Rick May, the inimitable voice of the Soldier for thirteen years, many shorts and countless updates, passed away this April at age 79. We were lucky enough to work with Rick many times in the studio over the past decade. A quick-witted and kind-hearted collaborator, Rick endowed the character with a trademark bellow and bootfulls(sic) of idiotic charm. The Soldier wouldn’t be the Soldier without him. — TF2 Official Website, posted May 4, 2020 With the May 1, 2020 Patch, Valve commenced a month-long tribute to Rick May. Rick May, who passed away on April 5, 2020 from complications related to COVID-19,[1] was the voice actor for the Soldier. For the month of May, the main menu class image was set to the main menu Soldier image, and the soundtrack selection was set to Saluting the Fallen, which is a rendition of Taps, a traditional salute performed at funerals and memorials of members and veterans of the United States Armed Forces. 2 minutes ago valve also placed 29 Soldier statues within most active released maps. These are bronze statues of the Soldier saluting on a marble pedestal with a plaque that reads "Rick May / 1940 - 2020 / That was a hell of a campaign son!". Random voice lines of the Soldier play as players linger around the statue. These statues reappear every 12th to 14th of April.[3] On May 4, 2020, the TF2 Team at Valve posted their respects for Rick May.
