[Reach]] in [[2517]] until [[2525]]. He trained them in the aspects of combat as hard as any [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marine]] when they were only at the age of 6.<ref>''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', Chapter 4</ref> His military training was punctuated with in-class strategy sessions with [[Déjà]].<ref>''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', page 38</ref>
===Early life and military career===
Franklin Mendez was born on the [[human]] [[Human colonies|colony]] of [[Sigma Octanus IV]] on [[2492|March 21, 2492]]. At the age of sixteen, he enlisted in the [[United Nations Space Command]] with the approval of his parents and he left for [[Reach]] to begin his training. In [[2514]], he transferred to [[Naval Special Weapons]], where he participated in some of the most challenging engagements of the [[Insurrection]] occurring within the [[Eridanus system]]—though the specifics of his activities during these [[operation]]s remain highly classified. Upon being promoted to Chief Petty Officer, Mendez became heavily involved in the NAVSPECWAR training cadre, where his skills became quickly recognized by the [[UNSC Navy]]'s [[Office of Naval Intelligence]].{{Ref/Reuse|universe}} By [[2517]], then-CPO Mendez was regarded as the Navy's best hand-to-hand combat and physical training [[drill instructor]], in addition to having substantial combat experience.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''pages 28-29''</ref>


In the beginning of their training, Mendez and his training instructors used [[Electric Baton]]s to discipline trainees.<ref>''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', page 35</ref> However, his trainers would occasionally use rifles with tranquilizer rounds to incapacitate the trainees (those that would eventually make up Gray Team) who attempted to escape. Eventually, the Spartans, Spartan-117 in particular, grew to look up to Mendez as a solid, unmovable force in their life, "The only constant in the universe"<ref>''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', page 99</ref>. They had great respect for him, perhaps even to the extent of seeing him as a father figure.
===SPARTAN-II training===
[[File:FoR TAS Mendez 2.jpg|thumb|200px|Mendez during the SPARTAN-II training.]]
Due to his skills, he was recruited to lead the [[SPARTAN-II training|training]] of the SPARTAN-II supersoldiers in [[2516]].{{Ref/Reuse|universe}} He was the Spartan-IIs' training leader during their first years on [[Reach]] from 2517 until [[2525]]. He trained them in the aspects of combat as hard as any Marine when they were only at the age of six.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', "chapter 4"</ref> His military training was punctuated with in-class strategy sessions with AI [[Déjà]].<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 38''</ref>


After the first class of Spartan-II's training was completed, he was reassigned to train the next class of [[Spartans]].<ref>''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', page 99</ref> It has been stated that [[John-117]] never saw him again.<ref>''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', page 101</ref>
At the beginning of their training, CPO Mendez and his training instructors used [[Humbler stun device|electric batons]] to discipline trainees.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 35''</ref> However, his trainers would occasionally use rifles with tranquilizer rounds to incapacitate the trainees (those who would eventually make up [[Gray Team]]) who attempted to escape. Eventually the Spartans, [[John-117]] in particular, came to revere Mendez as a solid, unmovable force in their lives.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 99'' (''"The only constant in the universe"'')</ref> They had great respect for him, perhaps even to the extent of seeing him as a father figure, much as they regarded [[Catherine Halsey|Dr. Catherine Halsey]] as a mother figure.


===[[SPARTAN-III]] Training===
After the Spartan-IIs' training was completed, Mendez was reassigned to train the next class of [[SPARTAN program|Spartans]].<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 99''</ref> John-117 never saw him again, though Mendez returned the [[quarter]] that Dr. Halsey had given John during their first meeting. He recalled that John broke a few of the trainers' fingers when they tried to take the coin from him.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 101''</ref>
After the SPARTAN-IIs graduated, Mendez was slated to train the next class of Spartan-IIs, but the program was delayed indefinitely by Dr. Halsey due to issues with viable candidates. Mendez requested reassignment to active duty. Over the next six years, he fought the Covenant on five worlds, won two more Purple Hearts, and was promoted to [[Senior Chief Petty Officer]]. Mendez was then recruited by [[Colonel (UNSC)|Colonel]] [[James Ackerson]] to assist [[SPARTAN-051|Kurt-051]] in running the SPARTAN-III program. He trained three SPARTAN-III companies at [[Camp Currahee]] on [[Onyx]] from [[2531]] until [[2552]]. He was originally skeptical of the job, comparing the behavior of the trainees to that of the schoolchildren in ''[[Lord of The Flies]]''<ref name="Onyx69"/>.


===[[Battle of Onyx]]===
===SPARTAN-III training===
Mendez was on the [[Shield World]] Onyx when it activated. He, along with SPARTAN-III [[Team Saber]], [[Tom-B292]], [[Lucy-B091]], and Kurt-051 were virtually alone on the planet, and were forced to hide from Sentinels until eventually [[Kelly-087]] and Dr. Halsey arrived, followed shortly by [[Fred-104]], [[Will-043]], and [[Linda-058]]. Mendez assisted them in fighting all the way to the core of Onyx. Mendez then evacuated to [[Shield World|Onyx's Core]] along with the other survivors. At the funeral for the Spartans who died in combat, he read an excerpt from his favorite book: an account of the [[Interplanetary War]] called ''[[A Soldier's Tale: Rainforest Wars]]'' <ref>''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]'' page 366</ref>.
As the next class of the SPARTAN-II program was delayed by Dr. Halsey due to issues with viable candidates, ONI eventually diverted her funding to other projects and Mendez requested reassignment to active duty. Over the next six years, he fought the Covenant on five worlds, won two more [[Purple Heart]]s, and was promoted to [[Senior Chief Petty Officer]]. Mendez was then recruited by [[Colonel]] [[James Ackerson]] to assist [[Lieutenant Commander]] [[Kurt Ambrose]], formerly Spartan Kurt-051, in administrating the [[SPARTAN-III program]]. He trained three SPARTAN-III companies at [[Camp Currahee]] on [[Onyx]] from [[2531]] until [[2552]]. He was originally skeptical of the job, comparing the behavior of the trainees to that of the schoolchildren in the novel ''[[Wikipedia:Lord of the Flies|Lord of The Flies]]''.{{Ref/Reuse|Onyx69}}


==Personality==
===Onyx Conflict===
Mendez is a strict, by-the-book military man and thus has a solid sense of duty and honor. He also rarely allows himself to display his emotions (for example, [[John-117]] only saw him smile once). When he heard of the destruction of the [[Spartan-III]]s, he kept his face stony, holding his feelings to himself. His total need for discipline and order off-sets many of his new acquaintances, however those who know him well (namely the [[Spartan-II]]s, particularly [[Master Chief]] and [[Kurt Ambrose]]) have a respect and relationship with him that can only be compared to that of the connection between father and child.
{{Main|Onyx Conflict}}
While training the final batches of [[SPARTAN-III Gamma Company|Gamma Company]] on [[2552#October|October 31, 2552]], Mendez and the other UNSC forces on Onyx came under attack by [[Forerunner]] [[Onyx Sentinel|Sentinels]]. He, along with SPARTAN-III [[Team Saber]], [[Tom-B292]], [[Lucy-B091]], and Ambrose were virtually alone on the planet, and were forced to hide from Sentinels for several days. Eventually, Spartan-II [[Kelly-087]] and Dr. Halsey arrived, followed shortly by Spartan-II [[Blue Team]]: [[Frederic-104]], [[William-043]], and [[Linda-058]]. Mendez assisted them in fighting their way to the [[core room antechamber|core of Onyx]], where he eventually evacuated to [[Trevelyan|Shield World 006]], held in a [[slipspace bubble]] in Onyx's core, along with the other survivors. Onyx, actually an artificial planetary shell covering the shield world, was then disintegrated by the Sentinels.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 365-366''</ref>


==Awards==
===Shield world and retirement===
Mendez is a battle-hardened veteran who has won numerous decorations, including multiple [[The Gold Star|Gold Stars]], [[The Silver Star|Silver Stars]], [[The Bronze Star|Bronze Stars]], three [[The Purple Heart|Purple Hearts]]<ref>''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', page 95</ref>, and [[The Red Legion of Honor]].
[[File:HM EscapeFromOnyx3.png|thumb|200px|Mendez and Halsey (right) inside Shield World 006.]]
At the funeral for the Spartans who had died on Onyx, Mendez read an excerpt from his favorite book: an account of the [[Rain Forest Wars]] called ''[[A Soldier's Tale: Rainforest Wars]]''.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 378-379''</ref> While inside the shield world, Mendez began to reflect upon his role in training the Spartans.<ref>'''Halo: Glasslands''', ''page 73''</ref> He also took note of Halsey's apparent discomfort with the Spartan-IIIs he had helped train, confronting the doctor about this on several occasions.<ref>'''Halo: Glasslands''', ''page 37-40''</ref>


==Trivia==
After Mendez and the other survivors had reconnoitered the sphere for some time and established a base camp in a [[Citadel (Trevelyan)|Forerunner city]], [[Lucy-B091]] discovered several [[Huragok]] which helped the human survivors contact the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] ships outside the slipspace bubble and eventually bring the sphere into normal space.<ref>'''Halo: Glasslands''', ''page 382-389''</ref> Mendez and the others were then taken to a debriefing in [[HIGHCOM Facility Bravo-6]] aboard the {{UNSCShip|Port Stanley}}.<ref>'''Halo: Glasslands''', ''page 401-403''</ref> Mendez, along with the surviving Spartan-IIs, was present at the [[Voi Memorial]] unveiling ceremony on [[2553#March|March 3, 2553]].<ref>'''Halo: Glasslands''', ''page 414''</ref> Shortly after this, Mendez retired from UNSC service, a result of personal introspection of about his role in training child soldiers as well as pressure from the UNSC.{{Ref/Reuse|universe}}
*''[[Halo: First Strike]]'' has a potent reference to Mendez, in which [[Dr. Halsey]] finds a string: [[CPOMZ]], followed by a 512-character alphanumeric string. It is later confirmed in ''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]'' to be a reference to Mendez: '''C'''hief '''P'''etty '''O'''fficer '''M'''ende'''Z''' (CPOMZ).
*He had his own [[Missile Warthog|custom-made Warthog]]. On the back instead of a standard [[Chaingun]] there is a rack of [[Argent V]] missiles.
*He also read the book ''[[Lord of The Flies]]'' sometime in his life and compared the [[Alpha Company]] recruits to the kids in the book in a private conversation to [[Kurt-051]].<ref>''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]'' page 70</ref>
*He enjoys [[Sweet William Cigars]].<ref>''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', page 69</ref>
*Mendez gave [[John-117|Master Chief]] his quarter back at the final moment they met. He recalled that John broke a few of the trainers' fingers when they tried to take the coin from him.
*in HALO:GHOSTS of Kurt-051 described Mendez as a neat and trim man.
==Quotes==
*''A leader must be ready to send soldiers under his command to their deaths'' <ref>''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', page 62</ref>
*''You don't win unless your team wins.'' <ref>''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', page 42</ref>
*''Do they let Spartans drink now?'' <ref name="Onyx69"/>


===Onyx United Research Project===
{{Quote|Well, when I think of all the things we had to do to win the war... Let's just say it's nice to have an opportunity to do some unalloyed good.|Mendez to [[Tom-B292]] and [[Lucy-B091]] on his new post.{{Ref/Reuse|lessons}}}}
Mendez was ultimately not comfortable with his retirement and by early [[2554]], he had been appointed as head of security for the [[Onyx United Research Project]] within [[Shield World 006]], with the Sangheili [[Kasha 'Hilot]] as his second-in-command. While still nominally a civilian, Mendez had authority over the UNSC forces within the facility. Around April 2554, he welcomed [[Lucy-B091]] and [[Tom-B292]] to the shield world, the two [[Beta Company]] Spartans having been assigned under him as part of the project's security staff. Following an incident in which a UNSC soldier assaulted Kasha 'Hilot, Mendez dismissed the offender and his comrades, intending to talk with the facility's director [[Hugo Barton]] regarding the vetting standards for the facility's personnel.<ref name="lessons">'''[[Halo: Fractures]]''', "[[Lessons Learned]]"</ref>
===Interview with Benjamin Giraud===
In [[2558]], ONI had a man claimed to be Mendez provide an interview regarding the Master Chief for journalist [[Benjamin Giraud]] in ONI's [[Boston]] headquarters. Like the other sources ONI had provided for Giraud, "Mendez" adhered to the sanitized public version of the Spartan-IIs' background, centered on glorifying John's heroism and omitting any mention of his age or life before his [[SPARTAN-II training|training]]. When Giraud attempted to approach the topic from a more critical angle, his interviewee rather unambiguously advised him not to press the issue so as to avoid turning the conversation "decidedly unpleasant".<ref>'''[[Hunt the Truth]]''', ''Episode 5: OUT OF TIME''</ref>{{Ref/Note|It is suspected that the man interviewed by Giraud was not, in fact, the real Mendez, but likely an ONI stand-in. ''[[Lessons Learned]]'' and ''[[Halo: Legacy of Onyx]]'' establish that Mendez was consistently stationed at Onyx as part of his role as the facility's head of security during the emergence of the Guardians in 2558. Additionally, ''Legacy of Onyx'' shows Mendez remained troubled over his part in the Spartan programs, making it questionable he would so readily perpetuate ONI's narrative regarding the Spartan-IIs - or that ONI would summon him to Earth from his duties at Onyx only to have him provide a relatively brief interview in the first place.}}
===Second Onyx conflict===
{{Main|Second Onyx conflict}}
{{Expand-section}}
==Personality and traits==
Mendez is a strict, by-the-book military man and thus has a solid sense of duty and honor. He also rarely allows himself to display his emotions (for example, [[John-117]] very rarely had seen him smile). When he heard of the destruction of the [[SPARTAN-III Alpha Company|Alpha Company]] of Spartan-IIIs, he kept his face stony, holding his feelings to himself. His total need for discipline and order off-sets many of his new acquaintances, however those who know him well (namely the Spartan-IIs, particularly John-117 and [[Kurt Ambrose]]) have a respect and relationship with him that can be compared to that of the connection between father and child.
Mendez's stringent sense of military discipline extends to himself, and he is known to devote considerable attention to his physical fitness even with age. When he arrived to train Alpha Company, Lieutenant Commander Ambrose noted that Mendez had aged very well, that he had a trim chiseled body from "ironwood", with hair that was now silver, deep creases around his eyes and that a set of ragged scars that ran from brow to chin.{{Ref/Reuse|Onyx69}} By 2552, Kurt still found Mendez to be surprisingly fit and agile, noting he moved like a soldier thirty years younger and wondered what kind of Spartan he would have made.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 129''</ref>
He is known to enjoy [[Sweet William cigar]]s.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 69''</ref>
==Decorations==
Mendez is a battle-hardened veteran who has won numerous decorations, including multiple Gold Stars, [[Silver Star]]s, [[Bronze Star]]s, three [[Purple Heart]]s,<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 95''</ref> and the [[Legion of Honor]].
==Production notes==
{{Linkbox|gallery=yes}}
Mendez is portrayed by American actor [[Wikipedia:Stacy Keach|Stacy Keach]] in ''[[Hunt the Truth]]'',<ref>[http://news.xbox.com/2015/05/games-hunt-the-truth-podcast-episode-8 '''Xbox Wire''': ''Halo 5: Guardians #HuntTheTruth - Has the Master Chief Gone AWOL?'']</ref>, Richard Cansino in ''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series]]'', and [[Wikipedia:Jim Meskimen|Jim Meskimen]] in ''[[Halo Infinite: Memory Agent]]''.
==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Bloodline_Chief_Mendez.png|Mendez in ''[[Halo: Blood Line]]''.
File:Mendez_Journal.jpg|Mendez, as drawn by Dr. Halsey.
File:Xbox Daily E3 Trailer - John as a child.jpg|Mendez in his office with Dr. Halsey and John-117.
File:FoR_Mendez.png|Mendez bestows John-117 the rank of Petty Officer Third Class.
File:Mendez2.jpg|A possible appearance of Mendez in ''Birth of a Spartan''.
File:FoR TAS Mendez full.jpg|Mendez as he appears in [[Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series]].
File:FoR TAS Mendez.jpg|Mendez in his [[UNSC Navy Dress Uniform|Navy dress uniform]].
File:TFoR AS - Mendez 2525.jpg|Mendez in his Navy dress uniform, which displayed his decorations.
File:FoR TAS - Mendez.jpg|Mendez in 2517.
File:Enc22_Mendez.jpg|Mendez in the ''[[Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition)]]''.
</gallery>
==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo: First Strike]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''
*''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''
**''[[Pariah]]''
*''[[Halo: Blood Line]]''
*''[[Remember Reach]]
**''[[Birth of a Spartan]]'' {{C|Possibly}}
*''[[Halo: Reach]]''
**''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]''
*''[[Halo: Fall of Reach]]''
**''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Boot Camp|Boot Camp]]''
**''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Covenant|Covenant]]'' {{C|Flashback only}}
*[[Halo: The Cole Protocol]]
*''[[Halo: Glasslands]]''
*''[[Halo 4]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Mortal Dictata]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Hunt the Truth]]''
*''[[Halo: Last Light]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series]]''
*''[[Halo Mythos]]''
*''[[Halo Fractures]]''
**''[[Lessons Learned]]''
*''[[Halo: Envoy]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Retribution]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Legacy of Onyx]]''
*''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Oblivion]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Shadows of Reach]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo Infinite: Memory Agent]]''
*''[[Halo: The Television Series]]''
**''[[Homecoming (TV Series)|Homecoming]]''
==Notes==
{{Ref/Notes}}


==Sources==
==Sources==
<references />
{{Ref/Sources|2}}


{{Spartan I}}
[[Category:Human characters|Mendez, Franklin]]
[[Category:Spartan-Is|Mendez, Franklin]]
[[Category:UNSC Navy enlisted personnel|Mendez, Franklin]]
[[Category:UNSC Naval Personnel|Mendez, Franklin]]
[[Category:Characters|Mendez, Franklin]]

Latest revision as of 19:34, January 23, 2024

"WE'VE GOT A NEW CONTACT, UNKNOWN CLASSIFICATION!"
This article may contain information based upon upcoming, unreleased, or recently-released content from Halo: Legacy of Onyx, and may not be fully complete. Additionally, the information may be subject to change if it is based on pre-release material. Please update it as soon as any relevant and accurate material is available.
Franklin Mendez
An illustration of Mendez.
Biographical information

Homeworld:

Sigma Octanus IV[1]

Born:

March 21, 2492[1]

Personal details

Species:

Human

Gender:

Male

Height:

188 centimetres (6 ft 2 in)[1]

Weight:

93 kilograms (205 lb)[1]

Hair color:

Silver,[2] formerly black[3]

Eye color:

Brown

Political and military information

Affiliation:

Rank:

Senior chief petty officer[1] (retired)

Service number:

22926-11908-FM[1]

 

"Nothing can kill the Chief."
— A young John-117 refers to Mendez

Senior Chief Petty Officer Franklin Mendez (service number 22926-11908-FM)[1] is a retired UNSC Navy non-commissioned officer who was involved in the training of every supersoldier of both the SPARTAN-II and SPARTAN-III programs. His career is extensive and he has earned numerous medals and commendations fighting in the Insurrection and the Human-Covenant War.

Biography[edit]

Early life and military career[edit]

Franklin Mendez was born on the human colony of Sigma Octanus IV on March 21, 2492. At the age of sixteen, he enlisted in the United Nations Space Command with the approval of his parents and he left for Reach to begin his training. In 2514, he transferred to Naval Special Weapons, where he participated in some of the most challenging engagements of the Insurrection occurring within the Eridanus system—though the specifics of his activities during these operations remain highly classified. Upon being promoted to Chief Petty Officer, Mendez became heavily involved in the NAVSPECWAR training cadre, where his skills became quickly recognized by the UNSC Navy's Office of Naval Intelligence.[1] By 2517, then-CPO Mendez was regarded as the Navy's best hand-to-hand combat and physical training drill instructor, in addition to having substantial combat experience.[4]

SPARTAN-II training[edit]

Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series screenshot
Mendez during the SPARTAN-II training.

Due to his skills, he was recruited to lead the training of the SPARTAN-II supersoldiers in 2516.[1] He was the Spartan-IIs' training leader during their first years on Reach from 2517 until 2525. He trained them in the aspects of combat as hard as any Marine when they were only at the age of six.[5] His military training was punctuated with in-class strategy sessions with AI Déjà.[6]

At the beginning of their training, CPO Mendez and his training instructors used electric batons to discipline trainees.[7] However, his trainers would occasionally use rifles with tranquilizer rounds to incapacitate the trainees (those who would eventually make up Gray Team) who attempted to escape. Eventually the Spartans, John-117 in particular, came to revere Mendez as a solid, unmovable force in their lives.[8] They had great respect for him, perhaps even to the extent of seeing him as a father figure, much as they regarded Dr. Catherine Halsey as a mother figure.

After the Spartan-IIs' training was completed, Mendez was reassigned to train the next class of Spartans.[9] John-117 never saw him again, though Mendez returned the quarter that Dr. Halsey had given John during their first meeting. He recalled that John broke a few of the trainers' fingers when they tried to take the coin from him.[10]

SPARTAN-III training[edit]

As the next class of the SPARTAN-II program was delayed by Dr. Halsey due to issues with viable candidates, ONI eventually diverted her funding to other projects and Mendez requested reassignment to active duty. Over the next six years, he fought the Covenant on five worlds, won two more Purple Hearts, and was promoted to Senior Chief Petty Officer. Mendez was then recruited by Colonel James Ackerson to assist Lieutenant Commander Kurt Ambrose, formerly Spartan Kurt-051, in administrating the SPARTAN-III program. He trained three SPARTAN-III companies at Camp Currahee on Onyx from 2531 until 2552. He was originally skeptical of the job, comparing the behavior of the trainees to that of the schoolchildren in the novel Lord of The Flies.[2]

Onyx Conflict[edit]

Main article: Onyx Conflict

While training the final batches of Gamma Company on October 31, 2552, Mendez and the other UNSC forces on Onyx came under attack by Forerunner Sentinels. He, along with SPARTAN-III Team Saber, Tom-B292, Lucy-B091, and Ambrose were virtually alone on the planet, and were forced to hide from Sentinels for several days. Eventually, Spartan-II Kelly-087 and Dr. Halsey arrived, followed shortly by Spartan-II Blue Team: Frederic-104, William-043, and Linda-058. Mendez assisted them in fighting their way to the core of Onyx, where he eventually evacuated to Shield World 006, held in a slipspace bubble in Onyx's core, along with the other survivors. Onyx, actually an artificial planetary shell covering the shield world, was then disintegrated by the Sentinels.[11]

Shield world and retirement[edit]

A nearly finalized version of the "Escape from Onyx," with only the color of the two rightmost Spartans missing.
Mendez and Halsey (right) inside Shield World 006.

At the funeral for the Spartans who had died on Onyx, Mendez read an excerpt from his favorite book: an account of the Rain Forest Wars called A Soldier's Tale: Rainforest Wars.[12] While inside the shield world, Mendez began to reflect upon his role in training the Spartans.[13] He also took note of Halsey's apparent discomfort with the Spartan-IIIs he had helped train, confronting the doctor about this on several occasions.[14]

After Mendez and the other survivors had reconnoitered the sphere for some time and established a base camp in a Forerunner city, Lucy-B091 discovered several Huragok which helped the human survivors contact the Office of Naval Intelligence ships outside the slipspace bubble and eventually bring the sphere into normal space.[15] Mendez and the others were then taken to a debriefing in HIGHCOM Facility Bravo-6 aboard the UNSC Port Stanley.[16] Mendez, along with the surviving Spartan-IIs, was present at the Voi Memorial unveiling ceremony on March 3, 2553.[17] Shortly after this, Mendez retired from UNSC service, a result of personal introspection of about his role in training child soldiers as well as pressure from the UNSC.[1]

Onyx United Research Project[edit]

"Well, when I think of all the things we had to do to win the war... Let's just say it's nice to have an opportunity to do some unalloyed good."
— Mendez to Tom-B292 and Lucy-B091 on his new post.[18]

Mendez was ultimately not comfortable with his retirement and by early 2554, he had been appointed as head of security for the Onyx United Research Project within Shield World 006, with the Sangheili Kasha 'Hilot as his second-in-command. While still nominally a civilian, Mendez had authority over the UNSC forces within the facility. Around April 2554, he welcomed Lucy-B091 and Tom-B292 to the shield world, the two Beta Company Spartans having been assigned under him as part of the project's security staff. Following an incident in which a UNSC soldier assaulted Kasha 'Hilot, Mendez dismissed the offender and his comrades, intending to talk with the facility's director Hugo Barton regarding the vetting standards for the facility's personnel.[18]

Interview with Benjamin Giraud[edit]

In 2558, ONI had a man claimed to be Mendez provide an interview regarding the Master Chief for journalist Benjamin Giraud in ONI's Boston headquarters. Like the other sources ONI had provided for Giraud, "Mendez" adhered to the sanitized public version of the Spartan-IIs' background, centered on glorifying John's heroism and omitting any mention of his age or life before his training. When Giraud attempted to approach the topic from a more critical angle, his interviewee rather unambiguously advised him not to press the issue so as to avoid turning the conversation "decidedly unpleasant".[19][Note 1]

Second Onyx conflict[edit]

Main article: Second Onyx conflict
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Personality and traits[edit]

Mendez is a strict, by-the-book military man and thus has a solid sense of duty and honor. He also rarely allows himself to display his emotions (for example, John-117 very rarely had seen him smile). When he heard of the destruction of the Alpha Company of Spartan-IIIs, he kept his face stony, holding his feelings to himself. His total need for discipline and order off-sets many of his new acquaintances, however those who know him well (namely the Spartan-IIs, particularly John-117 and Kurt Ambrose) have a respect and relationship with him that can be compared to that of the connection between father and child.

Mendez's stringent sense of military discipline extends to himself, and he is known to devote considerable attention to his physical fitness even with age. When he arrived to train Alpha Company, Lieutenant Commander Ambrose noted that Mendez had aged very well, that he had a trim chiseled body from "ironwood", with hair that was now silver, deep creases around his eyes and that a set of ragged scars that ran from brow to chin.[2] By 2552, Kurt still found Mendez to be surprisingly fit and agile, noting he moved like a soldier thirty years younger and wondered what kind of Spartan he would have made.[20]

He is known to enjoy Sweet William cigars.[21]

Decorations[edit]

Mendez is a battle-hardened veteran who has won numerous decorations, including multiple Gold Stars, Silver Stars, Bronze Stars, three Purple Hearts,[22] and the Legion of Honor.

Production notes[edit]

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Mendez is portrayed by American actor Stacy Keach in Hunt the Truth,[23], Richard Cansino in Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series, and Jim Meskimen in Halo Infinite: Memory Agent.

Gallery[edit]

List of appearances[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ It is suspected that the man interviewed by Giraud was not, in fact, the real Mendez, but likely an ONI stand-in. Lessons Learned and Halo: Legacy of Onyx establish that Mendez was consistently stationed at Onyx as part of his role as the facility's head of security during the emergence of the Guardians in 2558. Additionally, Legacy of Onyx shows Mendez remained troubled over his part in the Spartan programs, making it questionable he would so readily perpetuate ONI's narrative regarding the Spartan-IIs - or that ONI would summon him to Earth from his duties at Onyx only to have him provide a relatively brief interview in the first place.

Sources[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Halo Waypoint: Franklin Mendez
  2. ^ a b c Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 69
  3. ^ Halo: Blood Line
  4. ^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, pages 28-29
  5. ^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, "chapter 4"
  6. ^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 38
  7. ^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 35
  8. ^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 99 ("The only constant in the universe")
  9. ^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 99
  10. ^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 101
  11. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 365-366
  12. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 378-379
  13. ^ Halo: Glasslands, page 73
  14. ^ Halo: Glasslands, page 37-40
  15. ^ Halo: Glasslands, page 382-389
  16. ^ Halo: Glasslands, page 401-403
  17. ^ Halo: Glasslands, page 414
  18. ^ a b Halo: Fractures, "Lessons Learned"
  19. ^ Hunt the Truth, Episode 5: OUT OF TIME
  20. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 129
  21. ^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 69
  22. ^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 95
  23. ^ Xbox Wire: Halo 5: Guardians #HuntTheTruth - Has the Master Chief Gone AWOL?
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