Jennie Haskamp has friends buried at Arlington National Cemetery, she wrote in the Washington Post. Specifically, they are in Section 60 — the corner that serves as a burial ground for many military personnel killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Last week, she thought about visiting the cemetery and the graves this weekend, but didn’t. She was frustrated and upset, but couldn’t exactly figure out why. Then she heard the radio:
“Beaches, beats and BBQs!” it said. “We’re your Memorial Day station with everything you need to kick off the summer in style!”
“That’s when it hit me,” she writes. “I’m angry. I’ve come to realize people think Memorial Day is the official start of summer. It’s grilled meat, super-duper discounts, a day (or two) off work, beer, potato salad and porches draped in bunting. But it shouldn’t be. It’s more than that.”
