Veterans Day Event Draws More Than 100 Vets to Local School

At White Oaks Elementary, a FCPS school located a few minutes from the edge of the Fairfax Station Patch, the teachers who were tasked with putting together the first annual "Bring a Vet to Breakfast" event were expecting maybe a few veterans to attend.

"I was thinking, 'If we get five to ten people that'll come out on their day off, that would be special,'" teacher Marion Fegley said to the laughing crowd at the breakfast Thursday morning. "110 responses later…"

The crowd of honored guests, from across various services and ranging from those currently serving to veterans of Vietnam, Korea and World War II, crowded into the cafeteria to enjoy a breakfast buffet of pastries.

A few veterans of foreign militaries — such as one student's grandfather who served in the Chinese army — also attended, illustrating the schools' great diversity.

Many of the schools' 700+ students wore red, white and blue.

Teachers also were decked in their patriotic best, wearing hats, pins, scarves and brightly colored sweaters.

Principal Connie Goodman spoke briefly, thanking the veterans for their service and for attending the event. "I think probably [the high turnout is a result of] the area," Goodman said. "There are a lot of military families. Being a federal holiday, a lot of people are available, so we have a chance to show our gratitude."

Students brought pennies to donate to efforts to build an education center at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C., putting them in jars around the school.

The event also included a special flag-raising by some of the cub scouts from the school.

Fegley, a self-described Army wife with two children also in the Army, at one point quipped, "I was told, I couldn't say "Go Army, Beat Navy!"

Several Navy veterans called out in good humor, "Go Navy!"

After the event a number of the veterans accompanied students back to their classes to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance and talk about their experiences.