Great Falls — To the Editor:
As my Fairfax County High School student was heading off to class on
Nov. 11, I realized that Fairfax County Public Schools DO NOT observe
Veterans Day as a National Holiday nor have they for quite some time.
As a product of the Fairfax County School system myself, I recall as a
child heading down to Arlington National Cemetery on Veterans Day with
my father (A WWII vet alive today at 103 years old) as we would spend a
few hours meandering around Arlington National Cemetery stopping and
reading the headstones of those great Americans who served this country
proudly. One year, I watched President Ford lay a wreath at the Tomb of
the Unknown Soldier from the front row. This “tradition” became our
"tradition" for years. I am not professing that Fairfax residents
establish the traditions that my father and I had, but because our
children must attend school on this hallowed day, a tradition such as I
stated above never stands a chance of happening when our children are in
school and we, as a nation, are honoring our Nation’s Veterans.
The “Education Experts” of Fairfax County will probably say that they
cannot afford to give students Veterans Day off because, “we need to
save days-off during the year to account for inclement weather school
closings.”
Well, I visited the Fairfax County Public School website (so eloquently
decorated and proudly displaying the American Flag mind you) to look at
the 2016-2017 Academic Year Calendar and I counted six student holidays
not affiliated with any national observance that I am aware.
I did notice that Feb. 6, 2017 is a student holiday though. Is
Feb. 6, 2017 a Student Holiday because the Super Bowl is the day
before on Feb. 5, 2017?? Coincidental? I hope so. If not, that is
shameful and disrespectful to the Veterans of this great Republic.
Let’s get our priorities straight and allow the children of Fairfax
County to acknowledge, observe, and learn about our veteran’s service by
observing this day as a National Holiday. I can think of no greater
education.
Joseph F. Sartiano, Jr
Colonel, United States Army (Retired)
Great Falls