Voi Memorial

Not to be confused with the ONI Memorial, located in ONI Alpha Site.

Flowers, boots, weapons, medals, and pictures adorn the memorial.

The Voi Memorial^[1]^[2] is a tribute to the soldiers of the United Nations Space Command, the Unified Earth Government and the Fleet of Retribution who gave their lives during the 28-year Human-Covenant War and formally marked the end of the war.^[3]

Overview

Inscription

IN MEMORY OF THOSE FALLEN

IN THE DEFENSE OF EARTH

AND HER COLONIES

MARCH 3, 2553

Known personnel commemorated on memorial

Captain Jacob Keyes
Colonel James Ackerson
Commander Miranda Keyes
Master Chief SPARTAN-117 (believed dead but actually MIA)
Sergeant Major Avery Junior Johnson

History

"For us, the storm has passed... the war is over. But let us never forget those who journeyed into the howling dark and did not return. For their decision required courage beyond measure; sacrifice, and unshakable conviction that their fight... our fight, was elsewhere. As we start to rebuild, this hillside will remain barren, a memorial to heroes fallen. They ennobled all of us, and they shall not be forgotten."

— Fleet Admiral Terrence Hood's speech at the memorial.^[3]

Survivors and other Marines begin the memorial at daybreak.

Held above the ruins of Voi, in east Africa, on a hillside in Voi on March 3, 2553, the Voi Memorial was set up by Fleet Admiral Terrence Hood three months after the Battle of Voi. The memorial takes the form of the wing of a Pelican dropship, with names and photographs of people who were killed in defense of Earth and her colonies, an inscription stating the official end of the Human-Covenant War, and a small section devoted to John-117 who, in accordance with Office of Naval Intelligence policy, is listed as missing in action.

A number of survivors from the Battle of Installation 00 attended the memorial, including Gunnery Sergeants Marcus Stacker and Reynolds, Private First Class Chips Dubbo, the current Arbiter, Thel 'Vadam, and some of his guards.^[2] Various other UNSC personnel were also present, including ONI Commander-in-Chief Admiral Margaret Parangosky, Captain Serin Osman,^[2] CPO Franklin Mendez, as well as some of the surviving SPARTAN-IIs—Naomi-010, Linda-058, Kelly-087, and Frederic-104.^[2]

Curiously, the UNSC Army was the only branch of the United Nations Space Command armed forces not invited to the memorial ceremony by Admiral Hood. Admiral Parangosky found this "goddamn rude", even by her standards.^[2]

Production notes

The Voi Memorial in Halo Online.

Originally, Halo 3 Art Director Marcus Lehto wanted the memorial to be a "giant marble monument", but Paul Russel suggested a more temporary monument would be more "tear jerking", as "only a couple of days" had passed from the events of the Ark.^[4] Later fiction, however, establishes that the survivors from the Ark returned in December 2552, meaning that over three months had passed from their return by the time the memorial ceremony was held.

A cutscene for the cancelled Halo Online would have shown the Memorial and ceremony.

Trivia

There are some photos on the memorial portraying Gunnery Sergeant Stacker as depicted in Halo: Combat Evolved, although Stacker was the senior NCO conducting the memorial.
If one looks at a certain picture of a deceased Marine, it shows him in a dress uniform similar to that of the modern day U.S. Marine Corps. This indicates that the UNSC Marines wear a variety of different dress uniforms, as just before the Battle of Earth, Sergeant Johnson was seen wearing a dress uniform similar to that of the Navy, yet, in 2524, wore the aforementioned "dress blues".
There are three Medals of Honor on the monument awarded to Miranda Keyes, Avery Johnson, and an unnamed Marine.
Aside from the etched "117" markings, there is a Three-Star Master Chief Patch. The Patch is stands for the position of "Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy", yet the tape covers one of the stars.

Gallery

Pictures, ribbons, flowers, insignias, and weapons to remember the dead.
Thel 'Vadam joins the Marines in the memorial at dusk.
Seven Marines fire their rifles as part of the memorial.
Lord Hood thanks Thel 'Vadam for standing by the Chief and humanity until the end.
Lord Hood and Thel 'Vadam shaking hands.
In memory to John-117.