Eleanor Holmes Norton: “I thank you very much. I did want to mention that Delegate Sablan indicated he had received these complaints from his…”

“I thank you very much. I did want to mention that Delegate Sablan indicated he had received these complaints from his constituents. That's how we know about this issue. The veterans, the members of the Armed Forces bring it to our attention. And he also mentioned that some commanders had the discretion as to whether or not to fly our flags. I note that Under Secretary of Defense Erin Conaton has indeed issued a memorandum to all parts of the armed services, and her word was that she ``encouraged'' but left to the ``discretion''--``encourage'' is her word, ``discretion'' are her words--of commanders whether to display the flags of the territories and the District of Columbia when the flags of the 50 States are displayed. Defense, Pentagon, Washington, DC, August 28, 2012. memorandum for secretaries of the military departments Subject: Display of District of Columbia and United States Territorial Flags during Official Ceremonies Our Nation's Armed Forces are more diverse than ever, and brave men and women from all our states and territories continue to answer the Nation's call to duty. On these occasions where you intend to display the flags of all 50 states, I am urging you also to display the flags of the District of Columbia and United States (U.S.) territories. I especially encourage this practice as our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines graduate from entry level training. This memorandum is not intended to affect the authority or discretion of commanders.…”