If you aren’t a military kid yourself, you know one. We live twenty minutes out of DC; that’s just how it goes.

With so many current and former military members in our area, why will we be at school this Monday, on Veterans Day?

The answer is actually quite simple. We always have a Monday and Tuesday off in early November as the first quarter ends, the Tuesday being Election Day. Veterans Day, always November 11, comes anywhere from three to nine days later.

In the eyes of FCPS, three days off within less than two weeks of each other is too much.

I see their point; having that many days off messes with schedules, sports practices, after-school activities and the like.

But aren’t our veterans worth it?

You may not support Operation Iraqi Freedom or the war in Afghanistan, but I’d bet you support World War I, after which Armistice Day was created. Armistice Day became Veterans Day in 1954 to honor all American veterans.

Veterans Day isn’t about arguing the merits and ‘rightness’ of wars. It’s about honoring those who have served our country. Many of those men and women are our family, our friends. We should be able to spend time with them, the best gift most of them could ask for.

But students—veterans’ children, siblings, loved ones, and friends—are in school. FCPS attempts to make up for not observing Veterans Day on the online Calendar of Religious and Cultural Observances, which directs teachers “to engage their students in activities to honor veterans and recognize [the] role of the military in American democracy” on Veterans Day. An online pamphlet suggests activities such as conducting a Veterans Day Ceremony, poster contests, and writing thank you letters to veterans. At WS, we have subtle Veterans Day remembrances, such as displays around the school and photos of veterans related to WS on the announcements. However, we do not directly engage in activities honoring veterans.

Our veterans deserve more than the moment of silence we hold on Veterans Day. They were, and are, willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of others.

Now that we’ve established the need to celebrate Veterans Day, how will we? We can’t simply take another day off school: we wouldn’t meet the 180-day requirement set by Virginia. The only option, then, is replacement.

I propose we exchange Columbus Day for Veterans Day. Don’t get me wrong—I love having a break in the middle of October. But when you step back and think about Columbus, you start to wonder why we have a holiday for him.

To begin with, the foundation of Columbus’ fame is a fraud. Viking Leif Ericson step foot in Vinland (Newfoundland) around 999 AD, 493 years before Columbus sailed the ocean blue. Approximately 24,000 years before Ericson, hunters crossed a land bridge from present-day Siberia to Alaska. Their descendants eventually migrated throughout the Americas.

Not only did Columbus take credit for another’s discovery, but he also enslaved the native Bahamians and seized their land for Spain. Natives who resisted were mutilated or killed.

Logistically, observing Veterans Day might be difficult. We might not necessarily be able to observe it on the day it falls, for example, if it falls on a weekend. The federal government, however, has figured out how to deal with situations like that, and they can’t even make a budget on time. Certainly, Fairfax County can make do.

Logistics aside, recognizing and appreciating the sacrifice of our veterans is worth the extra mile. Veterans and their loved ones have given so much; the least they deserve is a school holiday.