Hillside Memorial

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

The UNSC Hillside Memorial is a tribute to the brave soldiers of the United Nations Space Command who gave their lives during the 28-year Human-Covenant war.^[1]

The Memorial

Held in east Africa, near Voi, the memorial was set up by Fleet Admiral Terrence Hood. Survivors and Marines attended its opening, including Gunnery Sergeants Marcus Stacker and Reynolds, Private First Class Chips Dubbo, and the current Arbiter, Thel 'Vadam. 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.

The Memorial reads, "In memory of those fallen in the defense of Earth and her colonies. March 3, 2553" The UNSCDF insignia is seen above the dedication, and the foot of the memorial is covered with photographs, weapons, caps, and other personal effects of the fallen defenders of humankind. Scratched into the memorial is the number "117", with the insignia of Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy taped below it, a permanent dedication to Spartan John-117, whose tireless efforts were key to the UNSC's victory.

Transcript of the dedication

On a hillside near the portal to the Ark, Marines and Naval personnel gather. Lord Hood removes his cap, and begins his speech.

Admiral Hood: "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."

Admiral Hood puts his cap back on, and salutes.

Gunnery Sergeant Pete Stacker: "Present arms!"

Seven Marines, standing in a line, draw their battle rifles and fire three volleys in unison, a three-volley salute to the fallen. The sound of the shots echo through Mount Kilimanjaro. The panorama changes as the Marines fire each shot.

{sunset}

Admiral Hood: (To Thel 'Vadam) "I remember how this war started. What your kind did to mine. I can't forgive you. But... (he holds out his hand) you have my thanks, for standing by him to the end."

Thel shakes Admiral Hood's hand.

Admiral Hood: "Hard to believe he's dead."

The Arbiter looks away, toward the Shadow of Intent, hovering silently in the sky.

Arbiter: "Were it so easy..."

Known deceased listed on memorial

Trivia

Thel 'Vadam was the only Sangheili, and the only non-human, to attend the dedication of the memorial, although according to Halo: Glasslands several bodyguards were present.
There are some photos on the memorial portraying Gunnery Sergeant Pete Stacker as depicted in Halo: Combat Evolved and in Halo 2, 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".
For being a twenty-eight-year war against a highly superior enemy in terms of numbers and technology, there are surprisingly few photos and mementos on the monument (indicating relatively few losses), compared to the ONI memorial and even memorials dedicated historic wars on Earth (the Vietnam War memorial being a notable example). This may be because the memorial only includes mementos to those killed during the Battle of Installation 00. Fleet Admiral Hood mentions "those who journeyed into the howling dark and did not return," which seems to indicate this. Alternatively, it may be that there aren't many mementos left to place, with many soldiers' personal effects lost when their owners are killed or when their owners are forced to leave them behind, like in the evacuation of bases or ships. In these cases, any items to remember the fallen servicemen would have been destroyed (i.e. went down with the ships that carried them or destroyed with bases [such as those in Crow's Nest] or destroyed when a planet was glassed). It is also highly likely that the UNSC was almost bankrupt at the end of the war, meaning the monument was most likely temporary. The fact that grand commemorative museums were built around fifty years later most likely means that the memorial would not have been left so modest. It is also known that there were so many casualties that some personnel were not known as dead or alive. It has since been established that the Human-Covenant war claimed more than 23 billion human lives, severely depleting Humanity's numbers. It is more likely that the wall was meant to commemorate the relatively few fatalities from the Battle of Installation 00, with separate or later memorials being dedicated to the billions who died in earlier battles and Covenant acts of genocide.
There are three Medals of Honor on the monument awarded to Miranda Keyes, Avery Johnson, and an unnamed Marine.
One can see a picture of a group of marines from the Halo: Combat Evolved manual.
Even though he survived, one can see a photo of what appears to be Chips Dubbo.
The UNSC Army was not present according to Halo: Glasslands due to the Marines feeling that they had fought most of the war. This is strange given that the Army was seen to be doing a good deal of fighting on Reach (and presumably in the defense of other colonies before it), where it can be assumed that they sustained heavy, perhaps almost total losses due to the planet's being rendered uninhabitable afterwards. However, the Army was not seen at the Battle of Installation 00.