Flint Hill’s Honor Flight Club has recently been a part of the debate about holiday diversity, asking for Veteran’s Day, usually celebrated November 11 of every year, to be granted as a day off of school for students to recognize and reflect on the contributions of veterans across the country. 

Flint Hill’s Honor Flight club mirrors a national organization, founded by Earl Morse and Jeff Miller. Honor Flight is a program that flies veterans from across the country to Washington, DC, where they spend the day visiting memorials constructed in their honor. Most veterans that participate in the program are veterans that served in Vietnam, but there are also veterans that served in World War II, which is a testament to their resilience and strength, surviving seventy-seven years past the end of World War II. Younger students get involved by welcoming the veterans upon their arrival at their airport, often with red, white, and blue handmade signs. 

This school year has marked a significant change in policy for the Fairfax County Public School district, which many Flint Hill students previously studied in. Fairfax County has made an effort to recognize more holidays that derive from Jewish, Hindu, and Muslim traditions, such as Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah, Diwali, and Eid al Fitr. Additionally, Fairfax County recognized Veterans Day, giving students the day off in an effort to memorialize our veterans. Many students have commented on the lack of diversity in Flint Hill holidays, arguing that only Christian-centric vacations are celebrated, such as our Winter Break, which conveniently falls over the Christian holiday of Christmas, in favor of a more diverse range of holidays that represents the diversity of our student body. 

The Honor Flight Club has joined this effort, aiming to secure Veteran’s Day off for students in the endeavor of further fulfilling their commitment to Veteran support and recognition. Student leaders of the Honor Flight Club, senior Stephen Kennedy and senior Anna Jackson, attempted to schedule a meeting with Upper School Director Don Paige, hoping to foster discussion about the importance of Veteran’s Day and what it would mean to students who have relatives who have served our country. Stephen Kennedy and Anna Jackson also led a presentation at Town Meeting, in light of the inability to secure the day off for students, informing the Flint Hill Community of the ongoing significance of Veteran’s Day and whom it represents. They continued to emphasize the importance of honoring those who served, and taking the time to reach out to those you know who served. Student leader Anna Jackson later commented on the importance of recognizing Veteran’s Day: “Veteran’s Day is an important holiday for our country, and we believe that students and faculty at Flint Hill, especially those with relatives who served, deserve the day to spend time with those people and honor their sacrifices.” 

In the future, student leaders of the Honor Flight Club believe it is important for Flint Hill to recognize these important holidays, which celebrate the contributions of people who have developed our country and influenced the freedom that allows our Flint Hill community to thrive. The Honor Flight Club is just one example of how students at Flint Hill are fighting for their passions and the causes that they believe in, affecting change both in our school, and in the community abroad. We look forward to seeing what else the Honor Flight Club achieves this year!