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