Sam was born in a small town just outside of Luxor, a large city of Eridanus II, on July 18, 2528 just prior to his home world being glassed by the Covenant during the Battle of Eridanus II in 2530. During the mayhem, Sam lost both his parents and his sister - being narrowly evacuated aboard a civilian transport craft. Sam then spent the next year living with a temporary foster family. By 2531, the brief one-year period had left him with a strong hatred towards the Covenant for the loss of his family and home world. Combined with his fascination for the military, it was from here he was found and volunteered to sign up for SPARTAN-III’s Alpha Company