Covenant War Memorial

"Some of you here today weren't even born when the war started. I was only a toddler when the war began, and I remember how frightened my parents had been; how their minds were slaves to fear, their faces constantly locked in worry. That was the attitude for most during the war, some accepted it and took the easy way out, others fought it, hoping that the sun will shine through the clouds again and return to better days. Hard to imagine its been twenty-eight years, twenty-eight years where we fought together, cried together, died together. The darkest hour of our existence gave birth to the rise of countless heroes, named and unknown; those who gave everything knowing they may never return. We were outgunned, outnumbered, and in a time of uncertainty, we mustered the courage and will to make them pay for every meter of soil they dared to attack. Some were futile, but we bought time for us—humanity—to allow others to turn the tide and win the day. The souls we mourn, the homes we lost—must never be forgotten, but serve as a reminder to our duty to make the galaxy a better place. The path we choose today will affect future generations to come; never should the fear and suffering we faced ever come to pass again."

- Lucas Foster, Remembrance Day ceremony, 2554.